Everyone’s heard of the three musketeers
By the great Alexander Dumas -
And of Aramis, Porthos, and Athos careers
Of bravado and Oo, La, La, La!
But please let me sing you my dears
Of a different three musketeers -

There’s Walter and Mies and Corbu -
Walter and Mies and Corbu -
Boston has Walter, Chicago has Mies
Corbu flits around between Paris and Nice
It’s Walter and Mies and Corbu
A great architectural crew
And if you can endure just pure architecture
Get Walter or Mies or Corbu!

When Walter designed the Bauhaus
Der Adolph said “Ach! was iss laus?”
The Bauhaus at last quickly met its decease
Not a creature was stirring, not even a Mies -
It caused quite a hullaballoo, -
But Adolph thank heaven is through -
So it’s “wie gehts,” how goes it?,
Votre sante and prosit!
To Walter and Mies and Corbu!

Walter and Mies and Corbu
Bade the Beaux Arts sad adieu
“Form follows function, Jawohl!” sprecht der Walt -
Corbu said, “Oui, Oui,” and der Mies said “Gevalt!”
They soon threw the Classics askew -
Most everyone got in the queue -
And built by the mile International style
After Walter and Mies and Corbu.

Walter and Mies and Corbu
Still cause a lot of to-do -
They are widely discussed at effete seminars
And I’ve heard their names bandied about in low bars
There are other good men, it is true -
But between you and me, entrez-nous
When we cry in our beers, the three great musketeers
Are Walter and Mies and Corbu!

One day they will all meet their fates
And enter thru Saint Peter’s gates -
Who will get the commission for the re-design
And over all planning for Cloud Number Nine?
When Walter and Mies and Corbu
Compete at their last rendevous
Will it be Frank Lloyd Wright or
McKim, Mead and White,
Or Walter or Mies or Corbu?