Have Some Madeira M'Dear

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Have Some Madeira M'Dear

Have Some Madeira M’Dear is a darkly comic song by Michael Flanders (lyrics) and Donald Swann (music). It tells of an older man who invites a young guest to his flat, hoping to win her over with his stamp collection and a glass of Madeira, a fortified wine. She drinks and becomes a little drunk. He offers another glass, which she accepts, but she remembers her dying mother’s warning about red wine and runs away. The next morning she wakes with a hangover and the memory of what happened lingers.

The song is known for clever wordplay, including three famous examples of syllepsis—one word used in two senses at once. Tony Randall recited the poem on The Carol Burnett Show in episode #922, which aired February 21, 1976.