We Three Kings
Miller-Rowe Consort Lyrics
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c collector of the dead.
Collecting corpses in my cart
Is how I earn my bread
Business has been quiet
Since the last plague went away
But I seem to have a bumper crop
Coming up today
But I don't like to pile them too high
They might fall off on the way home and hit a passer by,
cnd I can tell you undertaking is a science and an art
But today I'm going to need a bigger cart
You see bodies are like buses
cnd it doesn't rain but pour
I don't know what fuss is
But it's something big I'm sure
Noone knows which side has won
But lots of them have died
Cos there's only two men left
cnd one's threatening suicide.
Come on everybody let's count them up!
One two three!
Count with me!
One is for the servant
cnd Cornwall makes two
Three is for Oswald
Young Edgar ran him through
Four is for Gloucester
cnd Regan makes it five
These are the characters no longer alive
They're all dead
Six is for Goneril
Who will not go to heaven
Edgar killed is brother Edmund
Bringing us to seven
The rescue party to the tower
Was a little late
Cordelia had died
Which brings us up to eight
Up to eight!
Nine is the Captain
Slain by king Lear
cnd now we're nearly at the end
Just one more left to hear
Ten is king Lear
Who died of a broken heart
cnd I think I'm going to need a bigger cart
I don't like to pile them too high,
They might fall off on the way home and hit a passerby,
cnd I can tell you undertaking is a science and an art,
cnd this whole bloody play's been a downer from the start,
cnd I think I'm going to need a bigger cart
The lyrics of "We Three Kings" by Miller-Rowe Consort tell a dark and macabre tale of an undertaker who is experiencing a sudden surge in the number of bodies he needs to collect. The undertaker reflects on his job as a collector of the dead, mentioning that business had been slow since the last plague but now he has a "bumper crop" of bodies to collect. He expresses concern about piling the bodies too high in his cart, fearing that they might fall off and harm passersby. Despite the morbid nature of his job, he acknowledges the art and science behind undertaking.
The lyrics then shift to a recounting of the tragic events that led to the deaths of various characters, presumably from the Shakespearean play "King Lear." Each verse introduces a new character and details their demise, culminating in the demise of King Lear himself. The undertaker humorously counts up the bodies as if they are passengers on a bus, adding a darkly comedic element to the narrative. The undertaker's commentary on the play being a "downer from the start" suggests a parody of the tragic events depicted in "King Lear."
The undertaker's repeated refrain of needing a bigger cart underscores the overwhelming nature of the death and tragedy that surrounds him. The imagery of bodies piling up and the undertaker's pragmatic concern about managing the increasing number of corpses add a grimly humorous twist to the song's narrative. The undertaker's matter-of-fact tone and matter-of-fact approach to death and handling the deceased provide a stark contrast to the somber events being described in the lyrics.
Overall, the lyrics of "We Three Kings" by Miller-Rowe Consort blend dark humor, satire, and a touch of morbidity to create a unique and thought-provoking commentary on mortality, tragedy, and the inevitability of death. The undertaker's character serves as a darkly comic narrator, guiding the listener through a tale of death and destruction with a wry and detached perspective, making the listener reflect on the darker aspects of life and the passage of time.
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