Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Stephen Sondheim
Canonical path: /sondheim-stephen/prelude
Related lyric paths: 6
Lyric guide
Prelude
Read Prelude lyrics by Stephen Sondheim on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
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Curated by Ethan Walker
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Lyrics
Prelude
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Attend the tale of Sweeny Todd.
His skin was pale and his eye was odd.
He shaved the faces of gentlemen
Who never thereafter were heard of again.
He trod a path that few have trod,
Did Sweeny Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
He kept a shop in London Town
Of fancy clients and good renown.
And what if none of their souls were saved?
They went to their
Maker impeccably shaved by Sweeny,
By Sweeny Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Swing your razor wide, Sweeny,
Hold it to the skies!
Freely flows the blood of those who moralize.
His need were few, his room was bare:
a lavabo and a fancy chair,
A mug of suds and a leather strop,
An apron, a towel, a pail and a mop.
For neatness, he deserves a nod.
Does Sweeny Todd,, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
In conspicuous Sweeny was,
Quick and quite and clean 'e was.
Back of his smile, under his word,
Sweeny heard music that nobody heard.
Sweeny pondered and Sweeny planned,
Like a perfect machine 'e planned
Sweeny was smooth, Sweeny was subtle,
Sweeny would blink and rats would scuttle.
Sweeny! Sweeny! Sweeny! Sweeny!
Sweeny!
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd
He served a dark and a hungry god
What happened then, well that's the play,
And he wouldn't want us to give it away. Not Sweeney,
Not Sweeney Todd, The demon barber of Fleet Street.
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Who performs "Prelude"?
Stephen Sondheim performs "Prelude", and this lyric page sits inside the Stephen Sondheim catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "Prelude"?
Yes. The related section below points to A Boy Like That, I Have A Love and A Little Priest with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Stephen Sondheim?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Stephen Sondheim's lyric pages.
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