Sarah Brightman - In the mandarin's orchid garden

A buttercup that did not please
The lovely peace of such a place.
And so it simply shriveled up
And begged each orchids pardon,
The little buttercup in the orchid garden.

The bees keep buzzing daily
And kiss the orchids gaily,
In the mandarin's orchid garden.

A buttercup sighed longingly,
But love was not for such as she.
And so one day it shriveled up and died,
Still begging pardon,
The lonely buttercup in the orchid garden.

I too have been misguided;
To long have I resided
In the mandarin's orchid garden.

And too for friendliness I yearn,
I do not know which way to turn.
Alone must I keep shriveled up,
To beg each lady's pardon.

A lonely buttercup
In the orchid garden.

Music: George Gershwin
Lyrics: Ira Gershwin
Show: East is west (1929; unproduced)

From: Encore (2002).

Source of the lyrics: had a go at writing it down myself, but what Sarah sings is difficult to understand. April Zayais, Bruno Deschênes and Lynne Carmichael) have helped me with corrections and suggestions. Shauna Howard then kindly send me the final, correct version given above.

Note the nice contradition in the words between the the common and plain buttercup which was misguided by fate and ended up in a garden full of rare and beautiful orchids. These orchids are visited by bees, which do not visit the buttercup, leaving its leaves longing, "but love for not for such as she". Near the end the singer then appears to have the same kind of experience: she's like that lonely buttercup, all alone in the orchid garden.
I do like this song!!

 
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created: 15 May 2002
last modified: 18 April 2013