The Pirates Of Penzance: I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company Lyrics
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I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical
I'm very well-acquainted too with matters mathematical
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical
About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot o' news
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse
I'm very good at integral and differential calculus
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
I am the very model of a modern Major-General
I know our mythic history, King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's
I answer hard acrostics, I've a pretty taste for paradox
I quote in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus
In conics I can floor peculiarities parablous
I can tell undoubted Raphaels from Gerard Dows and Zoffanies
I know the croaking chorus from the Frogs of Aristophanes
Then I can hum a fugue of which I've heard the music's din afore
And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore
Then I can write a washing bill in Balylonic cuneiform
And tell you every detail of Caractacus's uniform
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
I am the very model of a modern Major-General
In fact, when I know what is meant by "mamelon" and "ravelin"
When I can tell at sight a chassepôt rifle from a javelin
When such affairs as sorties and surprises I'm more wary at
And when I know precisely what is meant by "commissariat"
When I have learnt what progress has been made in modern gunnery
When I know more of tactics than a novice in a nunnery
In short, when I've a smattering of elemental strategy
You'll say a better Major-General has never sat a gee-
For my military knowledge, though I'm plucky and adventury
Has only been brought down to the beginning of the century
But still in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
I am the very model of a modern Major-General
The lyrics of "I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General" by D'Oyly Carte explore the character of a military officer who boasts about his wide range of knowledge on various topics. The Major-General claims to have expertise in areas such as history, mathematics, science, art, and even laundry. He proudly states that he possesses information "vegetable, animal, and mineral" and can recite historical battles from Marathon to Waterloo.
The main theme of this song is the idea of expertise and how one can gain knowledge in various areas, even outside their field of work. The Major-General's character speaks to the idea that an individual can be well-rounded in their knowledge and interests, and that being knowledgeable in a broad range of topics can be valuable. The song can also be interpreted as a critique of the notion of expertise, as the Major-General seems to exaggerate his knowledge and capabilities.
Overall, "I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General" is a lively and entertaining song that celebrates education and intellectual curiosity. The lyrics are clever and witty, and the melody is upbeat and catchy, making it a beloved classic in the world of musical theater.
Line by Line Meaning
I am the very model of a modern Major-General
I am an exceptional example of a skilled Major General in modern times
I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral
I possess knowledge on flora, fauna and minerals
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical
I can recite English Monarchs and their battles in chronological order
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical
I know all the wars and battles from Marathon to Waterloo, listed in a chronological order
I'm very well-acquainted too with matters mathematical
I understand mathematical concepts thoroughly
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical
I am able to comprehend and apply simple and quadratic equations
About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot o' news
I am highly knowledgeable about the binomial theorem and its various aspects
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse
I can express many exciting details concerning the hypotenuse square
I'm very good at integral and differential calculus
I possess an excellent grasp of integral and differential calculus
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous
I am familiar with the scientific terminology pertaining to microscopic organisms
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
In brief, regarding topics of flora, fauna and minerals
I am the very model of a modern Major-General
I am an exceptional example of a skilled Major General in modern times
I know our mythic history, King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's
I have knowledge of our legendary history, including King Arthur and Sir Caradoc
I answer hard acrostics, I've a pretty taste for paradox
I can solve difficult acrostics and enjoy contemplating paradoxical situations
I quote in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus
I am capable of reciting Heliogabalus' wrongdoings in melancholic verse
In conics I can floor peculiarities parablous
I can explain conic sections and its unusual features with ease
I can tell undoubted Raphaels from Gerard Dows and Zoffanies
I know how to differentiate original Raphael's from Gerard Dow's and Zoffany's paintings
I know the croaking chorus from the Frogs of Aristophanes
I am familiar with the chorus of croaking frogs from Aristophanes' play
Then I can hum a fugue of which I've heard the music's din afore
I am able to hum the tune of a musical piece, which I have heard earlier
And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore
I can whistle all the songs from the frustrating nonsense comedic opera, H.M.S. Pinafore
Then I can write a washing bill in Balylonic cuneiform
I can write a laundry bill in ancient Babylonian cuneiform script
And tell you every detail of Caractacus's uniform
I can state every aspect of Caractacus’ clothing in detail
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
In brief, regarding topics of flora, fauna and minerals
I am the very model of a modern Major-General
I am an exceptional example of a skilled Major General in modern times
In fact, when I know what is meant by 'mamelon' and 'ravelin'
In fact, when I comprehend the definition of the military terms 'mamelon' and 'ravelin'
When I can tell at sight a chassepôt rifle from a javelin
When I am capable of differentiating a chassepot rifle from a javelin visually
When such affairs as sorties and surprises I'm more wary at
When I am cautious in situations of sorties and surprises
And when I know precisely what is meant by 'commissariat'
And when I have precise knowledge of the definition of the military term 'commissariat'
When I have learnt what progress has been made in modern gunnery
When I have comprehended the advancements made in modern gunnery
When I know more of tactics than a novice in a nunnery
When I have more knowledge of military tactics than a beginner in a nunnery
In short, when I've a smattering of elemental strategy
In brief, when I have some basic knowledge of fundamental strategy
You'll say a better Major-General has never sat a gee-
You'll conclude I am the best quality Major General
For my military knowledge, though I'm plucky and adventury
Even with a bold and daring attitude, my military knowledge is still profound
Has only been brought down to the beginning of the century
Only goes as far back as the start of the 19th century
But still in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
However, in topics of flora, fauna and minerals
I am the very model of a modern Major-General
I am an exceptional example of a skilled Major General in modern times
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: W. S. Gilbert, Arthur Sullivan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheMrAndyn0v2
@@zzodysseuszz I mean, listen to the lyrics and read the intentions of the play and you'll realise that actually he IS a very intelligent man - everything he says is true, he does know that stuff. Its just none of it is even remotely useful to combat.
In fact, if you pay attention, you'll notice he says "When I can tell at sight a Mauser rifle from a javelin" i.e he currently can't. He isn't saying he can - most of the things in that part is him saying the things he can't do.
In fact, when I know what is meant by "mamelon" and
"Ravelin"
When I can tell at sight a Mauser rifle from a javelin
When such affairs as sorties and surprises I'm more
Wary at
And when I know precisely what is meant by
"Commissariat"
When I have learnt what progress has been made in
Modern gunnery
When I know more of tactics than a novice in a nunnery
In short, when I've a smattering of elemental strategy
You'll say a better Major-General had never sat a gee
The entire thing was meant to make fun of the military of the time that G&S wrote this. That many in command of the British military were certainly well educated men, but none of it actually was useful in combat.
@sandygreen3402
I am the very model of a modern Major-General,
I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;
I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical,
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,
About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot o' news,
Hmmm... lot o' news, lot o'news... Aha!
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.
I'm very good at integral and differential calculus;
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous:
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General.
I know our mythic history, King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's;
I answer hard acrostics, I've a pretty taste for paradox,
I quote in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus,
In conics I can floor peculiarities parabolous;
I can tell undoubted Raphaels from Gerard Dows and Zoffanies,
I know the croaking from The Frogs of Aristophanes!
Then I can hum a fugue of which I've heard the music's din afore,
Hmmm... din afore, din afore... Aha!
And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore.
Then I can write a washing bill in Babylonic cuneiform,
And tell you ev'ry detail of Caractacus's uniform:
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General.
In fact, when I know what is meant by "mamelon" and "ravelin",
When I can tell at sight a Mauser rifle from a javelin,
When such affairs as sorties and surprises I'm more wary at,
And when I know precisely what is meant by "commissariat",
When I have learnt what progress has been made in modern gunnery,
When I know more of tactics than a novice in a nunnery
In short, when I've a smattering of elemental strategy
Hmmm... strategy... strategy, lategy, bategy... Aha! I have it!
You'll say a better Major-General has never sat a gee.
For my military knowledge, though I'm plucky and adventury,
Has only been brought down to the beginning of the century;
But still, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General
@marshmallowallen5677
The fact that he keeps pausing to think of a rhyming phrase implies that in the canon of the musical he just showed up and started rapping and I think that’s wonderful
@jbrisby
He's not rapping, he's singing. That's how white people roll.
@DerEchteBold
@@StMansur
What do you mean?
I don't quite see why that notion would be wrong.
@StMansur
@@DerEchteBold He pauses because he cant make the rythm a and that's the joke. the show was written to allow each version to make the most modern jokes to fit the show. Like Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxym it's meant to evolve with time and current jokes.
@DerEchteBold
@@StMansur
What? That... doesn't sound right.
@oscarf5433
No, he knows the lyrics by heart, it's all part of the show and comedy, as you can see they show the Captain as funny and caricaturesque, he's depicting his several qualities singing a hundred words per minute yet he needs to be helped with the rhymes from time to time.
@anteaterborzoiTheBigBorzoi
The fact that he can:
1, sing it that fast
2, remember every word
3, make it understandable and sound less like gibberish
Dude's a fucking champion
@somerandonamedz9991
He is the very model of a modern major general
@andyfarrell9785
Indeed! A true vocalist !
@Averagequinoafan
He can also recite information vegetable animal and mineral