To Thread - Forum Home

The Mudcat Café TM
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=45090
7 messages

Lyr Add: Misalliance (Flanders & Swann)

08 Mar 02 - 04:24 PM (#665313)
Subject: Lyr Add: MISALLIANCE (Flanders and Swann)
From: Kenny B (inactive)

MISALLIANCE
Flanders and Swann

The fragrant honeysuckle spirals clockwise to the sun,
And many other creepers do the same,
But some climb anticlockwise; the bindweed does, for one,
Or Convulvulus, to give its proper name.

Rooted on either side of the door, one of each species grew,
And raced towards the window ledge above.
Each one corkscrewed to the lintel in the only way it knew,
Touched tendrils, smiled, and fell in love.

Said the right-hand-thread honeysuckle to the left-hand-thread bindweed,
“Oh! Let us get married if my parents don't mind. We’d
Be loving and inseparable, inexplicably entwined. We'd
Live happily ever after,” said the honeysuckle to the bindweed.

To the honeysuckle's parents it came as a shock.
The bindweed, they said, are inferior stock.
They're uncultivated, of breeding bereft.
We twine to the right while they twine to the left.

Said the anticlockwise bindweed, to the clockwise honeysuckle:
“We’d better start saving—many a mickle mak's a muckle—
Then run away for a honeymoon and hope that our luck'll
Take a turn for the better,” said the bindweed to the honeysuckle,

A bee who was passing remarked to them then:
“I've said it before and I'll say it again:
Consider your offshoot, if offshoots there be.
They'll never receive any blessings from me.

Poor little sucker! How will it learn
When it's climbing which way to turn?
Right? Left? What a disgrace!
Or it may go straight upwards and fall flat on its face."

Said the right-hand-thread honeysuckle to the left-hand-thread bind-
Weed: “It seems that against us all fate has combined,
Oh, my darling, Oh, my darling, Oh, my darling Columbine,
Thou art lost and gone forever. We shall never be entwined."

Together they found them the very next day.
They had pulled up their root and just shriveled away.
Deprived of the freedom for which we must fight,
To veer to the left, or to veer to the right.

Copyright
International Music Publications Limited
Griffin House
161 Hammersmith Rd
London W6 8BS


08 Mar 02 - 04:41 PM (#665329)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: MISALLIANCE by Flanders ^ Swann
From: little john cameron

My that's an awfy sad sang.ljc


17 Jun 08 - 06:28 PM (#2368264)
Subject: Video link: Misalliance (Flanders & Swann)
From: Genie

Yes, tragic but true. : (

You can hear it (a cover) here.


18 Jun 08 - 08:00 AM (#2368663)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Misalliance (Flanders & Swann)
From: A Wandering Minstrel

In the last line of v1 that should be Convulvulus (a member of the Stock family hence the word-play in v4)


23 Jun 08 - 03:06 PM (#2372670)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Misalliance (Flanders & Swann)
From: Kenny B (inactive)

Thanks AWM
Ill put a contibtion in the Mondegreen Box
Kenny B


24 Jun 08 - 06:51 AM (#2373104)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Misalliance (Flanders & Swann)
From: Mr Happy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convolvulus


26 Sep 22 - 06:18 PM (#4153890)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Misalliance (Flanders & Swann)
From: Joe Offer

Another transcription: https://www.smallpotatoesmusic.com/alives/misall.html

Misalliance (Flanders & Swann)

 

The fragrant honeysuckle spirals clockwise to the sun
And many other creepers do the same
But some climb anticlockwise; the bindweed does, for one
Or Convulvulus, to give its proper name
 
Rooted on either side of the door, one of each species grew
And raced towards the window ledge above
Each corkscrewed to the lintel in the only way it knew
Where they stopped, touched tendrils, smiled, and fell in love
 
Said the right-hand-thread honeysuckle to the left-hand-thread bindweed
“Oh! Let us get married if my parents don't mind. We’d
Be loving and inseparable, inexplicably entwined. We'd
Live happily ever after,” said the honeysuckle to the bindweed.
 
To the honeysuckle's parents it came as a shock
“The bindweed,” they said, “are inferior stock
They're uncultivated, of breeding bereft
We twine to the right and they twine to the left”
 
Said the anticlockwise bindweed to the clockwise honeysuckle
“We’d better start saving—many a mickle mak's a muckle—
Then run away for a honeymoon and hope that our luck'll
Take a turn for the better,” said the bindweed to the honeysuckle
 
A bee who was passing remarked to them then
“I've said it before and I'll say it again
Consider your offshoot, if offshoots there be
They'll never receive any blessings from me”
 
Poor little sucker! How will it learn
When it's climbing which way to turn?
Right? Left? What a disgrace!
Or it may go straight upwards and fall flat on its face
 
Said the right-hand-thread honeysuckle to the left-hand-thread bindweed
“It seems that against us all fate has combined
Oh, my darling, Oh, my darling, Oh, my darling Columbine
Thou art lost and gone forever. We shall never entwine."
 
Together they found them the very next day
They had pulled up their roots and just shriveled away
Deprived of the freedom for which we must fight
To veer to the left, or to veer to the right