Songs and Lyrics (Lehrer)/Silent E
SILENT E
from The Electric Company
words and music by Tom Lehrer
Who can turn a can into a cane?
Who can turn a pan into a pane?
It's not too hard to see
It's Silent E
Who can turn a cub into a cube?
Who can tum a tub into a tube?
It's elementary
For Silent E
He took a pin and turned it into pine
He took a twin and turned him into twine
Who can turn a cap into a cape?
Who can tum a tap into a tape?
A little glob becomes a globe instantly
If you just add Silent E
He turned a dam - Alikazam! - into a dame
But my friend Sam stayed just the same
Who can turn a man into a mane?
Who can turn a van into a vane?
A little hug becomes huge instantly
Don't add W, don't add X, and don't add Y or Z,
Just add
Silent E
Silent E
(private version)
Silent E,
Silently,
Turns a cap into a cape,
Turns a Jap into a jape,
And just last night
[spoken:]
It turned a simple rap into a rape!
I tell you, bud,
It makes a
dud into a dude.
It'll even make crud
Sound
Crude.
And thanks to silent E, lucky me,
I used to hop, but now I hope,
I used to slop, now I just slope,
And best of all,
My pop is now the Pope!