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re: On a related note, thoughts/questions about the lyrics of two songs in CAMELOT
Posted by: peter3053 03:06 pm EDT 08/05/20
In reply to: On a related note, thoughts/questions about the lyrics of two songs in CAMELOT - Michael_Portantiere 11:57 am EDT 08/05/20

The "legal laws" line definitely has redundancy. He should have written "Those are the regal laws", which would work (to a degree...except that the laws of nature wouldn't have stemmed from the king, except by magic possibly worked at his command).

I think the line about the "bold cavalier" was written for the abridged album version, to work as a song out of context; as I recall from the libretto, the onstage version was always "Out the room..." etc.

Hope that helps.
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re: On a related note, thoughts/questions about the lyrics of two songs in CAMELOT
Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 03:58 pm EDT 08/05/20
In reply to: re: On a related note, thoughts/questions about the lyrics of two songs in CAMELOT - peter3053 03:06 pm EDT 08/05/20

Thanks. I had thought of "regal laws" as an alternative, but as you say, that doesn't really work, either. Anyway, do you think it's possible Lerner didn't realize what a howling redundancy "legal laws" is, or was that an attempt at humor? I guess we'll never know....

And that's very interesting what you wrote about "bold cavalier." The full version of that section of the lyrics in the score and then on the cast album are as follows:

"Out the room, down the hall,
Through the yard, to the wall,
Slashing fiercely, left and right,
Lance escaped them and took flight."

"Oh, they found Guenevere
With her bold cavalier,
And as swords rang through the hall,
Lance escaped them, one and all."

I suppose the latter version is clearer out of context, when heard on a cast album, because in the score version, we're not actually told what he's escaping from. Whatever, I do like the "bold cavalier" version must better.
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re: On a related note, thoughts/questions about the lyrics of two songs in CAMELOT
Posted by: peter3053 03:11 pm EDT 08/06/20
In reply to: re: On a related note, thoughts/questions about the lyrics of two songs in CAMELOT - Michael_Portantiere 03:58 pm EDT 08/05/20

Yes, and the singer on the album who does the "bold cavalier" line is superb!

I actually love the tragic scope of "Camelot" and forgive the show for its shortcomings because of it, but the story-telling is somewhat lumpy.
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re: On a related note, thoughts/questions about the lyrics of two songs in CAMELOT
Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 01:58 pm EDT 08/07/20
In reply to: re: On a related note, thoughts/questions about the lyrics of two songs in CAMELOT - peter3053 03:11 pm EDT 08/06/20

***Yes, and the singer on the album who does the "bold cavalier" line is superb!***

That's Bruce Yarnell, most well known for having gone on to be Ethel Merman's leading man in the 1966 Music Theater of Lincoln Center production of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (and on the great cast recording of that production).
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