Sing Me Not a Ballad

Lyrics

[DUCHESS] I am not like Circe Who showed men no mercy Men are most important in my life Venus, Cleo, Psyche Are melodies in my key They knew how to live the high life Gallantry I find archaic Poetry I find prosaic Give me the man who's strong and silent Inarticulate but violent Sing me not a ballad Send me not a sonnet I require no ballad Rhyme and time are wasted on it Save your books and flowers They're not necеssaries Oh, the precious hours Lost in grim prеliminaries Deck me not in jewels Sigh me not your sighs Duel me no duels And please don't vocalize Romance me no romances Treasure not my glove Spare me your advances Just, oh just, make love Spare me your advances Just, oh just, make love [DUCHESS & MALE QUARTET] Send me not a sonnet (A sonnet) I require no ballad Rhyme and time are wasted on it Save your books and flowers They're not necessaries (Not necessaries) Oh, the precious hours Lost in grim preliminaries Deck me not in jewels Sigh me not your sighs Duel me no duels And please don't vocalize Romance me no romances Treasure not my glove Spare me your advances Just, oh just, make love Spare me / her your advances Just, oh just, make love [NARRATOR, spoken] She offers him her ducal chalice An invite to the summer palace Now the Duchess leaves her beau She's borne away, off they go Before Cellini can draw breath A chap arrives who wants the death Of the Duke, Ottaviano's the man Who's plotted this demonic plan He'll satisfy Cellini's ambition The cost: one simple, dreadful mission Cellini wants this chat to end And simply states: [CELLINI, spoken] The Duke is my friend! [OTTAVIANO, spoken] The Duke is an ass, and you are a fool.  [NARRATOR, spoken] Ottaviano loses his cool He needs to try a change of tack And so he calls a soldier back To guard his prey. The baddie goes What luck! For Cellini knows The soldier is his faithful friend Ascanio, loyal to the end To their mutual delight The boss and his man can reunite Meanwhile, not too far away We find the Duke, who wants to play