Liaisons (Act One) - Angela Lansbury

At the villa of the Baron De Signac

Where I spent a somewhat infamous year

At the villa of the Baron De Signac

I had ladies in attendance

Fire-opal pendant

Liaisons!

What’s happened to them?

Liaisons today

Disgraceful!

What’s become of them?

Some of them

Hardly pay their shoddy way

What once was a rare champagne

Is now just an amiable hock

What once was a villa, at least

Is «digs

What once was a gown with train

Is now just a simple little frock

What once was a sumptuous feast

Is figs

No--not even figs--raisins!

Ah, liaisons!

Now, where was I?

Where was I?

Oh, yes

At the palace of the Duke of Ferrara

Who was prematurely deaf but a dear

At the palace of the Duke of Ferrara

I acquired some position

Plus a tiny Titian

Liaisons!

What’s happened to them?

Liaisons today

To see them--indiscriminate

Women, it

Pains me more than I can say

The lack of taste that they display!

Where is style?

Where is skill?

Where is forethought?

Where’s discretion of the heart?

Where’s passion in the art?

Where’s craft?

With a smile

And a will

But with more thought

I acquired a chateau

Extravagantly o

Verstaffed

Too many people muddle sex

With mere desire

And when emotion intervenes

The nets descend

It should on no account perplex

Or worse, inspire

It’s but a pleasurable means

To a measurable end

Why does no one comprehend?

Let us hope this lunacy’s just a trend

Now where was I?

Where was I?

Oh, yes

In the castle of the King of the Belgians

(We would visit through a false chiffonier)

In the castle of the King of the Belgians

Who, when things got rather touchy

Deeded me a duchy

Liaisons!

What’s happened to them?

Liaisons today

Untidy!

Take my daughter, I

Taught her, I

Tried my best to point the way

I even named her Desiree

In a world where the kings are employers

Where the amateur prevails

And delicacy fails

To pay

In a world where the princes are lawyers

What can anyone expect

Except to recollect

Lia