[Women] Welcome, gentry,
For your entry
Sets our tender hearts abeating.
Men of station,
Admiration
Prompts this unaffected greeting.
Hearty greeting, hearty greeting offer we!

[Men] When thoroughly tired
Of being admired,
By ladies of gentle degree, degree,
With flattery sated,
Highflown and inflated,
Away from the city we flee, we flee!
From charms intramural
To prettiness rural
The sudden transition
Is simply Elysian,
Come, Amaryllis,
Come, Chloe and Phyllis,
Your slaves, for the moment, are we!
Your slaves, for the moment, your slaves are we!

[Women] The sons of the tillage
Who dwell in this village
Are people of lowly degree, degree.
Though honest and active,
They're most unattractive,
And awkward as awkward can be, can be.
They're clumsy clodhoppers
With axes and choppers,
And shepherds and ploughmen
And drovers and cowmen,
Hedgers and reapers
And carters and keepers,
But never a lover for me!
But never a lover for me!

[Men] Then come, Amaryllis,

[Women] Hearty greeting

[Men]... Chloe and Phyllis,

[Women] offer we, offer we!

(All repeat ensemble)

[All] Welcome, Welcome,
Welcome, Welcome,
Welcome we!

[Despard] Oh, why am I moody and sad?
[Chorus] Can't guess!
[Despard] And why am I guiltily mad?
[Chorus] Confess!
[Despard] Because I am thoroughly bad!
[Chorus] Oh yes,
[Despard] You'll see it at once in my face.
Oh, why am I husky and hoarse?
[Chorus] Ah, why?
[Despard] It's the workings of conscience, of course.
[Chorus] Fie, fie!
[Despard] And huskiness stands for remorse,
[Chorus] Oh my!
[Despard] At least it does so in my case!

When in crime one is fully employed,
[Chorus] Like you.
[Despard] Your expression gets warped and destroyed:
[Chorus] It do.
[Despard] It's a penalty none can avoid;
[Chorus] How true!
[Despard] I once was a nice looking youth;
But like stone from a strong catapult,
[Chorus] A trice.
[Despard] I rushed at my terrible cult,
[Chorus] That's vice.
[Despard] Observe the unpleasant result!
[Chorus] Not nice!
[Despard] Indeed I am telling the truth!

Oh, innocent, happy though poor!
[Chorus] That's we.
[Despard] If I had been virtuous, I'm sure,
[Chorus] Like me.
[Despard] I should be as nice looking as you're!
[Chorus] May be.
[Despard] You are very nice looking indeed!
Oh, innocents, listen in time,
[Chorus] We doe.
[Despard] Avoid an existence of crime,
[Chorus] Just so,
[Despard] Or you'll be as ugly as I'm,
[Chorus] No! no!
[Despard] And now, if you please, we'll proceed.

Generated by NoteWorthy Composer

No12 - Welcome gentry
Lyrics
Sir Despard
Sopranos
Contraltos
Tenors
Basses
Piano R. H.
Piano L.H.