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Exchanging Hats Lyrics by Elizabeth Bishop

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Unfunny uncles who insist
In trying on a lady's hat
--Oh, even if the joke falls flat
we share your slight transvestite twist
In spite of our embarrassment
Costume and custom are complex
The headgear of the other sex
Inspires us to experiment
Anandrous aunts, who, at the beach
With paper plates upon your laps
Keep putting on the yachtsmen's caps
With exhibitionistic screech
The visors hanging o'er the ear
So that the golden anchors drag
--The tides of fashion never lag
Such caps may not be worn next year
Or you who don the paper plate
Itself, and put some grapes upon it
Or sport the Indian's feather bonnet
--Perversities may aggravate
The natural madness of the hatter
And if the opera hats collapse
And crowns grow draughty, then, perhaps
He thinks what might a miter matter?
Unfunny uncle, you who wore a
Hat too big, or one too many
Tell us, can't you, are there any
Stars inside your black fedora?
Aunt exemplary and slim
With avernal eyes, we wonder
What slow changes they see under
Their vast, shady, turned-down brim
Credits
Elizabeth Bishop

Elizabeth Bishop

About “Exchanging Hats” by Elizabeth Bishop

Read the complete lyrics to "Exchanging Hats" by Elizabeth Bishop. 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, Literature.

"Exchanging Hats" is performed by Elizabeth Bishop. 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 "Exchanging Hats", explore more songs by Elizabeth Bishop 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

"Exchanging Hats" is credited to Elizabeth Bishop. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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