Karaoké A Cover is Not the Book Le Retour de Mary Poppins

Uncle Gutenberg was a bookworm and he lived on Charing Cross

The memory of his volumes brings a smile

He would read me lots of stories when he wasn't on the sauce

Now I'd like to share the wisdom of my favourite bibliophile

She said a cover is not the book so open it up and take a look

'Cos under the covers one discovers that the king may be a crook

Chapter titles are like signs and if you read between the lines

You'll find your first impression was mistook for a cover is nice

But a cover is not the book

Mary Poppins

Could you give us an example?

Certainly

Nellie Rubina was made of wood

But what could not be seen was though her trunk up top was barren

Well her roots were lush and green so in Spring

When mister Hickory saw her blossoms blooming there

He took root despite her bark and now there's seedlings everywhere

Which proves a cover is not the book

Which proves a cover is not the book so open it up and take a look so open it up and take a look

'Cos under the covers one discovers

'Cos under the covers one discovers that the king may be a crook that the king may be a crook

Chapter titles are like signs

And if you read between the lines you'll find your first impression

You'll find your first impression was mistook

Was mistook for a cover is nice

For a cover is nice but a cover is not the book but a cover is not the book

Should we do the one about the wealthy widow?

Oh by all means

Well go on then

Always loved that one

Lady Hyacinth Macaw brought all her treasures to a reef

Where she only wore a smile

Plus two feathers and a leaf

So no one tried to rob her 'cos she barely wore a stitch

For when you're in your birthday suit

There ain't much there

There ain't much there to show you're rich to show you're rich

Oh a cover is not the book so open it up and take a look

Oh a cover is not the book so open it up and take a look 'cos under the covers 'cos under the covers

One discovers that the king maybe a crook

One discovers that the king maybe a crook ta-ru-ra-lee ta-ru-ra-la ta-ru-ra-lee ta-ru-ra-la

Ta-ru-ra-lee ta-ra-ta-ta you'll find your first

Ta-ru-ra-lee ta-ra-ta-ta you'll find your first impression was mistook impression was mistook

Ya-da-da-da

For a cover is nice

For a cover is nice but a cover is not the book but a cover is not the book

Oh give us the one about the dirty rascal why don't ya?

Isn't that one a bit long?

Well the quicker you're into it the quicker you're out of it

Once upon a time in a nursery rhyme there was a castle with a king

Hiding in a wing 'cos he never went to school to learn a single thing

He had scepters and swords and a parliament of Lords but on the inside he was sad

Egad because he never had a wisdom for numbers a wisdom for words

Though his crown was quite immense his brain was smaller than a bird's

So the queen of the nation made a royal proclamation to the Missus and the Messers

The more or lessers bring me all the land's professors then she went to

The hair dressers and they came from the east and they came from the south

From each college they poured knowledge from their brains into

His mouth but the king couldn't learn so each professor met their fate

For the queen had their heads removed and placed upon the gate

And on that date

I state their wives all got a note

Their mate was now the late-great but then suddenly one day

A stranger started in to sing he said I'm the dirty rascal and I'm here to teach the king

And the queen clutched her jewels for she hated royal fools but this fool

Had some rules they really ought to teach in schools like you'll be a happy king

If you enjoy all the things you've got should never try to be the kind of person

That you're not so they sang and they laughed for the king had found a friend

And they ran onto a rainbow for the story's perfect end so the moral is you musn't let

The outside be the guide for it's not so cut and dried well unless it's Doctor Jekyll

Then you better hide petrified

No the truth can't be denied as I now have testified

All that really counts and matters is the special stuff inside

He did it

Oh a cover is not the book so open it up and take a look

Oh a cover is not the book so open it up and take a look 'cos under the covers 'cos under the covers

One discovers that the king may be a crook

One discovers that the king may be a crook so please listen to

What we've said

And open up a book

Tonight in bed so one more time before so one more time

Before we get the hook we get the hook

Sing it out strong

Please take our advice

Or you'll pay the price

But a cover is not the book

But a cover is not the book