Sweet Sweet Viola (mp3 Sample)

Inspired by Twelfth Night

Lyrics

Shipwrecked on Illyria

stranded with the sea-captain

sister of Sebastian,

you think he's in Elysium


But he's rescued by Antonio,

yet another sea-captain

stranded on Illyria

and he's pursued by Duke Orsino.


As an eunuch named Cesario,

you go to Duke Orsino,

unable to expose your love

because he's pining for Olivia, and you're


Sweet, sweet Viola

Sweet sweet sweet Viola

Sweet, sweet Viola

Laying down your love for four hundred years,

Four hundred years of laying down your love.


He sends you as a messenger

to stump the stiff Malvolio,

who is plagued by Feste the jester

and the drunken uncle Toby Belch.


With the help of Sir Andrew Aguecheeck

they lock him in an asylum,

and he appears in yellow stockings

and cross-gartered before Olivia,


who was pining for Cesario

until she found Sebastian.

You win the love of Orsino

the day he learns you're not Cesario, but you're


Sweet, sweet Viola

Sweet sweet sweet Viola

Sweet, sweet Viola

Laying down your love for four hundred years,

Four hundred years of laying down your love.


If music be the food of love,

play on, give me excess of it.

About the Song

This is one of four tracks on the album that were not penned by Shakespeare. "Sweet Sweet Viola" celebrates the complicated plot of Twelfth Night, summarizing the whole play at a breakneck pace.

Jim Fredley wrote the song in the summer of 1998, when he was playing the roles of both the Sea Captain and Antonio in a Shakespeare at Winedale production.

Jim has previously recorded the song with his band "Tenspeed," and it got some radio play on John Aielli's Eklektikos show on Austin radio station KUT. Jim contributed this completely re-imagined version, recorded with The Hackberries, for Palpable Hits.

Track Info

Music and Lyrics by Jim Fredley. (Jim says special thanks to Peter Ermey and Bill Shakespeare.)

Recorded June 2003 at Pocket Change Studios in Austin, Texas. (c) 2000 Jim Fredley. (p) 2003 Water Hole Music. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication, copying, reproduction or broadcasting prohibited.

Performed by The Hackberries:

  • "The King" Con Herrington - Bass
  • Tom Hudson - Drums and percussion
  • Jonathan Meiburg - Accordion
  • Jim Fredley - vocals, other instruments