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ACT I

No. 6: SONG (Gama)
"If you give me your attention"
MIDI File [16KB, 2' 16"]

Entrance of King Gama
Princess Ida at the Savoy in 1954.
John Banks as Guron, Donald Adams as Arac, Trevor Hills as Scynthius, Peter Pratt as King Gama,
Leonard Osborn as Cyril, Fisher Morgan as King Hildebrand, Jeffrey Skitch as Florian

King Gama.
If you give me your attention, I will tell you what I am:
I'm a genuine philanthropist — all other kinds are sham.
Each little fault of temper and each social defect
In my erring fellow-creatures, I endeavour to correct.
To all their little weaknesses I open people's eyes;
And little plans to snub the self-sufficient I devise;
I love my fellow creatures — I do all the good I can —
Yet ev'rybody says I'm such a disagreeable man!
  And I can't think why!
Lytton as Gama
Henry Lytton as King Gama, c. 1930

To compliments inflated I've a withering reply;
And vanity I always do my best to mortify;
A charitable action I can skillfully dissect;
And interested motives I'm delighted to detect;
I know ev'rybody's income and what ev'rybody earns;
And I carefully compare it with the income-tax returns;
But to benefit humanity however much I plan,
Yet ev'rybody says I'm such a disagreeable man!
  And I can't think why!

Reed as Gama
John Reed as King Gama, 1960s
I'm sure I'm no ascetic; I'm as pleasant as can be;
You'll always find me ready with a crushing repartee,
I've an irritating chuckle, I've a celebrated sneer,
I've an entertaining snigger, I've a fascinating leer.
To ev'rybody's prejudice I know a thing or two;
I can tell a woman's age in half a minute — and I do.
But although I try to make myself as pleasant as I can,
Yet ev'rybody says I'm such a disagreeable man!
  And I can't think why!
Chorus.
  He can't think why!
Gama & Chorus.
  I/He can't think why!

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Page modified 21 August 2019