1946


The Commonplace

Composed by Ernst Bacon
Text by Walt Whitman
"The Commonplace" is a song by Ernst Bacon published in 1946. The song sets the text of Walt Whitman.

Text

The Commonplace
by Walt Whitman

The commonplace I sing;
How cheap is health! how cheap nobility!
Abstinence, no falsehood, no gluttony, lust;
The open air I sing, freedom, toleration,
(Take here the mainest lesson — less from books — less from the schools,)
The common day and night — the common earth and waters,
Your farm — your work, trade, occupation,
The democratic wisdom underneath, like solid ground for all.