Aren’t The King’s New Clothes Wonderful!?!

Danny Kaye’s is the version I loved as a boy, though Bernard Cribbins does it well too.  If you can’t listen, the lyrics are all you need.  If you don’t cry at the the irony, smile at the knowledge that there is an answer staring us in the face, even if we choose not to see it.

Just in case you need help with the metaphor:

Aren’t we the King, courtiers and people in the crowd.  The invisible clothes are the products and services we bought on credit.  Who is the Global Financial System?

 

The King’s New Clothes

From the film “Hans Christian Andersen” (1952)  (Frank Loesser – Based on the 1837 children’s story “The Emperor’s New Clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen)

 Danny Kaye (Film Soundtrack) – 1952

This is the story of the King’s new clothes.

Now there was once a king who was absolutely insane about

new clothes and one day, two swindlers came to sell him what

they said was a magic suit of clothes. Now, they held up this

particular garment and they said, “Your Majesty, this is a magic suit.”

Well, the truth of the matter is, there was no suit there at all.

But the swindlers were very smart, and they said,

“Your Majesty, to a wise man this is a beautiful raiment

but to a fool it is absolutely invisible.”

Naturally, the King not wanting to appear a fool, said:

“Isn’t it grand! Isn’t it fine! Look at the cut, the style, the line!

The suit of clothes is altogether, but altogether it’s altogether

The most remarkable suit of clothes that I have ever seen.

These eyes of mine at once determined

The sleeves are velvet, the cape is ermine

The hose are blue and the doublet is a lovely shade of green

Somebody send for the Queen”

Well they sent for the Queen and they quickly explained to her

about the magic suit of clothes. And naturally,

the Queen not wanting to appear a fool, said:

“Well, isn’t it oh! Isn’t it rich! Look at the charm of every stitch!

The suit of clothes is altogether, but altogether it’s altogether

The most remarkable suit of clothes that I have ever seen

These eyes of mine at once determined

The sleeves are velvet, the cape is ermine

The hose are blue and the doublet is a lovely shade of green

Summon the court to convene”

Well the court convened, and you never saw in your life

as many people as were at that court. All the ambassadors,

the dukes, the earls, the counts, it was just packed with people,

and they were all told about the magic suit of clothes.

And after they were told they

naturally didn’t want to appear fools and they said:

“Isn’t it ohhh! Isn’t it ahhh! Isn’t it absolutely wheee! (whistle sound)

The suit of clothes is altogether, but altogether, it’s altogether

The most remarkable suit of clothes a tailor ever made

Now quickly, put it altogether

With gloves of leather and hat and feather

It’s altogether the thing to wear in Saturday’s parade

Leading the royal brigade”

Now Saturday came and the streets were just

lined with thousands and thousands and thousands of people.

And they all were cheering as the artillery came by, the infantry marched by,

the cavalry galloped by. And everybody was cheering like mad,

except one little boy. You see, he hadn’t heard about

the magic suit and didn’t know what he was supposed to see.

Well, as the King came by the little boy looked and, horrified, said:

“Look at the King! Look at the the King! Look at the King, the King, the King!

The King is in the altogether, but altogether, the altogether

He’s altogether as naked as the day that he was born

The King is in the altogether, but altogether, the altogether

It’s altogether the very least the King has ever worn”

Summon the court physician! Call an intermission!

His majesty is wide open to ridicule and scorn.

The King is in the altogether, but all together, the altogether

He’s altogether as naked as the day that he was born

And it’s altogether too chilly a morn!

One thought on “Aren’t The King’s New Clothes Wonderful!?!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.