Arthur

Rudely cast and failing health,
Hardly born into wealth,
Arthur you weren’t given much of a chance.
Humble birthplace, Barrow way,
Grew stronger and stronger every day,
From barely breathing to learning to dance.
Daddy was a showman, juggler and clown,
You secretly wore that borrowed crown,
Until one day, your moonlight was uncovered.
Grew up getting better, slicker, brighter,
Arthur was an actor, comic, writer,
A genius as yet undiscovered.
We miss you.
We love you.
Thank you.
Thank you, Arthur my friend.
Swept into a world of sulphur, limelight and applause,
A theatre full of laughter, and Arthur you’re the cause,
As your talent grew your ego never changed.
When Fred heard rumours from afar,
You proved you were the brightest star,
A contract signed, another life arranged.
Sometimes it made you feel quite low,
When Charlie always stole the show,
But with gritted teeth you never gave in.
And when America called for you,
For Charlie, that was a dream come true,
But for you Arthur, your dream did not begin.
We miss you.
We love you.
Thank you.
Thank you, Arthur my friend.
In the hardest of times, Hal knocked on your door,
Said he’d never seen anything like you before,
Though you were the first to admit you copied your act.
“You’ve got a certain je ne sais quoi.
Sign here my friend, I’m gonna make you a star”.
And would you believe it, Arthur, that was a fact.
But fame was elusive while you were alone,
Didn’t hit the big time on your own,
Didn’t seem to achieve all those dreams.
So you and Hal agreed, as friends,
That you weren’t a star before the lens,
So you started working hard behind the scenes.
We miss you.
We love you.
Thank you.
Thank you, Arthur my friend.
Babe, he was a sturdy guy,
Slowly catching Hal’s knowing eye,
Your paths, they’d crossed a couple of times before.
And just as another two-reeler is canned,
The leading man, he burnt his hand,
So Arthur you stepped in to take the floor.
And when the leading man returned,
Hal saw the potential you’d earned,
Suggested you might even work together.
With ill-fitting suits, patched up and worn,
A legendary partnership was born,
Two names that’ll be remembered forever.
We miss you.
We love you.
Thank you.
Thank you, Arthur my friend.
And Arthur, didn’t they fall in love with you?
A picture with a bowler hat or two.
Applauding the March of the Cuckoo.
Thank you, Arthur, thank you.
Arthur-
Child of Ulverston,
Prince of hearts,
King of comedy,
Son of the Desert.