This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Kick him when he’s down
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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Kick him when he’s down by Thomas Martin Towne — Lyrics
When the sun of prosperity’s shining,
And a man’s growing richer each day,
When in ease and contentment reclining,
And a golden success crowns his way,
How friends will then flock round about him,
But if fortune should happen to frown
O how quickly he’ll get the cold shoulder
And be kicked just because he is down.
Let a man get position or riches,
Matters not if by intrigue or fraud,
See! the world nods approvingly at him,
And his acts it will loudly applaud,
What though he may be a great villain!
With the simple, the wise and the clown,
While he’s up, he’s a tiptop good fellow,
But they’ll kick him if ever he’s down.
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About Kick him when he’s down
This witty and sardonic SATB part-song offers a cynical commentary on human nature and social climbing. Thomas Martin Towne’s setting of the English text explores the fickle nature of fair-weather friends, who readily flock to those in prosperity but quickly abandon them when fortune turns. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of how success, regardless of its moral underpinnings, garners approval, while failure brings harsh judgment. Its secular nature and observational humor make it suitable for lighter concert programmes, offering a chance for both musical expression and thought-provoking social critique.
