Artificial flowers di Bobby Darin

L’arte della fabbricazione dei fiori artificiali è anche stata spesso associata ad un mestiere povero, come dimostra la drammatica canzone  “Artificial flowers” di Bobby Darin, nome d'arte di Walden Robert Cassotto (1936 – 1973) cantante e attore statunitense di origini italo- americano. Di seguito il testo:

Alone in the world was poor little Anne

As sweet a young child as you'd find

Her parents had gone to their final reward

Leavin' their baby behind

This poor little child was only nine years of age

When mother and dad went away

Still she bravely worked

At the one thing she knew

To earn her few pennies a day

She made artificial flowers, artificial flowers

Flowers for ladies of fashion to wear

She made artificial flowers you know those artificial flowers

Fashions from Annie's despair

With paper and shears with some wire and wax

She made up each tulip and mum

As snowflakes drifted into her tenement room

Her baby little fingers grew numb

From makin' artificial flowers those artificial flowers

Flowers for ladies of high fashion to wear

She made artificial flowers artificial flowers

Made from Annie's despair

They found little Annie all covered in ice

Still clutchin' her poor frozen shears

Amidst all the blossoms she had fashioned by hand

And watered with all her young tears.

There must be a heaven where little Annie can play

In heavenly gardens and bowers

And instea-a-ad of a halo she'll wear 'round her head

A garland of genuine flowers

No more artificial flowers

Throw away those artificial flowers

Flowers for ladies of society to wear

Throw away those artificial flowers

Those dumb-dumb flowers

Fashioned from Annie's despair