Sometimes the words of a song sum up what I try to say in my clumsy over explained way so succinctly I wonder why I bother blogging. I’ll post what strikes me as pertinent and hopefully it might make sense. So, here goes.
From Act 2 of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The MIkado” there is a quintet. The situation is Ko-ko has executed Nanki-Poo (which he hasn’t) who is the heir to the throne in disguise and killing the heir is punishable by death. The MIkado (and possibly Katisha, his daughter-in-law elect, except Nanki-Poo has gone missing and has married Yum-Yum - keep up at the back I’ll be asking questions later) is sympathetic toward the plight of the trio of Pitti-Sing (one of the 3 Little Maids), Ko-ko (the Lord High Executioner) and Pooh-Bah (The Lord High Everything Else - don’t ask, even Gilbert has a long time explaining it).
Essentially, in my opinion, the quintet sums up the question “Why me?” is equally the question “Why not me?”. Maybe my exposure to The Mikado as a child (I was Ko-ko’s sword bearer) at a tender age stuck in my mind. Perhaps it is why I accepted the unfairness why Laing had cancer, the unfairness he had it so young, and the unfairness that we were denied a longer time together.
No, I’ll rephrase that. I reluctantly accept the unfairness of it all. Who said life is supposed to be fair?
Now for the lyrics.
Mikado:
See how the Fates their gifts allot,
For A is happy — B is not.
Yet B is worthy, I dare say,
Of more prosperity than A!
Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah & Pitti-Sing:
Is B more worthy?
Katisha:
I should say
He's worth a great deal more than A.
All:
Yet A is happy!
Oh, so happy!
Laughing, Ha! ha!
Chaffing, Ha! ha!
Nectar quaffing, Ha! ha! ha!
Ever joyous, ever gay,
Happy, undeserving A!
Ever joyous, ever gay,
Happy, undeserving A!
Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah & Pitti-Sing:
If I were Fortune — which I'm not —
B should enjoy A's happy lot,
And A should die in miserie —
That is, assuming I am B.
Mikado & Katisha:
But should A perish?
Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah & Pitti-Sing:
That should be
(Of course, assuming I am B).
All:
B should be happy!
Oh, so happy!
Laughing, Ha! ha!
Chaffing, Ha! ha!
Nectar quaffing, Ha! ha! ha!
But condemned to die is he,
Wretched meritorious B!
But condemned to die is he,
Wretched meritorious B!
A video link to an Am-Dram production to give you the music, which is, as usual with Sullivan, a delightful counterpoint to Gilbert’s words.
