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No. 5: Chorus & Solo (Ko-Ko)
"Behold the Lord High Executioner"

MIDI File [24KB, 2' 30"]

Enter Chorus of Nobles.

Chorus.
Behold the Lord High Executioner
A personage of noble rank and title —
A dignified and potent officer,
Whose functions are particularly vital!
Defer, defer,
To the Lord High Executioner!
Defer, defer,
To the noble Lord, to the noble Lord,
To the Lord High Executioner!

Enter Ko-Ko attended.

Ko-Ko.
Taken from the county jail
By a set of curious chances;
Liberated then on bail,
On my own recognizances;
Wafted by a favouring gale
As one sometimes is in trances,
To a height that few can scale,
Save by long and weary dances;
Surely, never had a male
Under such like circumstances
So adventurous a tale,
Which may rank with most romances.

Ko-Ko. Chorus.
Taken from the county jail  
  Taken from the county jail
By a set of curious chances;  
  Liberated then on bail,
Surely, never had a male Surely, never had a male 
So adventurous a tale. So adventurous a tale.

Chorus.
Defer, defer,
To the Lord High Executioner!
Defer, defer,
To the noble Lord,
To the noble Lord High Executioner!
Bow down, bow down,
To the Lord High Executioner!
Defer, defer,
To the noble, noble Lord,
To the High Executioner!
Peter Pratt as Ko-Ko, 1953

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