Lionel later changed his name to Bart derived from the name of the silk screen printing firm he and John Gorman[1] created ("G & B Arts", for Gorman and Begleiter) after he had completed his National Service with the Royal Air Force.
As a young man he was quite an accomplished painter. When Lionel Bart was six years old a teacher told his parents that he was a musical genius. His parents gave him an old violin, but he did not apply himself and the lessons stopped.
At the age of 16 he obtained a scholarship to St Martin's School of Art but he was expelled for "mischievousness", and he gave up his ambition to be a painter. However, he took jobs in silk-screen printing works and commercial art studios. He never learned to read or write musical notation; this did not stop him from becoming a highly significant personality in the development of British rock and pop music.
[edit] Songwriting
He started his songwriting career in amateur theatre. first at The International Youth Centre in 1952 where he and a friend wrote a revue together called IYC Revue 52. The following year the pair auditioned for a production of the Leonard Irwin play The Wages Of Eve at Unity Theatre, London. Shortly after Bart began composing songs for Unity Theatre, contributing material (including the title song) to their 1953 revue Turn It Up, and songs for their 1953 pantomime, an agit prop version of Cinderella. While at Unity he was talent spotted by Joan Littlewood and so joined Theatre Workshop. [2]
He first gained widespread recognition through his songwriting, which includes the hits Livin' Doll (written for Cliff Richard) and Rock with the Cavemen, Handful of Songs, Butterfingers and Little White Bull (for Tommy Steele). During this period, Mike Pratt as well as Steele were his songwriting partners. In 1957, he won three Ivor Novello Awards, a further four in 1958, and two in 1960.
He wrote the theme song for the 1963 James Bond film From Russia With Love.
His other hits include: Do You Mind? (by Anthony Newley and Andy Williams), Easy Going Me (Adam Faith) and Always You And Me (with Russ Conway)
[edit] Musical theatre
His first professional musical was the 1959 Lock Up Your Daughters, based on an 18th century play by Henry Fielding. Following that, Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be produced by Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop, was notable for encouraging the use of authentic Cockney accents on the London stage. Oliver! (1960), based on Dickens' Oliver Twist was a huge hit from the very beginning, and has sustained its popularity to the present day. The original stage musical which starred Ron Moody and Georgia Brown spawned such song hits as As Long As He Needs Me and Consider Yourself. In 1968 it was made into a film starring Ron Moody, Oliver Reed and Shani Wallis which won several Oscars, including best film. Subject to belief, Lionel actually wrote the part of Nancy for singing star Alma Cogan and not his childhood friend Georgia Brown. Alma was unable to commit to Oliver! at Wimbledon Theatre. It is estimated that around this time Bart was earning 16 pounds a minute from Oliver!.
Bart's next two musicals, Blitz! (1962) (the song Far Away produced another hit for Shirley Bassey) and Maggie May (1964), had respectable West End runs (Blitz!, at the time London's most expensive musical ever, had a run of 568 performances[3]); but Twang! (1965) was a notorious flop and La Strada (1969), which opened on Broadway in New York City, closed after only one performance. Bart used his personal finances to try to rescue them, selling his rights to others of his works, including Oliver!, in order to generate capital. By 1972, Bart was bankrupt, with debts of £73,0000. He turned to drink, and a twenty-year period of depression ensued, from which he ultimately recovered, attending Alcoholics Anonymous[4].
He continued writing songs and themes for films, but his only real success in his later years was "Happy Endings", a 1989 advertising jingle for Abbey National.
In 1986 Bart received a special Ivor Novello Award for his life's achievement. Cameron Mackintosh, who owned half the rights to Oliver!, revived the musical at the London Palladium in 1994 in a version rewritten by Lionel Bart. Mackintosh gave Lionel a share of the production royalties. Lionel Bart was often publicly and romantically linked with Judy Garland or Alma Cogan.
Bart died in 1999 after a long hard struggle with cancer[4] and his funeral took place at Golders Green Crematorium.
A musical play based on Bart's life and using his songs, It's a Fine Life was staged at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch in 2006[5].
[edit] West End theatrical credits
Lock Up Your Daughters (1959) - lyricist
Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be (1959) - composer, lyricist
Oliver! (1960) - composer, lyricist, writer
Blitz! (1962) - composer, lyricist, writer
Maggie May (1964) - composer, lyricist
Twang! (1965) - composer, lyricist
La Strada (1969) - co-composer, co-lyricist
[edit] Work on Broadway
Oliver! (1963) - musical - composer, lyricist, and bookwriter - Tony Award for Best Composer and Lyricist, Tony Nominations for Best Musical and Best Author of a Musical
A return engagement of the original production played in 1965, and a revival in 1984.
La Strada (1969) - musical - composer and lyricis
Oliver!
Lionel Bart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For what you are about to receive
May the lord make you truly thankful.
[BOYS]
Amen
[OLIVER]
[MR. BUMBLE]
[spoken] What?!
[OLIVER]
[spoken] Please, Sir, I want some more.
[MR. BUMBLE]
[spoken] More!?
[WIDOW CORNEY]
Catch him!
[MR. BUMBLE]
Snatch him!
[WIDOW CORNEY]
Hold him!
[MR. BUMBLE]
Scold him!
[WIDOW CORNEY]
Pounce him!
Trounce him!
Pick him up and bounce him!
[MR. BUMBLE]
Wait!
Before we put the lad to task
May I be so crious as to ask
His name?
[BOYS (whispering)]
O-li-ver.
[WIDOW CORNEY AND MR. BUMBLE]
Oliver! Oliver!
[MR. BUMBLE]
Never beofre has a boy wanted more!
[MR. BUMBLE AND WIDOW CORNEY]
Oliver! Oliver!
[WIDOW CORNEY]
Won't ask for more whne he knows what's in store.
[MR. BUMBLE]
There a dar, thin, winding stairway
Witout an bannister
Whil we'll throuwhim down, and feed him on
Cockrouches served in a canister
[ALL]
Oliver! Oliver!
MR. BUMBLE
What will he do when he's turned black and blue?
He will curse the day
Somebody named him
[ALL]
O-li-ver!
[MR. BUMBLE]
Oliver! Oliver!
Never before has a boy wanted more!
Oliver! Oliver!
[WIDOW CORNEY]
Won't ask for more
When he knows what's in store.
[MR. BUMBLE]
There's a sooty chimney
Long overdue for a sweeping out
Which we'll push him up,
And one day next year with the rats he'll be creeping out.
[ALL]
Oliver! Oliver!
[MR. BUMBLE]
What will her do?
In this terrible stew?
He will rue the day somebody name him...
[ALL AND WIDOW CORNEY]
O-li-ver!
[GOVERNORS]
Oliver!
Oliver!
Never before has a boy asked for more
Oliver!
Oliver!
[CHAIRMAN]
Pray some decorum restore, I implore...
Let us face this case, it's
Unpreedented, qute utterly.
[GOVERNORS]
He's disgraced this place.
[LARGE GOVERNOR]
Encouraging others to swallow in gluttony.
[ALL]
Oliver!...Oliver!
Lock him in jail
And then put him on sale,
For the highest bid
Glad to be rid
Of
O-li-ver!
[WIDOW CORNEY (spoken)]
Lock him up!
Collect his belongings then bring him back to me
When you've done.
To bed, all of you!
The lyrics to Lionel Bart's song Oliver! are from a scene in the musical where Oliver Twist, a poor orphan boy, asks for more food at the workhouse where he lives with other boys. Mr. Bumble, the workhouse master, is outraged and the other adults decide to punish Oliver by throwing him down a stairway and feeding him cockroaches. They sing of their disgust with Oliver for daring to ask for more food and their intent to punish him severely. The lyrics highlight the cruelty and callousness towards children in the workhouses of Victorian England, where they were often exploited and abused.
The song is an iconic part of the musical and has been performed in numerous adaptations and cover versions. The character of Oliver Twist has become a cultural icon, representing the struggle of the poor against the injustices of society. The song's catchy melody and memorable lyrics have cemented its place in pop culture.
Line by Line Meaning
For what you are about to receive
May the lord make you truly thankful.
May you be grateful for what you're about to eat.
Amen
Agreement to the previous statement.
[spoken] Please, Sir, I want some more.
May I have a second helping, sir?
[spoken] What?!
What did you say?
[spoken] More!?
Are you asking for more food?
Catch him!
Capture him!
Snatch him!
Grab him!
Hold him!
Detain him!
Scold him!
Reprimand him!
Pounce him!
Trounce him!
Pick him up and bounce him!
Attack him!
Beat him!
Lift him up and drop him!
Wait!
Before we put the lad to task
May I be so curious as to ask
His name?
Stop!
Before punishing the boy
May I please ask
What is his name?
[BOYS (whispering)]
O-li-ver.
His name is Oliver.
Oliver! Oliver!
Reciting the boy's name.
Never before has a boy wanted more!
We've never had a boy ask for seconds before!
Won't ask for more when he knows what's in store.
He won't ask for more once he knows what he'll get.
There's a dark, thin, winding staircase
Without a banister
Which we'll throw him down, and feed him on
Cockroaches served in a canister
There's a dangerous staircase
Without rails
We'll push him down and feed him cockroaches from a can.
[MR. BUMBLE]
What will he do when he's turned black and blue?
He will curse the day
Somebody named him
What will he do when we beat him?
He'll regret his name.
There's a sooty chimney
Long overdue for a sweeping out
Which we'll push him up,
And one day next year with the rats he'll be creeping out.
There's a dirty chimney
We'll make him clean, but he'll end up stuck
Until he has to crawl out with the rats next year.
Pray some decorum restore, I implore...
Let us face this case, it's
Unprecedented, quite utterly.
Please let's restore order, I plead...
Let's address this case, it's
Unheard of, utterly.
He's disgraced this place.
Encouraging others to swallow in gluttony.
He's brought shame on this place.
Encouraging others to eat too much.
Lock him in jail
And then put him on sale,
For the highest bid
Glad to be rid
Of
O-li-ver!
Put him in jail
And sell him as a slave,
To anyone willing to pay the most
Glad to be rid of
Oliver!
[WIDOW CORNEY (spoken)]
Lock him up!
Collect his belongings then bring him back to me
When you've done.
To bed, all of you!
Lock him up!
Search him, then bring him to me.
Now go to bed, all of you!
Contributed by Mia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.