The Stately Homes of England [From Operette]
NoÃ«l Coward

Lord Elderley, Lrd Borrowmere,
Lord Sickert and Lord Camp,
With every virtue, every grace,
Ah what avails the sceptred race,
Here you see-the four of us,
And there are so many more of us
Eldest sons that must succeed.
We know how Caesar conquered Gaul
And how to whack a cricket ball;
Apart from this, our education lacks co-ordination.
Though we're young and tentative
And rather rip-representative,
Scions of a noble breed,
We are the products of those homes serene and stately
Which only lately
Seem to have run to seed!

The Stately Homes of England,
How beautiful they stand,
To prove the upper classes
Have still the upper hand;
Though the fact that they have to be rebuilt
And frequently mortgaged to the hilt
Is inclined to take the gilt
Off the gingerbread,
And certainly damps the fun
Of the eldest son-
But still we won't be beaten,
We'll scrimp and scrape and save,
The playing fields of Eton
Have made us frightfully brave-
And though if the Van Dycks have to go
And we pawn the Bechstein Grand,
We'll stand
By the Stately Homes of England.

Here you see
The pick of us,
You may be heartily sick of us,
Still with sense
We're all imbued.
Our homes command extensive views
And with assistance from the Jews
We have been able to dispose of
Rows and rows and rows of
Gainsboroughs and Lawrences,
Some sporting prints of Aunt Florence's,
Some of which were rather rude.
Although we sometimes flaunt our family conventions,
Our good intentions
Mustn't be misconstrued.

The Stately Homes of England
We proudly represent,
We only keep them up for
Americans to rent,
Though the pipes that supply the bathroom burst
And the lavatory makes you fear the worst,
It was used by Charles the First
Quite informally,
And later by George the Fourth
On a journey north.
The State Apartments keep their
Historical renown,
It's wiser not to sleep there
In case they tumble down'
But still if they ever catch on fire
Which, with any luck, they might
We'll fight
For the Stately Homes of England

The Stately Homes of England,
Though rather in the lurch,
Provide a lot of chances
For Psychical Research-
There's the ghost of a crazy younger son
Who murdered, in thirteen fifty-one,
An extremely rowdy Nun
Who resented it,
And people who come to call
Meet her in the hall.
The baby in the guest wing,
Who crouches by the grate,
Was walled up in the west wing
In fourteen twenty-eight.
If anyone spots
The Queen of Scots
In a hand-embroidered shroud
We're proud
Of the Stately Homes of England.

Lord Elderley, Lord Borrowmere,
Lord Sickert and Lord Camp,
Behold us in our hours of ease,
Uncertain, coy and hard to please.
Reading in Debrett of us,
This fine Patrician quartette of us,
We can feel extremely proud,
Our ancient lineage we trace
Back to the cradle of the Race
Before those beastly Roman bowmen
Bitched our local Yeomen.
Through the new democracy
May pain the old Aristocarcy
We've not winced nor cried aloud,
Under the bludgeonings of chance what will be- will be.
Our heads will still be
Bloody but quite unbowed!

The Stately Homes of England
In valley, dale and glen
Produce a race of charming,
Innocuous young men.
Though our mental equipment may be slight
And we barely distinguish left from right,
We are quite prepared to fight
For our principles,
Though none of us know so far
What they really are.
Our duty to the nation,
It's only fair to state,
Lies not I pro-creation
But what we pro-create;
And so we can cry
With kindling eye
As to married like we go,
What ho!
For the Stately Homes of England!

The Stately Homes of England,
Although a trifle bleak,
Historically speaking,
Are more or less unique.
We've a cousin who won the Golden Fleece
And a very peculiar fowling-piece
Which was sent to Cromwell's niece,
Who detested it,
And rapidly sent it back
With a dirty crack.
A note we have from Chaucer
Contains a bawdy joke.
We also have a saucer
That Bloody Mary broke.
We've two pairs of tights
King Arthur's Knights
Had completely worn away.
Sing Hey!
For the Stately Homes of England.

The Stately Homes of England,
Tho' rather on the blink
Provide a lot of reasons
For what we do and think.
Tho' we freely admit we may be wrong,
Our conviction that we are right is strong
Tho' it may not be for long,
We'll hold on to it
We might as well hold the bat
Till they knock us flat
Our dignity of race may
Retire into its shell
Our Minister of Grace may
Defend us none too well
But still if a child
Becomes too wild
And we're forced to use the rod,
Thank God
For the Stately Homes of England

Purchase "The Stately Homes of England [From Operette]" Purchase Entire Album Email Video to Friends Play Youtube "The Stately Homes of England [From Operette]" Video Play Spotify "The Stately Homes of England [From Operette]" Song View Wikipedia "The Stately Homes of England [From Operette]" Entry Receive Emails for Future NoÃ«l Coward Lyrics

Link to "The Stately Homes of England [From Operette]"

Share:

Copied!

Share on Facebook, Twitter, and more

See Recommended Lyrics For You

Loading...

Lyrics by NoÃ«l Coward

20th Century Blues His Excellency Regrets I Like America I Wonder What Happened to Him? London Pride London Pride [Alternate Take][#] Mad Dogs and Englishmen Matelot Stately Homes of England The Last Time I Saw Paris The Last Time I Saw Paris [Alternate Take][#] The Stately Homes of England There Are Bad Times Just Around the Corner When You Want Me Why Must the Show Go On?

Related Songs

The Stately Homes of England... Old England - The Waterboys Old England - Waterboys This Is England - Fukpig Victoria - Fall Victoria - Nomeansno Victoria - Kooks Victoria [Live] - Kinks Victoria [Stereo Version] - The Kinks Victoria [BBC Version] - The Kinks Victoria - The Kinks Victoria - The Fall Victoria - Ray Davies Victoria [DVD] - The Kinks Victoria [Live] - The Kinks Victoria - The Kooks Victoria - kinks Victoria [Video] - The Kinks Think Back And Lie Of England - Skyclad Auf'm Bahnhof Zoo - Nina Hagen Whack Fol the Diddle - Tommy Makem Whack Fol The Diddle - Clancy Brothers Freakbeat Phantom - The Rascals Doris Day - Doe Maar New Orleans - Dr. John Down In New Orleans - Dr. John Trophy Room - Bread and Circuits Wonderland - Bows Commonwealth - Beatles Whack Fol De Diddle - Dubliners England - British Whale Sold England - Levellers The Rose of England - Oysterband Made in England - Elton John England [*] - Sparks England - Sparks Crystal Chandeliers - Various Artists Dúlaman - Celtic Woman D\u00falaman - Celtic Woman Fire In The Glen - Andy M Stewart Fire In The Glen - Andy M. Stewart Crystal Chandeliers - Daniel O'Donnell Here Comes the Rain - From Good Homes Wide Open Wide - From Good Homes Radio On - From Good Homes Let Go - From Good Homes Cool Me Down - From Good Homes Sunshine - From Good Homes Head - From Good Homes Walk on By - From Good Homes Long Haired Country Boy - From Good Homes DÃºlaman - Celtic Woman This Is England - Clash This Is England - The Clash Empire - Bomb The Bass Empire - Bob The Bass - Sinead O'Connor Empire - Sinead Oconnor Made In England (Junior's Joyous Mix) - Elton John Think Of England - IAMX Empire - Sinead O'Connor Empire - Sinead O'connor England and America - Elton John Mutterl-Lied (From The Operette Schützenliesl)... England Made Me [Multimedia Track]... England Made Me - Black Box Recorder Dulaman - Celtic Thunder When We Get to England - XTC Still Life in Mobile Homes [Live] - Japan Still Life In Mobile Homes - Japan Still Life In Mobile Homes - Japan The Few - Billy Bragg The Few [*][Demo Version] - Billy Bragg England - PJ Harvey The Rose of England - Nick Lowe The Rose of England... Rose of England - Nick Lowe England - Migos Bringing Home the Ashes - Wild Swans Back in New England feat. Chris Webby - Apathy Oh England My Lionheart - Bush Kate New England - Big D And The Kids Table Jerusalem - Blake Irish - Tonic The Journey - Richard Ashcroft The Flesh Failures - Various Artists Fear of Drowning - British Sea Power The Great, Bloody And Bruised Veil Of The World... Sven Sven Sven 2002 - Bell And Spurling She Flirts for England - Michael Hutchence Nimrod: Lux Aeterna - Amici Forever Stately Girl - Some Magical Animal Stately Lover - Lacuna Coil Lions - Ian Brown Streaks & Lines - Gift Horse Mouth Little Palaces - Elvis Costello Oh England My Lionheart - Kate Bush Mistress England - Emmy the Great Fire in the Glen - Damien Dempsey Finale: Let the Sunshine In - The Temptations Finale: Let The Sunshine In - Temptations Poppies - Marcy Playground Hard Times of Old England - Steeleye Span Blessed Wild Apple Girl - Marc Bolan And T. Rex Blessed Wild Apple Girl - T. Rex Polestar - Dubstar North of England - The Cribs Homes - Ben Kenney Homes - Conveyor The English Lament (george's Tale) - Phil Drane The Flesh Failures / Let the Sunshine In... The Flesh Failures, Let The Sunshine In... England - Great Big Sea Brick England - Jean Michel Jarre Let The Sunshine In - Hair The Flesh Failures \/ Let The Sun Shine In - Hair The Glorious Land - PJ Harvey Pipsqueak - Braid The Homes Of Donegal - Celtic Thunder England, That's A Place To Hate... England Reigns - Various Artists Song for John Davis - The Mountain Goats Riot Song - Pure Love Everybody's Talking About Revolution... Tired Of England - Dirty Pretty Things Georgian Navy - Horrible Histories The Flesh Failures - Lightspeed Champion Ripoff - Ian Hunter Nobody Likes a Hero - The Ghost of a Thousand People From Bad Homes - Bowie David People From Bad Homes - DAVID BOWIE People From Bad Homes - DAVID BOWIE Friend Of The Flag - Bernie Taupin Hey Homes! - The Vandals The River Song - Donovan Leitch Hail To England - Manowar Shout For England - Dizzee Rascal Rows of Homes - The Western States Motel Out Of Homes - Michael Kiske I've Had My Last Wank For England... Young New England - Transit Young New England (F&S) - Transit This Could Be Anywhere - Alexisonfire Ghost Bird - Amanda Shires Amphetamine Skyrocket - Elle Milano To Wild Homes - The New Pornographers Oh Really - I, Ludicrous New England Highway - Adam Brand New England Highway - Adam Brand Shout - Dizzee Rascal (I Don't Believe) This Is My England... On Earth - The Sundays Think of England - Bear's Den England Swings - Roger Miller O New England - The Decemberists This Could Be Anywhere In The World - Alexisonfire Shout [feat. Dizzee Rascal And James Corden]... Born In England - Various Artists Get Out - Down by Law Garden of England - Gerry Rafferty The Garden Of England - Gerry Rafferty Bonny Portmore - Gregorian Is That You - England Tyler Think Of England - The Clarks Nate Will Not Return - The Fall Oroborus - Gojira Celtic Ray - The Chieftains Celtic Ray - Van Morrison Born To Be A Dancer - Kaiser Chiefs Last of his name - Abyssphere Broken Homes - PJ Harvey Strangeways Inside - Mull Historical Society Broken Homes - P.J. Harvey Hated Sunday - Black Box Recorder Producer/Fall From The Grace Of The People... Night and Day - Willie Nelson Night and Day - Tony Bennett I Don't Want To Leave England - Ocean Colour Scene Chimes - Bowerbirds Bonny Portmore - Loreena McKennitt Real Great Britain - Asian Dub Foundation Children's Crusade - Sting & Police Flandyke Shore - Marianne Faithfull Steam Rising - Murder by Death Living in England - Screaming Jets Introducing ATC - ATC Ich Hasse Musik - Knorkator Then He Killed Her - Sol Invictus She's From Boston - Kenny Chesney Boston - Kenny Chesney In Hotel Homes - Reverie Sound Revue Nashville Tennessee - Frank Turner Broken Homes - Tricky Intro (Redemption Songs) - Prodigy Alien - Adam Ant Tell England - The Crookes Gamemaster - Paul Oakenfold Gamemaster - Lost Tribe Gamemaster - Armin van Buuren Heathen Assault - Doomsword Washaway [*] - XTC

Please consider supporting this site by Clicking Here and Bookmarking whenever you search and shop Amazon. It costs you nothing but it supports us and gives us credit and we appreciate it greatly.