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Poor Thing Lyrics by Angela Lansbury

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Original Cast Recording)

1979

[TODD, spoken]
Isn't that a room up there over the pie shop? If times are so hard, why don't you rent it out? That should bring in something. 
[MRS. LOVETT, spoken]
Up there? Oh, no, I don't go near it. People think it's haunted. You see, years ago, something happened up there, something not very nice. 
(sung)
There was a barber and his wife
And he was beautiful
A proper artist with a knife
But they transported him for life
And he was beautiful...
(spoken)
Barker, his name was—Benjamin Barker. 
[TODD, spoken]
Transported? What was his crime?
[MRS. LOVETT, spoken]
Foolishness...
(sung)
He had this wife, you see
Pretty little thing
Silly little nit
Had her chance for the moon on a string—
Poor thing
Poor thing
There were these two, you see
Wanted her like mad
One of 'em a Judge
T'other one his Beadle!
Every day they'd nudge
And they'd wheedle!
But she wouldn't budge
From her needle
Too bad
Pure thing
So they merely shipped the poor blighter off south, they did
Leaving her with nothing but grief and a year-old kid
Did she use her head even then? Oh no, God forbid!
Poor fool
Ah, but there was worse yet to come
Poor thing
(spoken)
Johanna, that was the child's name... Pretty little Johanna...
[TODD, spoken]
Go on. 
[MRS. LOVETT, spoken]
My, you do like a good story, don't you?
(sung)
Well, Beadle calls on her, all polite
Poor thing
Poor thing
The Judge, he tells her, is all contrite
He blames himself for her dreadful plight
She must come straight to his house tonight!
Poor thing
Poor thing
Of course when she goes there
Poor thing, poor thing
They're having this ball all in masks
There's no one she knows there
Poor dear, poor thing
She wanders tormented and drinks
Poor thing
The Judge has repented, she thinks
Poor thing
"Oh, where is Judge Turpin?" she asks
He was there, all right—
Only not so contrite!
She wasn't no match for such craft, you see
And everyone thought it so droll
They figured she had to be daft, you see
So all of 'em stood there and laughed, you see
Poor soul!
Poor thing!
[TODD, spoken]
No! Would no one have mercy on her?
[MRS. LOVETT, spoken]
So it is you, Benjamin Barker!
Credits
Angela Lansbury

Angela Lansbury

About “Poor Thing” by Angela Lansbury

Read the complete lyrics to "Poor Thing" by Angela Lansbury from the album "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Original Cast Recording)" in 1979. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Broadway, Musicals, Pop.

"Poor Thing" is performed by Angela Lansbury. from the album "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Original Cast Recording)" in 1979 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Poor Thing", explore more songs by Angela Lansbury using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Poor Thing" is credited to Angela Lansbury. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Poor Thing" appears on "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Original Cast Recording)" in 1979.

Visit the Angela Lansbury artist page at /artist/angela-lansbury for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.