by Wilfrid Wilson Gibson (1878 - 1962)
Old Skinflint
Language: English
'Twixt Carrowbrough Edge and Settlingstones See old daddy Skinflint dance in his bones, Old Skinflint on the gallows-tree, Old daddy Skinflint, the father of me. "Why do you dance, do you dance so high? Why do you dance in the windy sky? Why do you dance in your naked bones 'Twixt Carrowbrough Edge and Settlingstones? Old daddy Skinflint, the father of me, Why do you dance on the gallows-tree, Who never tripped on a dancing floor Or flung your heels in a reel before? You taught me many a cunning thing But never taught me to dance and sing, Yet I must do whatever you do, So when you dance I must dance too." 'Twixt Carrowbrough Edge and Settlingstones See old daddy Skinflint dance in his bones, Old Skinflint on the gallows-tree Old daddy Skinflint, the father of me.
Text Authorship:
- by Wilfrid Wilson Gibson (1878 - 1962), "Old Skinflint", appears in Whin, first published 1918 [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 Herbert Norman Howells (1892 - 1983), "Old Skinflint", op. 34 no. 1 (1918), published 1920 [ voice and piano ], from Whin: Six Songs, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Leonard Rafter (1912 - 1964), "Old Skinflint", published 1940 [ medium voice and piano ], from Three songs [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-01-30
Line count: 20
Word count: 140