The Harrowing Lyrics
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(In which Burke and Hare master the irredeemable art of procuring the freshest specimens of cadaver by the most nefarious means imaginable)
“'Knowst thou not any, whom corrupting gold
Would tempt unto a close exploit of death?'
'I know a discontented Irishman
Whose humble means match not his haughty mind
Gold were as good as twenty orators
And will, no doubt, tempt him to do any thing'” - Richard III, William Shakespeare
“In Edina town, where your friend you may meet
At morning, in health, walking forth in the street
And, at evening, decoy'd and depriv'd of life
His corpse fresh and warm is laid out for the knife” - Edinburgh Broadsheet 1832
Hare: The first corpse was mere happenstance
But the second was no accident
The end soon followed pitiably
Choking out curses 'til his life was spent
Dr. Knox: Each morrow the kill comes easier
Murder grown precise
Axphyxiated bodies bear testament
To your mastery - of this most deadly device
Dr. Knox: A corpse is but a corpse
How they are obtained, is not my concern
So long as they come to my door
Hare: With coppers o'er blind eyes, like the one you've turned
Dr. Knox: Death is the last fact of life, scrawled out by dissecting knives
Hare: As I'm taking your life
Chorus: You won't survive the harrowing
Hare: So gasp your last breath as you choke, incomprehension, of life's final joke
Dr. Knox: At the end of your rope
Chorus: Now your hope is narrowing
You won't survive the harrowing
Hare: At first I felt revulsion
Which then gave way to fear
Finally came apathy
And at last I came to see things clearly
Dr. Knox: A reaver that hunts by gaslight
The stranglehold comes grim and cold
But your wallet filled with notes and coins
Weighs more 'pon you, then all of the dead you have sold
Dr. Knox: A corpse is but a corpse
How they are obtained, is not my concern
So long as they come to my door
Hare: With coppers o'er blind eyes, like the one you've turned
Dr. Knox: Death is the last fact of life, scrawled out by dissecting knives
Hare: As I'm taking your life
Chorus: You won't survive the harrowing
Hare: So gasp your last breath as you choke, incomprehension, of life's final joke
Dr. Knox: At the end of your rope
Chorus: Now your hope is narrowing
Death is overpowering
You won't survive the harrowing
Solo – Michael Burke
Duet – Michael Burke / Matthew Harvey
Dr. Knox: Death is the last act of life, post-scripted by dissecting knives
Hare: To which I'm giving your life
Chorus: You won't survive the harrowing
Hare: Gasp your last breath as you choke, incomprehension, of life's final joke
Dr. Knox: At the end of your rope
Chorus: Now your hope is narrowing
Death is overpowering
Life's but time you're borrowing
You won't survive the harrowing
“'Knowst thou not any, whom corrupting gold
Would tempt unto a close exploit of death?'
'I know a discontented Irishman
Whose humble means match not his haughty mind
Gold were as good as twenty orators
And will, no doubt, tempt him to do any thing'” - Richard III, William Shakespeare
“In Edina town, where your friend you may meet
At morning, in health, walking forth in the street
And, at evening, decoy'd and depriv'd of life
His corpse fresh and warm is laid out for the knife” - Edinburgh Broadsheet 1832
Hare: The first corpse was mere happenstance
But the second was no accident
The end soon followed pitiably
Choking out curses 'til his life was spent
Dr. Knox: Each morrow the kill comes easier
Murder grown precise
Axphyxiated bodies bear testament
To your mastery - of this most deadly device
Dr. Knox: A corpse is but a corpse
How they are obtained, is not my concern
So long as they come to my door
Hare: With coppers o'er blind eyes, like the one you've turned
Dr. Knox: Death is the last fact of life, scrawled out by dissecting knives
Hare: As I'm taking your life
Chorus: You won't survive the harrowing
Hare: So gasp your last breath as you choke, incomprehension, of life's final joke
Dr. Knox: At the end of your rope
Chorus: Now your hope is narrowing
You won't survive the harrowing
Hare: At first I felt revulsion
Which then gave way to fear
Finally came apathy
And at last I came to see things clearly
Dr. Knox: A reaver that hunts by gaslight
The stranglehold comes grim and cold
But your wallet filled with notes and coins
Weighs more 'pon you, then all of the dead you have sold
Dr. Knox: A corpse is but a corpse
How they are obtained, is not my concern
So long as they come to my door
Hare: With coppers o'er blind eyes, like the one you've turned
Dr. Knox: Death is the last fact of life, scrawled out by dissecting knives
Hare: As I'm taking your life
Chorus: You won't survive the harrowing
Hare: So gasp your last breath as you choke, incomprehension, of life's final joke
Dr. Knox: At the end of your rope
Chorus: Now your hope is narrowing
Death is overpowering
You won't survive the harrowing
Solo – Michael Burke
Duet – Michael Burke / Matthew Harvey
Dr. Knox: Death is the last act of life, post-scripted by dissecting knives
Hare: To which I'm giving your life
Chorus: You won't survive the harrowing
Hare: Gasp your last breath as you choke, incomprehension, of life's final joke
Dr. Knox: At the end of your rope
Chorus: Now your hope is narrowing
Death is overpowering
Life's but time you're borrowing
You won't survive the harrowing