Another Musketeer

A few days ago, I told you about the London musical, The Three Musketeers, which starred my fave performer Harry Secombe, and had a score by Laurie Johnson, with lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, who later would go on to write Les Miserables.

I thought I'd play this song by two of the supporting cast, since it's the funniest number in the show and some vibrantly clever lyrics by Mr. Kretzmer.  It's "Nobody's Changing Places with Me."  The musical is largely parody of The Three Musketeers, and this song gives as good a sense of that as any.  It's sung by the two big rivals, King Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu, each trying to one-up the other by showing how their life is the best.  The soft-shoe song is such a big hit in the show, that they even built an encore into it, as you'll hear.

It's sung by Kenneth Connor as the King, and Aubrey Woods as Richelieu.  I particularly note this because Mr. Woods might be known to some of you -- he's the fellow who ran the candy counter in the movie, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, who introduced the song, "The Candy Man."  (He also later starred opposite Harry Secombe in a TV production of the musical, Pickwick, as Alfred Jingle.)

I mentioned above that the song has wonderfully clever lyrics.  It indeed does, the song is full of them, but one couplet at the 2:37 mark is one of my all-time favorites.