Bryn Terfel Jones was born in Pantglas, North Wales, the son of a farmer (he knew of another Welsh baritone named Delme Bryn-Jones, so Terfel chose Bryn Terfel as his professional name). Terfel had an interest in and talent for music from a very young age. A family friend taught him how to sing, starting with traditional Welsh songs. After winning numerous competitions for his singing, Terfel moved to London in 1984 and entered the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, from which he graduated in 1989, winning the Gold Medal. He came in second behind Dmitri Hvorostovsky in the Cardiff BBC Singer of the World Competition the same year, though won the Lieder Prize.
In 1990, Terfel made his operatic début as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte at the Welsh National Opera, and later in the same season he sang the title role in The Marriage of Figaro, a role with which he made his debut with the English National Opera in 1991.
Terfel made his United States début as Figaro at the Santa Fe Opera. In 1992, he made his Royal Opera House, Covent Garden début as Masetto in Don Giovanni, with Thomas Allen in the title role. Terfel's international breakthrough came when he sang Jochanaan in Strauss's Salome at the 1992 Salzburg Festival. Terfel went on to make his début as Figaro at the Vienna State Opera. That year, he also signed an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon, and returned to the Welsh National Opera to sing Ford in Falstaff. In 1993, he recorded the role of Wilfred Shadbolt in The Yeomen of the Guard, by Gilbert and Sullivan. Terfel has said that he would like to record "an album of Gilbert and Sullivan arias."
In 1994, Terfel sang Figaro at Covent Garden, and made his Metropolitan Opera début in the same role. He also sang Mahler's Eighth Symphony at the Ravinia Festival under the baton of James Levine. However, back surgery in 1994 (and again in 2000) prevented him from performing in several scheduled events. In 1996, Terfel expanded his repertoire to include Wagner, singing Wolfram in Tannhäuser at the Metropolitan Opera, and Stravinsky, singing Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress at the Welsh National Opera.
In 1997, Terfel made his La Scala début as Figaro. In 1998, Bryn had a recital at Carnegie Hall which included works by Wolf, Fauré, Brahms, Schumann, Schubert, and others. In 1999, Terfel performed in Paris the title role of Don Giovanni for the first time. That year, Terfel also debuted in the title role in Falstaff at the Sydney Opera House for Opera Australia and then performed the same role at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Lazybones
Bryn Terfel Lyrics
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How you spect to get your day's work done?
You can't get your day's work done
Sleepin' in the noon day sun
Lazybones, layin' in the shade
How you gonna get your cornmeal made?
You can't get no cornmeal made
When taters need sprayin', I bet you keep prayin'
The bugs'll fall off of the vine
And when you go fishin' I bet you keep wishin'
Them fish don't grab your line
Lazybones, loafin' all the day
How you spect to make a dime that way?
You won't make no dime that way
Loafin' in the shade all day
Bryn Terfel's song "Lazybones" is a playful and upbeat tune that criticizes the idea of a lazy lifestyle. The song describes the character of "Lazybones," who spends much of his time either sleeping in the sun or lounging in the shade, and thus is unable to accomplish any meaningful work or make any money. The lyrics ask how Lazybones expects to get their day's work done and how they will get their cornmeal made if they spend all their time sleeping or lounging in the shade. The song mocks the character's lazy lifestyle, highlighting their inability to be productive and emphasising the consequences of such behaviour.
Line by Line Meaning
Lazybones, sleepin' in the sun
Addressing someone who is idle, sleeping in the sunlight.
How you spect to get your day's work done?
It will be impossible to complete the day’s work with laziness.
You can't get your day's work done
Reminding that laziness would prevent the person from completing any work.
Sleepin' in the noon day sun
Sleeping during the warmest part of the day.
Lazybones, layin' in the shade
Addressing someone who is idle, relaxing in the shade.
How you gonna get your cornmeal made?
Questioning how the person plans to make food if they are not working.
You can't get no cornmeal made
Reminding that without effort, one cannot achieve any results.
Sleepin' in that evening shade
Sleeping during the cooler part of the day.
When taters need sprayin', I bet you keep prayin'
Assuming that when necessary work needs to be done on crops, the person would rather not do it and hope for a solution.
The bugs'll fall off of the vine
Suggesting that the person hopes the problems will resolve themselves without their active contribution.
And when you go fishin' I bet you keep wishin'
Assuming that when recreational fishing, the person would rather not catch anything to avoid the effort of fishing.
Them fish don't grab your line
Hoping for an easy alternative rather than actively working for the catch.
Lazybones, loafin' all the day
Addressing someone who is idle, not making any effort to work.
How you spect to make a dime that way?
Questioning how the person expects to earn any money if they are not working.
You won't make no dime that way
Stressing that without active participation, there will be no earnings or rewards.
Loafin' in the shade all day
Being idle or taking it easy all day.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HOAGY CARMICHAEL, JOHNNY MERCER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind