Fortune teller looked in my hand. Fortune teller said, Madam, It's just good luck You ain't dead. Fortune teller squeeze my hand. She squinted up her eyes. Fortune teller said, Madam, you ain't wise. I said, Please explain to me What you mean by that? She said, You must recognize Where your fortune's at. I said, Madam, tell me -- for she was Madam, too -- Where is my fortune at? I'll pay some mind to you. She said, Your fortune, honey, Lies right in yourself. You ain't gonna find it On nobody else's shelf. I said, What man you're talking 'bout? She said, Madam! Be calm -- For one more dollar and a half, I'll read your other palm.
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Authorship:
- by Langston Hughes (1902 - 1967), "Madam and the Fortune Teller", appears in One-Way Ticket, first published 1949 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Betty Roe (b. 1930), "Madam and the Fortune Teller ", published 1992 [ soprano and contrabass ], from Three Madam Songs, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Elie Siegmeister (1909 - 1991), "Madam and the Fortune Teller", 1964, published 1975 [ high voice and piano ], from Madam to You, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-09-07
Line count: 24
Word count: 117