The Barber and His Wife

There was a barber and his wife

And she was beautiful

A foolish barber and his wife

She was his reason and his life

And she was beautiful

And she was virtuous

And he was-

Naïve

There was another man who saw

That she was beautiful

A pious vulture of the law

Who with a gesture of his claw

Removed the barber from his plate

Then there was nothing but to wait

And she would fall

So soft

So young

So lost

And oh, so beautiful!

And the lady, sir

Did she succumb?

Oh, that was many years ago

I doubt if anyone would know

Now leave me, Anthony, I beg of you

There's somewhere I must go, something I must find out

Now

And alone

So long, then, Mr. Todd

There's a hole in the world

Like a great black pit

And it's filled with people

Who are filled with shit

And the vermin of the world

Inhabit it

A customer!