HMS Pinafore by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan

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No. 21: FINALE

"Oh joy, oh rapture unforseen!"

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Josephine, Hebe, Ralph & Dick.

Oh joy, oh rapture unforeseen,
The clouded sky is now serene,
The god of day — the orb of love,
Has hung his ensign high above,
The sky is all ablaze.
With wooing words and loving song
We'll/They'll chase the lagging hours along,
And if I/he find(s) the maiden coy,
We'll murmur forth decorous joy
In dreamy roundelays

Captain.

For he's the Captain of the Pinafore.

Men.

And a right good captain too!

Captain.

And though before my fall
I was captain of you all,
I'm a member of the crew.

Men.

And though before his fall
He was captain of us all,
He's a member of the crew.

Captain.

I shall marry with a wife,
In my humble rank of life! (turning to Buttercup)
And you, my own, are she.
I must wander to and fro;
But wherever I may go,
I shall never be untrue to thee!

Men.

What, never?

Captain.

No, never!

Men.

What, never!

Captain.

Hardly ever!

Men.

Hardly ever be untrue to thee.
Then give three cheers, and one cheer more
For the former Captain of the Pinafore.
Then give three cheers, and one cheer more
For the Captain of the Pinafore.

Click on picture to enlarge — Buttercup (Evelyn Gardiner) & Captain Corcoran (Leslie Rands) 1939

Buttercup.

For he loves Little Buttercup, dear Little Buttercup,
Though I could never tell why;
But still he loves Buttercup, poor Little Buttercup,
Sweet Little Buttercup, aye!

Chorus.

For he loves Little Buttercup, dear Little Buttercup,
Though I could never tell why;
But still he loves Buttercup, dear Little Buttercup,
Sweet Little Buttercup, aye!

Sir Joseph.

I'm the monarch of the sea,
And when I've married thee (to Hebe),
I'll be true to the devotion that my love implants,

Hebe.

Then good-bye to your sisters,
And your cousins, and your aunts,
Especially your cousins,
Whom you reckon up by dozens,

All.

Then good-bye to your sisters,
And your cousins, and your aunts.
Especially your cousins,
Whom you reckon up by dozens, and your aunts!

For he is an Englishman,
And he himself hath said it,
And it's greatly to his credit,
That he is an Englishman!
That he is an Englishman!

CURTAIN

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