A funny fellow

There is a funny fellow 
  Who goes by every day:
When sad, his voice is mellow, 
  But shrill when he is gay.

Despite of my endeavor
  To see him, though we've met
I must confess I never
  Have seen his features yet.

I know he pulls the thistles
  That grow along the lane,
And pricks himself, and whistles
  To drive away the pain.

And when the snow is falling
  So fast I may not see,
I often hear him calling
  Across the fields to me.

He certainly is funny, 
  For, when I can go out,
If it is warm and sunny
  He seldom is about.

He sings to me, and makes me
  A [sleepy]1 child at night ;
He sings again, and wakes me,
  At early morning bright.

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Head: "happy"

Authorship

by Frank Dempster Sherman (1860-1916) , "A funny fellow", from Little-folk Lyrics, published 1897

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Michael (Dewar) Head (1900-1976) , "A funny fellow", 1920, published 1925, stanzas 1,3,4,6, from Three Songs of Fantasy, no. 3.

Text added to the website: 2008-04-22.

Notes about green, red, and white dots

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