Overture: Why Can't The English
Rex Harrison Lyrics

Henry Look at her, a prisoner of the gutter,
Henry is looking down on Eliza, who he sees as trapped in poverty and unable to speak proper English.

Condemned by every syllable she ever uttered.
Henry believes that Eliza's every word displays her lower class and lack of education.

By law she should be taken out and hung,
Henry sees Eliza's use of non-standard English as a crime worthy of the death penalty.

For the cold-blooded murder of the English tongue.
Henry sees Eliza's speech as a deliberate and malicious attack on the standard English language.

Aaoooww!
Eliza cries out in response to Henry's criticism of her speech.

Heaven's! What a noise!
Henry expresses his disgust at Eliza's loud and grating voice.

This is what the British population,
Henry suggests that Eliza's manner of speech is representative of the broader population of England.

Calls an elementary education.
Henry believes that Eliza's speech demonstrates a lack of basic education.

Counsel, I think you picked a poor example.
Pickering questions Henry's choice of Eliza to demonstrate the problems of spoken English.

Hear them down in Soho square,
Henry points to examples of poor English spoken by people in London's Soho district.

Dropping "h's" everywhere.
Henry criticizes the tendency of some English speakers to omit the letter 'h' in their pronunciation.

Speaking English anyway they like.
Henry is outraged by the idea that people can speak their native language however they choose.

You sir, did you go to school?
Henry questions a man about his education, implying that this man, like many others, lacks proper training in English.

Wadaya tike me for, a fool?
The man responds confrontationally, asking why Henry would think him uneducated.

No one taught him 'take' instead of 'tike!
Henry uses this example to show how poor English education can lead to mistakes in pronunciation.

This verbal class distinction, by now,
Henry argues that the idea of different classes of spoken English should be outdated by now.

Should be antique. If you spoke as she does, sir,
Henry challenges the notion that people should be judged based on their speech and suggests the listener would be in the same position as Eliza if he spoke like her.

Why, you might be selling flowers, too!
Henry implies that the listener's class and profession might be different if he spoke like Eliza.

Hear a Yorkshireman, or worse,
Henry singles out speakers from other regions and implies that their accents are even more unpleasant than Eliza's.

I'd rather hear a choir singing flat.
Henry would rather listen to a terrible choir than someone speaking with a harsh accent.

Garn!
Eliza responds with a slang term that Henry sees as further evidence of her lack of education.

I ask you, sir, what sort of word is that?
Henry questions the validity of Eliza's vocabulary and dismisses her use of slang as substandard.

It's "Aoooow" and "Garn" that keep her in her place.
Henry believes that Eliza's use of slang and lack of proper English hold her back and prevent her from moving up in the world.

Not her wretched clothes and dirty face.
Henry suggests that Eliza's appearance is less relevant to her social standing than her manner of speech.

This verbal class distinction by now should be antique.
Henry restates his belief that distinctions between spoken English classes should no longer exist.

An Englishman's way of speaking absolutely classifies him,
Henry believes that someone's spoken English is a clear indicator of their social standing and education.

The moment he talks he makes some other
People immediately judge each other based on their speech, according to Henry.

Englishman despise him.
Henry implies that an Englishman's poor speech can cause others to look down on him.

One common language I'm afraid we'll never get.
Henry laments the lack of a single, universally spoken language.

Oh, why can't the English learn to set
Henry asks why English speakers can't set a better example for those who learn the language.

A good example to people whose
Henry believes that English speakers can and should provide a positive example for non-native speakers.

English is painful to your ears?
Henry acknowledges that some people find spoken English difficult or annoying to listen to.

The Scotch and the Irish leave you close to tears.
Henry points out that even within the English-speaking world there are many regional accents that can be hard to understand.

There even are places where English completely
Henry notes that there are parts of the world where English is not spoken at all.

Disappears. In America, they haven't used it for years!
Henry mentions America as an example of a place where English is spoken but has evolved into a distinct form that is difficult for some people to understand.

Norwegians learn Norwegian; the Greeks have taught their
Henry points out that other cultures have successfully taught their native language to their youth.

Greek. In France every Frenchman knows
Henry suggests that France has succeeded in creating a national language that is universally spoken among its citizens.

His language fro "A" to "Zed"
Henry uses the example of France to illustrate how a country can have a standardized language that is spoken the same way across different regions.

The French never care what they do, actually,
Henry suggests that the French are less concerned with the correctness of their language and more focused on the way it sounds.

As long as they pronounce in properly.
Henry believes that the French put a great deal of emphasis on the pronunciation of their language.

Arabians learn Arabian with the speed of summer lightning.
Henry observes that some cultures are able to learn their own language quickly and easily.

And Hebrews learn it backwards,
Henry notes the challenge of learning a language with a completely different alphabet.

Which is absolutely frightening.
Henry acknowledges the difficulty of learning a language that is so different from one's own.

But use proper English you're regarded as a freak.
Henry points out the irony that, while English speakers often criticize each other for poor grammar or accents, someone who speaks too well is also looked upon unfavorably.

Why can't the English,
Henry concludes by once again expressing his frustration with the state of spoken English and the lack of a single, universally accepted form.