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Harmonium Lyrics by Simon Armitage

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The Farrand Chapelette was gathering dust
in the shadowy porch of Marsden Church.
And was due to be bundled off to the skip.
Or was mine, for a song, if I wanted it.

Sunlight, through stained glass, which day to day
could beatify saints and raise the dead,
had aged the harmonium’s softwood case
and yellowed the fingernails of its keys.
And one of its notes had lost its tongue,
and holes were worn in both the treadles
where the organist’s feet, in grey, woollen socks
and leather-soled shoes, had pedalled and pedalled.

But its hummed harmonics still struck a chord:
for a hundred years that organ had stood
by the choristers’ stalls, where father and son,
each in their time, had opened their throats
and gilded finches – like high notes – had streamed out.

Through his own blue cloud of tobacco smog,
with smoker’s fingers and dottled thumbs,
he comes to help me cart it away.
And we carry it flat, laid on its back.
And he, being him, can’t help but say
that the next box I’ll shoulder through this nave
will bear the freight of his own dead weight.
And I, being me, then mouth in reply
some shallow or sorry phrase or word
too starved of breath to make itself heard.
Credits
Simon Armitage

Simon Armitage

About “Harmonium” by Simon Armitage

Read the complete lyrics to "Harmonium" by Simon Armitage. 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.

"Harmonium" is performed by Simon Armitage. 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 "Harmonium", explore more songs by Simon Armitage 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 Simon Armitage · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Harmonium" is credited to Simon Armitage. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

Album information for "Harmonium" is not available in our database yet. You can still read the full lyrics on this page.

Visit the Simon Armitage artist page at /artist/simon-armitage for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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