Sir or Ma'am Lyrics

1963 Broadway
The Girl Who Came to Supper the Musical - Sir or Ma'am Lyrics


Music and lyrics by Noël Coward.

NORTHBROOK:
The privilege of supping with a Royal Prince
Is granted to very few,
Allow me to give you one or two hints
As to what you may say or do,
Maintain a dignified demeanour,
Be relaxed but not too expectant
And always remember protocol...

MARY:
It sounds like a disinfectant.

NORTHBROOK:
Protocol, my dear,
Is just a set of simple rules
Designed to lubricate Pro-Consular machinery,
For example it is wiser
When you talk with King or Kaiser
To confine your conversation to the scenery.
But I digress,
The very first thing you must master is the method of address...

(REFRAIN 1:)
Sir or Ma'am,
Ma'am or Sir,
One's addressed to him of course,
The other's addressed to her,
Majesty or Highness
Can once a while be used
But you'll notice a certain dryness
If you get the terms confused.
Ma'am or Sir,
Sir or Ma'am,
Accompanied by a simple bob,
Not a profound salaam.
Don't have a stroke
If a casual joke
Is received with funereal gloom,
Smother a curse
And in quick reverse
Back right out of the room.

(REFRAIN 2:)
Sir or Ma'am,
Ma'am or Sir,
The mumbling of this simple phrase
Betrays the amateur.
Royal condescension
May murmur a Christian Name
But you'll notice a certain tension
If you try to do the same.
Ma'am or Sir,
Sir or Ma'am
Makes every royal personage as happy as a clam.
If some remark
Should go wide of the mark
And you're suddenly conscious of doom
Sink to the ground
And in one swift bound
Back right out of the room.


Review: The Girl Who Came to Supper the Musical Lyrics


The Girl Who Came to Supper the Musical Lyrics

SYNOPSIS
Long Live the King (If He Can)
I've Been Invited to a Party
I've Been Invited to a Party (Reprise)
When Foreign Princes Come to Visit Us
Sir or Ma'am
Soliloquies
London is a Little Bit of All Right
What Ho, Mrs. Brisket
Don't Take Our Charlie for the Army
Saturday Night at the Rose and Crown
Here and Now
Coronation Chorale
Curt, Clear and Concise
Welcome to Pootzie Van Doyle
The Coconut Girl
Paddy MacNeill and His Automobile
Six Lillies of the Valley
The Walla Walla Boola
This Time It's True Love
I'll Remember Her