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Author: Stevie Smith (1903-1971)

Text collections / compilations [warning - not necessarily comprehensive]

a good time was had by all
Harold's Leap
Mother, What is Man?
Not Waving but Drowning
Tender Only to One
The Frog Prince

Texts set to music [warning - not necessarily comprehensive]

[x] indicates a placeholder for a text that is not yet in the database
* indicates that a text cannot (yet?) be displayed on this site because of its copyright status.

Note: titles are in bold and first lines are in italics.
Language codes such as ENG indicate the presence of translation(s).

A father for a fool (Little Master Home-from-School) (from Tender Only to One) - D. Young [x] *
A soul earthbound by the grievance of never having been important (You never heard of me, I dare ) - G. Crosse
Après la politique (Après la politique, la Haine des Bourbons) - J. Gardner [x] *
Après la politique, la Haine des Bourbons [x] *
J. Gardner: Après la politique

Avondale (How sweet the birds of Avondale) (from The Frog Prince) - A. Hedges [x]
Avondall (I had a dream I was a bird) - G. Crosse [x] *
Away, melancholy (Away, melancholy) (from Not Waving but Drowning) - A. Parker [x] *
Away, melancholy (from Not Waving but Drowning) [x] *
A. Parker: Away, melancholy

Be off! (I'm sorry to say my dear wife is a dreamer ) (from Mother, What is Man?) *
E. Lutyens: Be off!

Ceux qui luttent (Ceux qui luttent ce sont ceux qui vivent ) (from Tender Only to One) - E. Lutyens *
Ceux qui luttent ce sont ceux qui vivent (from Tender Only to One) *
E. Lutyens: Ceux qui luttent

Come on, come back (Left by the ebbing tide of battle) (from Not Waving but Drowning) - D. Young [x] *
Come, wed me, Lady Singleton (from Mother, What is Man?) *
E. Lutyens: Lady "Rogue" Singleton

Donnez à manger aux affamées (from Mother, What is Man?) *
E. Lutyens: The film star

Fafnir (In the quiet waters) (from Not Waving but Drowning) - D. Young [x] *
Fafnir and the knights (In the quiet waters) (from Not Waving but Drowning) [x] *
D. Young: Fafnir

How sweet the birds of Avondale (from The Frog Prince) [x]
A. Hedges: Avondale

I always remember your beautiful flowers (from Harold's Leap) *
E. Lutyens, J. Gardner: Pad, pad

I am a frog (from The Frog Prince) [x] *
G. Crosse, G. Crosse: The frog prince

I cannot imagine anything nicer [x] *
J. Cousins, G. Crosse: Poor soul, poor girl! (A Debutante)

I can't say I enjoyed it, but the pay was good (from Mother, What is Man?) *
E. Lutyens: The actress

I died for lack of company (I died for lack of company ) - G. Crosse [x] *
I died for lack of company [x] *
G. Crosse: I died for lack of company

I fell in love with the Major Spruce (from a good time was had by all) *
E. Lutyens: Progression

I had a dream I was a bird [x] *
G. Crosse: Avondall

I look in the glass (from Mother, What is Man?) *
E. Lutyens: The repentance of Lady T

I trod a foreign path (I trod a foreign path, dears ) - G. Crosse [x] *
I trod a foreign path, dears [x] *
G. Crosse: I trod a foreign path

I'm sorry to say my dear wife is a dreamer (from Mother, What is Man?) *
E. Lutyens: Be off!

In the quiet waters (from Not Waving but Drowning) [x] *
D. Young: Fafnir

King Arthur rode in another world [x] *
G. Crosse: The Blue from Heaven (A Legend of King Arthur of Britain)

Lady "Rogue" Singleton (Come, wed me, Lady Singleton ) (from Mother, What is Man?) - E. Lutyens *
Left by the ebbing tide of battle (from Not Waving but Drowning) [x] *
D. Young: Come on, come back

Little Master Home-from-School (from Tender Only to One) [x] *
D. Young: A father for a fool

Miss Pauncefort sang at the top of her voice (from a good time was had by all) *
E. Lutyens: The songster

My cats - J. Gardner [x] *
Night-time in the cemetery (The funeral paths are hung with snow) (from a good time was had by all) - D. Young [x] *
Nobody heard him, the dead man (from Not Waving but Drowning) [x] *
D. Young: Not waving but drowning

Not waving but drowning (Nobody heard him, the dead man) (from Not Waving but Drowning) - D. Young [x] *
Pad, pad (I always remember your beautiful flowers ) (from Harold's Leap) - E. Lutyens, J. Gardner *
Poor soul, poor girl! (A Debutante) (I cannot imagine anything nicer) - J. Cousins, G. Crosse [x] *
Poor soul, poor girl! (A Debutante) (I cannot imagine anything nicer) [x] *
J. Cousins, G. Crosse: Poor soul, poor girl! (A Debutante)

Private means is dead - J. Gardner [x] *
Progression (I fell in love with the Major Spruce ) (from a good time was had by all) - E. Lutyens *
The actress (I can't say I enjoyed it, but the pay was good ) (from Mother, What is Man?) - E. Lutyens *
The bereaved swan (Wan) (from a good time was had by all) - D. Young, J. Gardner [x] *
The Blue from Heaven (A Legend of King Arthur of Britain) (King Arthur rode in another world) - G. Crosse [x] *
The boating party (from Mother, What is Man?) [x] *
D. Young: The magic morning

The cock and the hen - J. Gardner [x] *
The film star (Donnez à manger aux affamées ) (from Mother, What is Man?) - E. Lutyens *
The frog prince (I am a frog) (from The Frog Prince) - G. Crosse, G. Crosse [x] *
The funeral paths are hung with snow (from a good time was had by all) [x] *
D. Young: Night-time in the cemetery

The jungle husband - J. Gardner [x] *
The magic morning (The boating party) (from Mother, What is Man?) - D. Young [x] *
The repentance of Lady T (I look in the glass ) (from Mother, What is Man?) - E. Lutyens *
The songster (Miss Pauncefort sang at the top of her voice ) (from a good time was had by all) - E. Lutyens *
Up and down (Up and down the streets they go ) (from a good time was had by all) - E. Lutyens *
Up and down the streets they go (from a good time was had by all) *
E. Lutyens: Up and down

Voice from the Tomb (2) (I trod a foreign path, dears ) [x] *
G. Crosse: I trod a foreign path

Voice from the Tomb (4) (I died for lack of company ) [x] *
G. Crosse: I died for lack of company

Voice from the Tomb (5) - A soul earthbound by the grievance of never having been important (You never heard of me, I dare )
G. Crosse: A soul earthbound by the grievance of never having been important

Wan (from a good time was had by all) [x] *
D. Young, J. Gardner: The bereaved swan

When the sparrow flies (When the sparrow flies to the delicate branch) (from Mother, What is Man?) - R. Orton [x] *
When the sparrow flies to the delicate branch (from Mother, What is Man?) [x] *
R. Orton: When the sparrow flies

You never heard of me, I dare
G. Crosse: A soul earthbound by the grievance of never having been important

[x] indicates a placeholder for a text that is not yet in the database
* indicates that a text cannot (yet?) be displayed on this site because of its copyright status.