Let your bed go unmade; your soufflé unsouffléd

On this, what would have been the 98th birthday of the tremendously-talented Alan Jay Lerner, I feel we should pay a little visit to one of his later shows (after his writing partnership with Frederick Loewe ended with the latter's retirement), On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.

Despite being somewhat overshadowed by his previous triumphs such as Brigadoon, Gigi, Camelot and, of course, My Fair Lady, this collaboration with Burton Lane certainly came up with some enduring standards, including this one.

In keeping with the tradition of "Sunday Music", here's the lovely Robert Goulet and Come Back to Me:

Robert Goulet - Come Back To Me [from On A Clear Day You Can See Forever]

Hear my voice where you are
Take a train, steal a car
Hop a freight, grab a star, come back to me
Catch a plane, catch a breeze
On your hands, on your knees
Swim or fly, only please, come back to me
On a mule, in a jet
With your hair in a net
In a towel when you're wet
I don't care, this is where you should be

From the hills, from the shore
Ride the wind to my door
Turn the high with the dust
Break the law if you must
Move the world, only just come back to me

Blast you high, hear me call
Must I fight City Hall
Here and now, damn it all, come back to me
What on Earth must I do
Scream and yell till I'm blue
Curse your soul when will you come back to me?
Have you gone to the moon or the corner saloon
At your rack, at your room
Mademoiselle, where in Hell can you be?

Leave a sign on your door
Out to lunch ever more
In a Royce or a van, wrapped in mink or Saran
Anyway that you can, come back to me
Hear my voice through the dim
Feel the waves on your skin
Like a call from within, come back to me
Leave behind all your own
Tell your flowers you will phone
Let your dog walk alone, come back to me

Let your tub overflow
If a date waits below
Let him wait for Godot
By the rail,
Come by mail, COD
Par avion, par bateau
Dans une vielle, deux chevaux

Come by steam, come by gas
Call for free on a pass
On the drags and the glass, come back to me
Leave your bills all unpaid
Let your bed go unmade
Your soufflé unsouffléd, come back to me
Come by sail, come by freight
In a box or a tray, keep your head on the plate
I don't care this is where you should be

Come in pain or in joy
As a girl, as a boy
In a bag or a trunk
On a horse or a drunk
In the flora or faun, come back to me
Come back to me, come back...

Fabulous!

Alan Jay Lerner (31st August 1918 – 14th June 1986)

Read my previous tribute to Mr Lerner