Verdi Cries - June Tabor

The man in 119 takes his tea all alone

Mornings we all rise

To while his Verdi cries

I’m hearing opera through the door

Souls of men and women impassioned all

Voices rise and fall

Battle trumpets call

I fill the bath and climb inside

Singing: lala la la lala la

He will not touch that pastry but every day they bring him more

Gold from the breakfast tray

I steal them all away

And go eat them on the shore

Lala la la lala la

Lala la la lala la

I draw a jackal-headed woman in the sand

Sing of the lover’s fate

Ruled by jealous hate

Then go wash my hands in the sea

In just a few days more

I’d just about learned the entire score

To Aida

Holidays must end as you work on

All these memories

I take them home with me

The opera, the stolen tea

The sand drawings, the virgin sea

Old years ago