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On A Portrait Of A Deaf Man Lyrics by Sir John Betjeman

Betjeman’s Banana Blush

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The kind old face, the egg-shaped head,
The tie, discreetly loud,
The loosely fitting shooting clothes,
A closely fitting shroud.
He liked old city dining rooms,
Potatoes in their skin,
But now his mouth is wide to let
The London clay come in.
He took me on long silent walks
In country lanes when young.
He knew the names of ev'ry bird
But not the song it sung.
And when he could not hear me speak
He smiled and looked so wise
That now I do not like to think
Of maggots in his eyes.
He liked the rain-washed Cornish air
And smell of ploughed-up soil,
He liked a landscape big and bare
And painted it in oil.
But least of all he liked that place
Which hangs on Highgate Hill
Of soaked Carrara-covered earth
For Londoners to fill.
He would have liked to say goodbye,
Shake hands with many friends,
In Highgate now his finger-bones
Stick through his finger-ends.
You, God, who treat him thus and thus,
Say "Save his soul and pray."
You ask me to believe You and
I only see decay.
Credits
Sir John Betjeman

Sir John Betjeman

About “On A Portrait Of A Deaf Man” by Sir John Betjeman

Read the complete lyrics to "On A Portrait Of A Deaf Man" by Sir John Betjeman from the album "Betjeman’s Banana Blush". 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.

"On A Portrait Of A Deaf Man" is performed by Sir John Betjeman. from the album "Betjeman’s Banana Blush" 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 "On A Portrait Of A Deaf Man", explore more songs by Sir John Betjeman 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

"On A Portrait Of A Deaf Man" is credited to Sir John Betjeman. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"On A Portrait Of A Deaf Man" appears on "Betjeman’s Banana Blush".

Visit the Sir John Betjeman artist page at /artist/sir-john-betjeman for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.