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Mr. Tanner (Live) Lyrics by Laura Benanti

In Constant Search of the Right Kind of Attention (Live at 54 Below)

2013

Mr. Tanner was a cleaner from a town in the Midwest
And of all the cleaning shops around he'd made his the best
But he also was a baritone who sang while hanging clothes
He practiced scales while pressing tails and sang at local shows
His friends and neighbors praised the voice that poured out from his throat
They said that he should use his gift instead of cleaning coats
But music was his life, it was not his livelihood
And it made him feel so happy and it made him feel so good
And he sang from his heart and he sang from his soul
He did not know how well he sang; it just made him whole
His friends kept working on him to try music out full time
A big debut with rave reviews, a great career to climb
Well, finally they got to him, he would take the fling
A concert agent in New York agreed to have him sing
And there were plane tickets, phone calls, money spent to rent the halls
It took most of his savings but he gladly used them all
'Cause music was his life, it was not his livelihood
And it made him feel so happy and it made him feel so good
And he sang from his heart and he sang from his soul
He did not know how well he sang; it just made him whole
The evening came, he took the stage, his face set in a smile
And in the half filled hall the critics sat watching on the aisle
But the concert was a blur to him, spatters of applause
He did not know how well he sang, he only heard the flaws
But the critics were concise, it only took four lines
And no one could accuse them of being over kind
(spoken)
Mr. Martin Tanner, Baritone, of Dayton, Ohio made his Town Hall debut last night. He came well prepared, but unfortunately his presentation was not up to contemporary professional standards. His voice lacks the range of tonal color necessary to make it consistently interesting. 
(sung)
Full time consideration of another endeavor might be in order
Well, he went home to Dayton and was questioned by his friends
But he smiled and just said nothing and he never sang again
Excepting very late at night when the shop was dark and closed
He sang softly to himself as he sorted through the clothes
'Cause music was his life, it was not his livelihood
And it made him feel so happy and it made him feel so good
And he sang from his heart and he sang from his soul
And he did not know how well he sang; it just made him whole

About “Mr. Tanner (Live)” by Laura Benanti

Read the complete lyrics to "Mr. Tanner (Live)" by Laura Benanti from the album "In Constant Search of the Right Kind of Attention (Live at 54 Below)" in 2013. 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, Live.

"Mr. Tanner (Live)" is performed by Laura Benanti. from the album "In Constant Search of the Right Kind of Attention (Live at 54 Below)" in 2013 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 "Mr. Tanner (Live)", explore more songs by Laura Benanti 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

"Mr. Tanner (Live)" is credited to Laura Benanti. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Mr. Tanner (Live)" appears on "In Constant Search of the Right Kind of Attention (Live at 54 Below)" in 2013.

Visit the Laura Benanti artist page at /artist/laura-benanti for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.