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Venice (Elegies) Lyrics by Betty Buckley

Ah, Men! The Boys of Broadway

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The former lover of my lover
Was a sophisticated Pole named Bolek
Not polite, he’d join Arthur and me for dinner
Looking distracted and thinner
He’d take a bite of his rare delicious lamb chop
And say, “Really Billy this has gotta stop.”
I’d say, “What’s gotta stop?”
He’d say, “You’re being a dick.”
I’d say, “Bolek.”
He’d say, “Billy.”
I’d say, “Bolek.”
He’d say, “What?”
That then was the night I knew that Bolek was sick
He’d say, “We got to go to Venice
Because in Venice everyday life’s a work of art
And must be seen first hand
Breathe deep, our destination’s Venice
Beauty and pleasure is all we can hope to understand.”
So Arthur says, “What’s wrong with Bolek?”
And I think finally he sees what I see
Huh? What’d I see? Well the truth is, it doesn’t matter
All you have to know is he grew thinner, I grew fatter
And later on, as we strolled along down Broadway
Bolek thought he saw a gun and whacked a wacko in the ass
Bolek took off down the street
Chased by this dangerous guy
I yelled, “Bolek.”
He kept fleeing
I yelled, “Bolek!”
He yelled, “What?”
And then he turned around and then he sang to the sky
“My friends, I’m taking you to Venice
Because in Venice everyday life’s a work of art
And must be seen first hand
Breathe deep. The world revolves ‘round Venice
Beauty and pleasure is all we can hope to understand.”
So we went to Venice
Jumped in the canals
Three unlikely pals
In Venice
St. Mark’s Square
That is where
We’d prepare
To be awed
Here in the city where I feel the presence of God
In truth, we never went to Venice
And we said we would, but Bolek died too quickly
Second truth, this, whatever it is, he’d hate it
He would mutter bourgeois shit and, “please incinerate it”
“Oh go to hell Bolek,” I’d yell like a madman
Of guys who liked me least, I liked him best
I see a gondola float, Bolek’s inside and at rest
Then the gondolier starts singing
Bolek joins in strong and deep
And all the world’s in song just as I hum off to sleep
“My friends, I’m taking you to Venice
Because in Venice everyday life’s a work of art
And must be seen first hand
Life ends, but nothing ends in Venice
Beauty and pleasure is all we can hope to understand
Beauty and pleasure is all we can hope to understand
In Venice
Venice.”
Credits
Betty Buckley

Betty Buckley

About “Venice (Elegies)” by Betty Buckley

Read the complete lyrics to "Venice (Elegies)" by Betty Buckley from the album "Ah, Men! The Boys of Broadway". 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 Pop.

"Venice (Elegies)" is performed by Betty Buckley. from the album "Ah, Men! The Boys of Broadway" 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 "Venice (Elegies)", explore more songs by Betty Buckley 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.

View all songs and biography for Betty Buckley · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Venice (Elegies)" is credited to Betty Buckley. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Venice (Elegies)" appears on "Ah, Men! The Boys of Broadway".

Visit the Betty Buckley artist page at /artist/betty-buckley for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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