Lyrks
Lyrks
Lyrks
Cover Art

Cleanliness (Poteet 2019) Lyrics by Charles Lamb

0

Cleanliness
BY CHARLES LAMB
Come my little Robert near—
Fie! what filthy hands are here!
Who that e'er could understand
The rare structure of a hand,
With its branching fingers fine,
Work itself of hands divine,
Strong, yet delicately knit,
For ten thousand uses fit,
Overlaid with so clear skin
You may see the blood within,
And the curious palm, disposed
In such lines, some have supposed
You may read the fortunes there
By the figures that appear—
Who this hand would chuse to cover
With a crust of dirt all over,
Till it look'd in hue and shape
Like the fore-foot of an Ape?
Man or boy that works or plays
In the fields or the highways
May, without offence or hurt,
From the soil contract a dirt,
Which the next clear spring or river
Washes out and out for ever—
But to cherish stains impure,
Soil deliberate to endure,
On the skin to fix a stain
Till it works into the grain,
Argues a degenerate mind,
Sordid, slothful, ill inclin'd,
Wanting in that self-respect
Which does virtue best protect.
All-endearing Cleanliness,
Virtue next to Godliness,
Easiest, cheapest, needful'st duty,
To the body health and beauty,
Who that's human would refuse it,
When a little water does it?
Credits
Charles Lamb

Charles Lamb

About “Cleanliness (Poteet 2019)” by Charles Lamb

Read the complete lyrics to "Cleanliness (Poteet 2019)" by Charles Lamb. 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 Non-Music.

"Cleanliness (Poteet 2019)" is performed by Charles Lamb. 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 "Cleanliness (Poteet 2019)", explore more songs by Charles Lamb 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 Charles Lamb · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Cleanliness (Poteet 2019)" is credited to Charles Lamb. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

Album information for "Cleanliness (Poteet 2019)" is not available in our database yet. You can still read the full lyrics on this page.

Visit the Charles Lamb artist page at /artist/charles-lamb for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.