Have Some Madeira M'Dear - wikipedia Have Some Madeira M'Dear `` Have Some Madeira M'Dear '' Writers Flanders and Swann Song by Flanders and Swann Genre Novelty song Composer ( s ) Michael Flanders Lyricist ( s ) Donald Swann `` Have Some Madeira M'Dear '', also titled `` Madeira, M'Dear ? '', is a darkly comic song by Flanders and Swann. It is a song about seduction and alcohol, containing complex and witty wordplay. Madeira wine The lyrics tell of an elderly rake who `` slyly inveigles '' an attractive young girl of seventeen to his flat where he offers her a glass of Madeira, a fortified Portuguese wine. The girl enthusiastically drains her glass, becoming slightly drunk in the process. Sensing victory, the rake offers the young girl another glass of wine, which she accepts. However, before raising it to her lips, she recalls her dying mother 's warning to avoid red wine. With a cry, the girl drops the glass and flees the apartment, the old roué 's pleas for her to remain echoing in her ears. The following morning, however, the young lady awakens in bed with a hangover and a beard tickling her ear. The song contains three much - quoted instances of syllepsis : `` And he said as he hastened to put out the cat, the wine, his cigar and the lamps '' `` She lowered her standards by raising her glass, her courage, her eyes and his hopes '' `` She made no reply, up her mind and a dash for the door. '' The song has been covered by other groups, including most notably The Limeliters ( performed by Lou Gottlieb ). The lyrics were also recited as a poem by Tony Randall in episode # 922 of The Carol Burnett Show which first aired 02 / 21 / 1976. Sam Leith has referred to it as a `` hilarious song about date rape ''. Notes and references Notes Jump up ^ The shorter title is used on the original LP records of the show ; the longer is adopted in the 1977 collected songs of Flanders and Swann, edited by Flanders 's widow Claudia. References Jump up ^ Parlophone LPs PMC 1033 ( 1957 ) and PCS 3001 ( 1959 ) ; and Flanders and Swann, p. 143 Jump up ^ Blocker, Jack S. ; David M. Fahey ; Ian R. Tyrrell ( 2003 ). Alcohol and temperance in modern history : an international encyclopedia, Volume 1. ABC - CLIO. p. 210. ISBN 978 - 1 - 57607 - 833 - 4. Jump up ^ http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiMADERA.html Jump up ^ Oliver, A. ( 2001 ). `` Strategies for a Logic of Plurals ''. The Philosophical Quarterly. 51 ( 204 ) : 289. doi : 10.1111 / j. 0031 - 8094.2001. 00231. x. Jump up ^ Everett, Anthony ( 2005 ). `` Recent Defenses of Descriptivism ''. Mind & Language. 20 : 103. doi : 10.1111 / j. 0268 - 1064.2005. 00279. x. Jump up ^ Flanders and Swann, pp. 143 -- 145 Jump up ^ You Talkin ' To Me ? : Rhetoric from Aristotle to Obama, by Sam Leith ; published Oct 20, 2011, by Profile Books ; via Google Books Sources Flanders, Michael ; Donald Swann ; Claudia Flanders ( 1977 ). The Songs of Michael Flanders and Donald Swann. London : Elm Tree Books and Saint George 's Press. ISBN 0241897386. Flanders and Swann Performers Michael Flanders Donald Swann Revues At the Drop of a Hat At the Drop of Another Hat Fresh Airs Songs `` The Gnu '' `` Slow Train '' `` Have Some Madeira M'Dear '' Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Have_Some_Madeira_M%27Dear&oldid=854684351 '' Categories : Flanders and Swann songs Black comedy 1956 songs Songs about alcohol Talk About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 13 August 2018, at 02 : 45 ( UTC ). About Wikipedia

Question: who originally sang have some madeira my dear
Answer: Flanders and Swann