Story Behind the Song
Maurice Saylor's Pills to Purge Melancholy were written in 1988 using anonymous English texts from the late Seventeenth century. The Five songs are woven together by an elaborate fabric of motifs that allows a running musical commentary that links ideas from one song to another. For example, the leisurely accompaniment at the opening of the first song, which represents the walking motion of the two characters, is used at a much faster tempo in the last song to represent the endless pursuit of one person after another. The chords of Oh! My Panting, Panting Heart are reused in all five songs at moments of unconsummated passion. The songs were written for and dedicated to American soprano Jeanice Brooks.
Lyrics
III. The Comical Dreamer
Last Night a Dream came into my Head,
Thou wert a fine white Loaf of Bread;
Then if May Butter I coud be,
How I woud spread,
Oh! how I woud spread my self on thee:
This Morning too my Thoughts ran hard,
That you wert made a cool Tankard;
Then coud I but a Lemon be,
How I woud squeese,
How I woud squeese my Juice in thee.
Soon after Whims came in my Pate,
Thou wert a Pot of Chocolate;
And coud I but the Rowler be,
How I woud rub,
Oh! how I woud twirl, and froth up thee:
But since all Dreams are vain my Dear,
Let now some solid Joy appear;
My soul still thine is provd to be, let body now,
Let Body now with Soul agree.
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