Well, here's those silly lyrics for you all to peruse. Please forgive any
misspellings in the names of the composers. Actually, some I've not even
heard of. But when Michael Palin sings this song, his voice, well he uses a
very deep Cockney accent and it's rather hard to understand what he's
saying. But I've done my best. It's really quite better if you can actually
hear it, to get the full extent of its comedy. But I"ll give it a shot.


                DECOMPOSING COMPOSERS - sung by Michael Palin


Beethoven's gone, but his music lives on
And Mozart don't go shoppin' no more
You'll never meet Liszt or Brahm's again
And 'Elgar (?) doesn't answer the door

Schubert and Chopin used to chuckle and laugh
Whilst composing a long symphony
But 150 years later,
There's very little of them left to see

The Decomposing Composers
There's nothing much anyone can do
You can still 'ear Beethoven
But Beethoven cannot 'ear you

Handle and Hayden and Rachmaninoff
Enjoyed a nice drink wif' 'der meal
But nowadays no one will serve them
And the gravy is left to congeal

Veddie and Wagner delighted the crowds
With their highly original sound
The pianos they played are still working
But they're both 6 feet under ground

The Decomposing Composers
There's less of them every year
You can say what you like to DeBussy
But there's not much of 'im left to 'ear


Claude Aquile DeBussy - died 1918
Christophe Willebald Glucke - died 1787
Karl Mariah Von Weber - not at all well, 1825
                      - died 1826
Giacommo Miapere - Still alive, 1863
                 - Not still alive, 1864
Modeste Muzaugski - 1880, goin' to parties
                  - No fun anymore, 1881
Johann Nepamore (?) Hummel - Chattin' away 19 and a dozen with 'is mates
                             down at the pub every evenin', 1863
                           - 1837, nothing


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