D'oyly Carte Opera Company When The Foeman Bares His Steel
(Enter POLICE, marching in single file. They form in
line, facing audience.)
SOLOS AND CHORUS: When the foeman bares his steel
SERGEANT: When the foeman bares his steel,
POLICE: Tarantara! tarantara!
SERGEANT: We uncomfortable feel,
POLICE: Tarantara!
SERGEANT: And we find the wisest thing,
POLICE: Tarantara! tarantara!
SERGEANT: Is to slap our chests and sing,
POLICE: Tarantara!
SERGEANT: For when threatened with émeutes,
POLICE: Tarantara! tarantara!
SERGEANT: And your heart is in your boots,
POLICE: Tarantara!
SERGEANT: There is nothing brings it round
Like the trumpet's martial sound,
Like the trumpet's martial sound
POLICE: Tarantara! tarantara!, etc.
MABEL: Go, ye heroes, go to glory,
Though you die in combat gory,
Ye shall live in song and story.
Go to immortality!
Go to death, and go to slaughter;
Die, and every Cornish daughter
With her tears your grave shall water.
Go, ye heroes, go and die!
GIRLS: Go, ye heroes, go and die! Go, ye heroes, go and
die!
SERGEANT: Though to us it's evident,
POLICE: Tarantara! tarantara!
SERGEANT: These attentions are well meant,
POLICE: Tarantara!
SERGEANT: Such expressions don't appear,
POLICE: Tarantara! tarantara!
SERGEANT: Calculated men to cheer
POLICE: Tarantara!
SERGEANT: Who are going to meet their fate
In a highly nervous state.
POLICE: Tarantara! tarantara! tarantara!
SERGEANT: Still to us it's evident
These attentions are well meant.
POLICE: Tarantara! tarantara! tarantara!
EDITH: Go and do your best endeavour,
And before all links we sever,
We will say farewell for-ever.
Go to glory and the grave!
GIRLS: Go to glory and the grave!
For your foes are fierce and ruthless,
False, unnierciful, and truthless;
Young and tender, old and toothless,
All in vain their mercy crave.
SERGEANT: We observe too great a stress,
On the risks that on us press,
And of reference a lack
To our chance of coming back.
Still, perhaps it would be wise
Not to carp or criticise,
For it's very evident
These attentions are well meant.
POLICE: Yes, it's very evident
These attentions are well meant,
Evident, yes, well meant, evident
Ah, yes, well meant!
POLICE:
When the foeman bares his steel, etc.
GIRLS:
Go, ye heroes, go to glory! etc.
GENERAL: Away, away!
POLICE: (without moving) Yes, yes, we go.
GENERAL: These pirates slay.
POLICE: Tarantara!
GENERAL: Then do not stay.
POLICE: Tarantara!
GENERAL: Then why this delay?
POLICE: All right, we go.
ALL: Yes, forward on the foe!
Yes, forward on the foe!
GENERAL: Yes, but you don't go!
POLICE: We go, we go
ALL: Yes, forward on the foe!
Yes, forward on the foe!
GENERAL: Yes, but you don't go!
POLICE: We go, we go
ALL: At last they go!
At last they really go!
