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Prelude: The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: “Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd” Lyrics by Original Broadway Cast of Sweeney Todd

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

1979

[A MAN]
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd
His skin was pale and his eye was odd
He shaved the faces of gentlemen
Who never thereafter were heard of again
He trod a path that few have trod
Did Sweeney Todd
The demon barber of Fleet Street
[ANOTHER MAN]
He kept a shop in London Town
Of fancy clients and good renown
And what if none of their souls were saved?
They went to their maker impeccably shaved
By Sweeney
By Sweeney Todd
The demon barber of Fleet Street
[COMPANY]
Swing your razor wide, Sweeney!
Hold it to the skies!
Freely flows the blood of those
Who moralize!
His needs were few, his room was bare
A lavabo and a fancy chair
A mug of suds and a leather strop
An apron, a towel, a pail and a mop
For neatness he deserved a nod
Did Sweeney Todd
The demon barber of Fleet Street
[WOMEN]
Inconspicuous Sweeney was
Quick and quiet and clean 'e was
Back of his smile, under his word
Sweeney heard music that nobody heard
Sweeney pondered and Sweeney planned
Like a perfect machine 'e planned
[MEN]
Sweeney was smooth, Sweeney was subtle
Sweeney would blink and rats would scuttle
[COMPANY]
Inconspicuous Sweeney was
Quick and quiet and clean 'e was
Like a perfect machine 'e was
Was Sweeney!
Sweeney was smooth, Sweeney was subtle
Sweeney would blink and rats would scuttle
Sweeney! Sweeney! Sweeney!
[SWEENEY TODD]
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd
[COMPANY]
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd
[SWEENEY TODD]
He served a dark and a vengeful god
[COMPANY]
He served a dark and a vengeful god
[SWEENEY TODD]
What happened then, well, that's the play
And he wouldn't want us to give it away
Not Sweeney
[SWEENEY TODD & COMPANY]
Not Sweeney Todd
The demon barber of Fleet Street
Credits
Original Broadway Cast of Sweeney Todd

Original Broadway Cast of Sweeney Todd

About “Prelude: The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: “Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd”” by Original Broadway Cast of Sweeney Todd

Read the complete lyrics to "Prelude: The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: “Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd”" by Original Broadway Cast of Sweeney Todd 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, Orchestral, Intro.

"Prelude: The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: “Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd”" is performed by Original Broadway Cast of Sweeney Todd. 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 "Prelude: The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: “Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd”", explore more songs by Original Broadway Cast of Sweeney Todd 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

"Prelude: The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: “Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd”" is credited to Original Broadway Cast of Sweeney Todd. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Prelude: The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: “Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd”" appears on "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Original Cast Recording)" in 1979.

Visit the Original Broadway Cast of Sweeney Todd artist page at /artist/original-broadway-cast-of-sweeney-todd for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.