The Song Without A Name

Speranza

On the one hand, there's a long discussion on songs' names in "Alice in 
Wonderland". On the other, there's

1930
Bennee Russel. The song without a name.


Cheers,

Speranza


---

'You are sad,' the Knight said in an anxious tone: 'let me sing you a song 
to comfort you.'

'Is it very long?' Alice asked, for she had heard a good deal of poetry 
that day.

'It's long,' said the Knight, 'but it's very, very beautiful. Everybody 
that hears me sing it -- either it brings the tears into their eyes, or else
--'

'Or else what?' said Alice, for the Knight had made a sudden pause.

'Or else it doesn't, you know. The name of the song is called "Haddocks' 
Eyes".'

'Oh, that's the name of the song, is it?' Alice said, trying to feel 
interested.

'No, you don't understand,' the Knight said, looking a little vexed. 
'That's what the name is called. The name really is "The Aged Aged Man".'

'Then I ought to have said "That's what the song is called"?' Alice 
corrected herself.

'No, you oughtn't: that's quite another thing! The song is called "Ways and
Means": but that's only what it's called, you know!'

'Well, what is the song, then?' said Alice, who was by this time completely
bewildered.

'I was coming to that,' the Knight said. 'The song really is "A-sitting On 
a Gate": and the tune's my own invention.'

So saying, he stopped his horse and let the reins fall on its neck: then, 
slowly beating time with one hand, and with a faint smile lighting up his
gentle  foolish face, as if he enjoyed the music of his song, he began.

Of all the strange things that Alice saw in her journey Through The 
Looking-Glass, this was the one that she always remembered most clearly. Years 
afterwards she could bring the whole scene back again, as if it had been only 
yesterday -- the mild blue eyes and kindly smile of the Knight -- the
setting  sun gleaming through his hair, and shining on his armour in a blaze of
light  that quite dazzled her -- the horse quietly moving about, with the
reins hanging  loose on his neck, cropping the grass at her feet -- and the
black shadows of  the forest behind -- all this she took in like a picture, as,
with one hand  shading her eyes, she leant against a tree, watching the
strange pair, and  listening, in a half-dream, to the melancholy music of the
song.

'But the tune isn't his own invention,' she said to herself: 'it's "I give 
thee all, I can no more".' She stood and listened very attentively, but no
tears  came into her eyes.

'I'll tell thee everything I can:
There's little to  relate.
I saw an aged aged man,
A-sitting on a  gate.
"Who are you, aged man?" I said,
"And how  is it you live?"
And his answer trickled through my  head,
Like water through a sieve.


He said "I look for butterflies
That sleep among  the wheat:
I make them into mutton-pies,
And sell them  in the street.
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