This is a song for the genius child. Sing it softly, for the song is wild. Sing it softly as ever you can -- Lest the song get out of hand. Nobody loves a genius child. Can you love an eagle, Tame or wild? Wild or tame, Can you love a monster Of frightening name? Nobody loves a genius child. Kill him -- and let his soul run wild!
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Text Authorship:
- by Langston Hughes (1902 - 1967), "Genius child", appears in Fields of Wonder, first published 1947 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Ricky Ian Gordon (b. 1956), "Genius child", 1995 [ high voice and piano ], from Genius Child: A Cycle of 10 Songs, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Robert Owens (1925 - 2017), "Genius child", op. 29 no. 5 (medium voice) [ baritone and piano ], from Mortal Storm, no. 5, with a German translation by E. Berghöfer-Engen [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-11-02
Line count: 12
Word count: 57