No. 21 - Duet - Jeanie and Widdicombe - "Not at present."

Lyrics by Adrian Ross and Percy Greenbank

[Jeanie:] When I have married you, my dear,
and you have married me,
We'll keep a little tuck-shop
down beside the silver sea!
[Widdicombe:] Behind the bulls-eye bottles
for the customers we'll watch,
And I will take the pennies
for the special butterscotch!
[Jeanie:] Not at present!
Not just at present!
[Widdicombe:] But a little pocket money
would be pleasant!
[Jeanie:] You'll have half-a-crown on Saturday,
my bonnie little man.
[Widdicombe:] Well, I'd like you just to make it
half-a-sov'reign if you can!
[Jeanie:] Then of course you'll go and put it
on a horse that also ran!
[Widdicombe:] Don't you trust your little hubby?
[Jeanie:] Not at present!

[Widdicombe:] Although I'm fond of comfort,
dearest Jeanie, I must own
That in our house I never wish
to have the telephone.
[Jeanie:] But surely it's so handy--
only think what you can do.
You ring up all your friends,
and in a minute you are through.
[Widdicombe:] Not at present!
Not just at present!
Though the operator's voice is very pleasant,
Still, she never seems to listen
to the number that you say,
And you find you've got the wrong one
after half-an-hour's delay.
[Jeanie:] But the Government have taken on
the telephones today;
Don't you find a great improvement?
[Widdicombe:] Not at present!

[Widdicombe:] Now if we keep a servant,
we shall find it very hard
To lick and stick a gummy stamp
upon a grimy card!
[Jeanie:] But think of the advantages
whenever you are ill,
You get the doctor when you like
without the doctor's bill.
[Widdicombe:] Not at present!
Not just at present!
[Both:] For the doctors are exceedingly unpleasant!
[Widdicombe:] You may call for a physician
but he says he will not come.
[Jeanie:] And perhaps we may be poisoned
by the germs upon the gum!
[Widdicombe:] Then we'll send you to be treated
in a sanatorium.
[Jeanie:] Are them any of them ready?
[Widdicombe:] Not at present!

[Widdicombe:] Now there's a knotty question
I should rather like to raise:
Supposing that our little home
was fairly in a blaze--
If you had a Madonna done by Mister Raphael,
Now would you save the picture
or the baby, can you tell?
[Jeanie:] Not at present!
Not just at present!
For to choose between the two would not be pleasant!
Weel, it's ower soon to talk about
the baby, ye'll agree,
And we haven't bought the picture,
so we'd better wait and see.
[Widdicombe:] But suppose you had the option,
would you save the dog or me?
[Jeanie:] Well, it's odds upon the doggie
Just at present!