Bliss' Character Songs
"The Professor at Home" (1873)
A comical character-istic Quartette.
  The Professor, ------- Base.
  Tax Collector, ------ Tenor.
  Prima Donna, ------ Soprano.
  Domestic,(Annie) ----  Alto.
Words and Music by
P. P. Bliss.

[The Professor, seated.]
How sweet, how calm,
My own dear home to me,
No cloud no storm,
All peace and harmony.
A song of joy,
A song of you, ha, ha,
[Enter Tax collector interrupting.]
Beg pardon, sir, I called to say,
You have a little tax to pay;
Be calm, dear sir, pray do not frown,
[Presenting papers]
Here's State tax, School tax, County, town;
[Professor.(politely.)]
Very well, please call again, now do
Perhaps within a week or two.
[Professor and Tax Collector.]
I will not call again on you,
(Very well, please call again, now do,)
I've waited now a week or two.
(Perhaps within a week or two.)
[Enter, Prima Donna]
By your appointment, sir, I'm here
To sing with you although I fear
"Te sol quest an i ma" will be
Quite out of time with what I hear!
[Professor]
Ah, charming Miss, be seated, please,
I sing my part with greatest ease.

[Prima Donna and Professor]
[P.D.] 
Ah charming Sir, don't flatter, please,
I sing my part with greatest ease.
[Pro.]
Ah charming Miss, be seated, please,
I sing my part with greatest ease.
[P.D.]
Te sol Te sol quest anima
No, no! No, no!
[Pro.]
Tee sol Tee solequest annimay
anni an-ni

[Enter, Domestic Annie, bringing
cup and saucer, napkin &c, on a tray.
[(To the professor)]
Ah shure an I thot that ye'd not want your tay,
Till the lady and gintleman had gone away,
[(To prima donna)]
But ah, he's a woonderful jay-ni-ous mum,
An when he calls "Annie" of coorse I must coom.
[Professor to Anna, ernestly.]
Avaunt, I did not call for you,
[Professor, to Prima Donna, tenderly.]
Miss, shall we our are pursue?

[P.D.]
Te sol Te sol quest an-i-ma.
[Pro.]
Te sol Te sol quest an-i-ma.
[T.C.]
Here's State tax, School tax, let me see,
[(With pencil and paper)]
The whole amount will be, will be

[overlappng voices]

[P.D.]
Te sol
Te sol quest anima parlarame amore
Te sol,
Te sol quest anima,
anima,
anima, anima,
parlarame, te sol quest anima,
Parlarme,
Anima
Parlarme an i ma.

[Annie]
"Tay," "Tay," both-er-a-tion take your tay,
what did ye call for a-ny way?
Tay, indeed mum here it is,
what are ye sayin now?
whilst yer blarn-ey thin mum,
Call-in me "An-nie ma."
Take your tay, take your tay,
Did ye hear the cra zy critter, Call me "Annie me,"
Take yer tay,
sure I'm not a "An-nie-ma,"
Sure I'm not "An-nie-ma."

[T.C.]
State tax, School tax, Count-y town;
"Pay to-day and I'll trust to mor-row."
State tax, School tax, Count-y town;
Troub-le saved-by pay-ing down.
State tax, School tax, Count-y town;
Troub-le saved-by pay-ing down.
State tax, School tax, Count-y town.

[Pro.]
"Oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness."
"O for a home beside the sea!"
[To Annie.]
No, no, no, no, I did not call,
Go, go, go! Avaunt, Avaunt!
Go, go, trouble, go away,
[To Prima Donna.]
Tay sole quest a-ni-ma,
An-i, an-i, an-i-ma,
an-i, an-i-ma, an-i-ma, an-i-ma.