“Widows Are Wonderful” is a song that gained fame across Britain as part of an exceedingly successful musical called “Yes, Uncle!”, which premiered at London’s Prince of Wales Theatre in December 1917.

One can’t help but marvel at this distinctly British response to the horrors of the war. At the time the tune was being performed, the war had already claimed a staggering number of British lives, and the number of war widows was increasing by the day. Yet, here is a piece of music that, instead of commiserating these women, celebrates their virtues in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. It praises the widow’s matrimonial, romantic, and – by extension – sexual experience in comparison to their virginal, girlish counterparts.

“Widows Are Wonderful” became so widely-known that Elizabeth Bowen included it in her radio programme “A Year I Remember: 1918”, which was broadcast on the BBC Third Programme on 10 March 1949. Nat D. Ayer, who wrote the song, jokingly commented in the 1930s: “I now realize that it depends entirely on the age and income of the widow”.

You can find the lyrics to the song transcribed at the bottom of this post, and you can even listen to a recording of “Widows Are Wonderful” by playing the video below.

If you’d like to read more about war widowhood during and between the world wars, please consider taking a look at our “History” section.

 

“Widows Are Wonderful”

Music by Nat D. Ayer
Lyrics by Clifford Grey

Boys who are fond flirting
Are cautious [?], so they say.
A game they are quite expert in
Is kiss and run away.
Girls who blush and dimple
Are timid as a rose [?]
But the widow’s not so simple
For she always knows.

Widows are wonderful
You must admit they’re wise
They’ve got the eyes
Always hand you some surprise

Widows are marvellous,
They’ve got that kind of way.
If they’re short or tall,
the men are bound to fall, that’s all.

Widows are dangerous,
They’ve had experience.
There’s just so many turtle doves,
Single girls are much to tame,
But a merry little widow knows the game.

She’s beautiful,
She’s marvellous.
It’s the wonderful way she loves.

Some boys go to college,
And some to public school.
They cram themselves with knowledge,
But still they’re mostly fools.
Girls are prepossessing,
They may be sweet and fair,
But a widow keeps you guessing
And she gets right there.

Widows are wonderful
You must admit they’re wise
They’ve got the eyes
Always hand you some surprise
Widows are marvellous,
They’ve got that kind of way.
If they’re short or tall,
the men are bound to fall, that’s all.

Widows are dangerous,
They’ve had experience.
There’s just so many turtle doves,
She’s beautiful,
She’s marvellous.
It’s the wonderful way she loves.