The Harrowing Lyrics

(In which Burke and Hare master the irredeemable art of procuring the freshest specimens of cadaver by the most nefarious means imaginable)

“'Knowst thou not any, whom corrupting gold
Would tempt unto a close exploit of death?'
'I know a discontented Irishman,
whose humble means match not his haughty mind.
Gold were as good as twenty orators,
and will, no doubt, tempt him to do any thing'” -​ Richard III,​ William Shakespeare

“In Edina town, where your friend you may meet
At morning, in health, walking forth in the street
And, at evening, decoy'd and depriv'd of life
His corpse fresh and warm is laid out for the knife” - ​Edinburgh Broadsheet 1832

Hare: ​The first corpse was mere happenstance
But the second was no accident
The end soon followed pitiably
Choking out curses 'til his life was spent

Dr. Knox: ​Each morrow the kill comes easier
Murder grown precise
Axphyxiated bodies bear testament
To your mastery - of this most deadly device

Dr. Knox: ​A corpse is but a corpse
How they are obtained, is not my concern
So long as they come to my door

Hare: ​With coppers o'er blind eyes, like the one you've turned

Dr. Knox: ​Death is the last fact of life, scrawled out by dissecting knives

Hare: ​As I'm taking your life

Chorus: ​You won't survive the harrowing

Hare: ​So gasp your last breath as you choke, incomprehension, of life's final joke

Dr. Knox: ​At the end of your rope

Chorus: ​Now your hope is narrowing
You won't survive the harrowing

Hare:​ At first I felt revulsion
Which then gave way to fear
Finally came apathy
And at last I came to see things clearly

Dr. Knox: ​A reaver that hunts by gaslight
The stranglehold comes grim and cold
But your wallet filled with notes and coins
Weighs more 'pon you, ​t​hen all of the dead you have sold

Dr. Knox: ​A corpse is but a corpse
How they are obtained, is not my concern
So long as they come to my door

Hare: ​With coppers o'er blind eyes, like the one you've turned

Dr. Knox: ​Death is the last fact of life, scrawled out by dissecting knives

Hare: ​As I'm taking your life

Chorus: ​You won't survive the harrowing

Hare: ​So gasp your last breath as you choke, incomprehension, of life's final joke

Dr. Knox: ​At the end of your rope

Chorus: ​Now your hope is narrowing
Death is overpowering
You won't survive the harrowing

Solo – Michael Burke

Duet – Michael Burke / Matthew Harvey

Dr. Knox: ​Death is the last act of life, post-scripted by dissecting knives

Hare: ​To which I'm giving your life

Chorus: ​You won't survive the harrowing

Hare: ​Gasp your last breath as you choke, incomprehension, of life's final joke

Dr. Knox: ​At the end of your rope

Chorus: ​Now your hope is narrowing
Death is overpowering
Life's but time you're borrowing
You won't survive the harrowing