Anyone know a site I can get the COMPLETE lyrics to this song? or perhaps know of a recording of it that is completely accurate? Thanks in advance.

Of course there are a billion kajillion recordings, but people keep changing the lyrics to suit the current times. If you want a faithful rendition, you might want to search for D'Oyly Carte productions of the operetta.

This site looks like it has the original lyrics - probably because it comments on them and therefore it would be silly to discuss different lyrics: http://members.tripod.com/~GOPcapitalist/songs.html

I looked at that link. I have seen atleast 4 " Major General " parodies and they do not flow like that ( the "response" parts ). Maybe when one of the parodists who has done this song posts a new parody I can ask them. I could google all X number of listings but I really need to hear this as well as what may look good on paper may be terrible tryng to sing it over TOS. Thanks for the reply and the recording recommendation.

That site has the chorus' "response" parts (marked with "All") correct, albeit truncated (I've sung the thing in amateur production, so I know how it's supposed to go).  Probably parodists do not bother to include those bits at all, because the parody is performed by only one person.

For instance, the first "response" in full would be sung:


With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse;
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse;
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypote-potenuse.


Note the extension of syllables of the last line to fit with the actual music.

Thanks. I got the Pirate of Penzance 2 Cd set and even that is a bit difficult to discern the lyrics. Is the part at the end of that skit performed where he talks about pirates and "orphans" or is that ad-lib or part of another PoP skit?

It's been a while since last performed the thing, but there is indeed a scene in which the word "orphan" is mistaken for "often".

"Orphan, Orphan, Orphan!!!" :D


I couldn't tell you the exact script there, though. The songs, being catchier, are easier to remember :)