the jumblies

I've always been a big fan of nonsense verse of all sorts, but Edward Lear is a favourite. I've written music for a dozen or so of his learics and hopefully will record them sometime.
I shortened this poem so it would fit into my memory.

Listen by clicking here

The Jumblies

they went to sea in a sieve they did
in a sieve they went to sea
in spite of all their friends could say
on a winter's morn on a stormy day
in a sieve they went to sea
and when the sieve turned round and round
and everyone cried 'you'll all be drowned!'
they called aloud 'our sieve ain't big
but we don't care a button we don't care a fig
in a sieve we'll go to sea!'

far and few far and few
are the lands where the Jumblies live
their heads are green and their hands are blue
and they went to sea in a sieve

they sailed away in a sieve they did
in a sieve they sailed so fast
with only a beautiful pea green veil
tied with a ribbon by way of a sail
to a small tobacco pipe mast
and everyone said who saw them go
o won't they be soon upset you know
for the sky is dark and the voyage is long
and happen what may it's extremely wrong
in a sieve to sail so fast

the water it soon came in it did
the water it soon came in
so to keep them dry they wrapped their feet
in a pinky paper all folded neat
and they fastened it down with a pin
and they passed the night in a crockery jar
and each of them said how wise we are
though the sky be dark and the voyage be long
never can we think we were rash or wrong
while round in a our sieve we spin!

and in twenty years they all came back
in twenty years or more
and everyone said 'how tall they've grown!
for they've been to the lakes and the Torrible Zone
and the hills of the Chankly Bore'
and they drank their health and gave them a feast
of dumplings made with beautiful yeast
and everyone said ' if we only live
we too will go to sea in a sieve
to the hills of the Chankly Bore!'


lyrics by Edward Lear (public domain)
music copyright 2003 randy sutherland
from the CD 'the sky starts at your feet'