His awards include seven Tonys, three Grammys including Best Contemporary Classical Composition for Requiem, seven Oliviers, a Golden Globe, an Oscar, two International Emmys, the Praemium Imperiale, the Richard Rodgers Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre, a BASCA Fellowship and the Kennedy Center Honor.
He currently owns six London theatres, including the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and the London Palladium.
Magical Lasso...
Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A great black hole serves as the nose which never grew
You must be always on your guard
Or he will catch you with his magical lasso!
Those who speak of what they know
Find too late, that prudent silence is wise
He will burn you with the heat of his eyes!
The first two lines of the song Magical Lasso describes the antagonist, Don Juan Triumphant. The description of his skin color as 'yellow parchment' suggests that he is old and has aged, which contrasts with the youthful and vibrant characters in the story. The line, "A great black hole serves as the nose which never grew" symbolizes how Don Juan has lost his sense of morality, empathy, and the ability to smell danger. It implies that he may have done unethical things, which have contributed to his downfall as a person.
Moving on, the song highlights the need to be cautious when dealing with Don Juan. The next line, "You must be always on your guard," advises the characters to protect themselves from his wiles, which is referred to as his 'magical lasso.' The lyrics stress that the character can easily ensnare them, luring them with his charm and intellect, and eventually destroying them.
The final part of the song emphasizes the importance of maintaining secrecy. It describes how Joseph Buquet, a character in the play, was punished for revealing too much information. The lyrics warn individuals to be cautious, so as not to reveal more than they should, hence, "Those who speak of what they know find too late that prudent silence is wise."
Line by Line Meaning
Like yellow parchment is his skin
His skin is dry and wrinkled, resembling the texture of yellowed parchment paper
A great black hole serves as the nose which never grew
His nose is so large and dark that it resembles a black hole, but it has not grown any bigger
You must be always on your guard
One must be cautious and vigilant to avoid being caught by his tricks
Or he will catch you with his magical lasso!
If one is not careful enough, he will deceive and manipulate them through the use of his enchanting lasso
Those who speak of what they know
People who reveal their knowledge and secrets
Find too late, that prudent silence is wise
Later, they realize that it would have been better to stay quiet and keep their knowledge to themselves
Joseph Buquet, hold your tongue
Joseph Buquet is warned to keep quiet and not reveal anything he knows
He will burn you with the heat of his eyes!
The person being warned will be punished and intimidated by the intense glare from the eyes of the individual being referred to in the song.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Charles Hart, Richard Stilgoe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind