A Cover Is Not the Book

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

He said a-

Cover is not the book

So open it up and take a look

'Cause under the cover 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

(Tarualee, tara-ta-ta-ta!

Tarualee, tara-ta-ta-ta!)

Mary Poppins, could you give us an example?

Certainly!

Nellie Rubina was made of wood

But what could not be seen was though

A trunk up top was barren

Well, her roots were lush and green

So in Spring when Mr Hickory saw her blossoms blooming there

He took root despite her bark

And now there's seedlings everywhere!

Which proves that

A cover is not the book

So open it up and take a look

'Cause under the cover 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

Should we do the one about the wealthy widow?

Ooh, by all means

Always loved that one

Well go on then!

Lady Hyacinth McCaul

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

'Cause she barely wore a stitch

For when you're in your birthday suit

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

Oh, a cover is not the book

So open it up and take a look

Cause under the cover one discovers

That the king maybe a crook

Tarulalee, tarurala, tarulalee, tara-ta-ta!

You'll find your first impression was mistook (Ya-da-da-da)

For a cover is nice

But a cover is not the book

Oh give us the one about that 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

'Cause 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 Messieurs

"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 the things you've got

You 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 mustn't let

The outside be the guide

For it's not so cut and dried

Well unless it's Dr. 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

'Cause under the cover 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 we get the hook (Sing it out strong!)

A cover is nice (Please take our advice)

A cover is nice (Or you'll pay the price!)

A cover is nice

But a cover is not the book!