Danse Macabre, poème symphonique op. 40 by Camille Saint-Saëns
‘Twas midnight on All-hallow’s Eve
And the town was out by the fire
The mice in the house left their beds
And started to dance to a string choir
The spirits of mousies long since past
Came from their graves that were near
And joined the celebration of those
Who had lived through that year
The ghoulishly devil of the dance
Awoke within them a soul
Of rebellious nature against the cats
For the year’s horrible death toll
Slinking in upon their dance
Came the felines dressed in black
And licking their whiskers silently
Got ready to attack
The dance itself intoxicated
All those who were close
So the cats gave up their potential feast
To join their unlikely hosts
No one paid attention
To the incongruity of it all
Until the front door slammed
And reverberated down the hall
The clock struck two in the morning
As the family returned for night
The cats slunk back in the shadows
And the mice back out of sight.
(The song: the orchestra version, a violin/cello/piano version)
