THE SECOND MINUET

My Granny used to say to me when I was very small,
That she remembered well the day she went to her first ball,
How in her dress of crinoline she sat from two till eight
And how through all those hours she wept for fear she might, be late;
But Grandpapa and Grandmama had never even met
When Grandpapa asked Grandmama for the second minuet.

The ball, she said, was like a dream of blue and gold and red,
And Grandmama was quite the belle (at least so Grandma said),
And all the men were very smart in coats of ev'ry hue,
But one, the fairest of the all, was dress'd in palest blue,
And Grandpapa and Grandmama had never even met
When Grandpapa asked Grandmama for the second minuet.

The man in blue came passing by, and chanc'd to turn his head,
He fell at once in love with her (at least so Grandma said),
And that is all about the ball that I to tell you dare,
'Cos Grandpapa and Grandmama are sleeping over there;
But Grandpapa and Grandmama had never really met
When Grandpapa kissed Grandmama in the second Minuet.

Words by Aubrey Dawdon
Music by Maurice Besly