MusicSmiles.com
The Worlds of Gilbert and Sullivan

This is Dancing Sunbeam's lovely song from The Rose of Persia. As Hassan's first and oldest wife, she is somewhat perplexed by his obsession with entertaining all and sundry (the 'wrong sorts'). She fully expected to enter into Society as the first wife of such a rich and important man. It seemed it was not to be . . .

O Golden Key
(O Life has put into my Hand)

O life has put into my hand his bunch of keys,
And said, "with these do ought you please!
But one door only, understand, is not for you,
Societee!
The key of gold will open wide that doorway;
But recollect that one way is not your way!"
So, like a peri at the gate of fashion land
I have to stand the sport of tantalizing fate!
The sport of tantalizing fate!

O golden key, that openest ev'ry doorway,
How glad my song of life would be
Could I make use of thee,
O golden key!
How glad my song of life would be
Could I make use of thee,
Could I make use of thee,
O golden key!
How changed my life and song!

It has a bouncy (dancing) type rhythm, and its halfway switch from B minor to B major gives it touchingly happy sound. It contains a soupçon of philosophical thinking, but it is tinged throughout with Sunbeam's disappointment at her frustrated ambitions. 

Feel free to have a little dance with Arthur, Basil, and of course Dancing Sunbeam . . !

Now to join Rose-in-bloom in her vocal pyrotechnics: 'Neath My Lattice

( Click number to view statistics > > >). Scribe thanks all our  223,547 MusicSmiles visitors up to beginning of September, 2010. 

You may find our special effects work best with Microsoft Internet Explorer