pippin
...S OCCUR WE WON'T HAVE JUST A VICTORY WE'LL HAVE OURSELVES A MASSACRE AND THEN, AND THEN, AND GENTLEMEN, AND THEN... PIPPIN AND THEN THE MEN GO MARCHING OUT INTO THE FRAY CONQUERING THE ENEMY AND CARRYING THE DAY HARK! THE BLOOD IS POUNDING IN OUR EARS JUBILATIONS! WE CAN HEAR A GRATEFUL NATION'S... CHARLES Pippin...! PIPPIN I'm sorry, Father. It won't happen again. CHARLES (Looks at PIPPIN and shakes his head) In conclusion, gentlemen... NOW LISTEN TO ME CLOSELY, I'LL ENDEAVOR TO EXPLAIN WHAT SEPARATES A CHARLATAN FROM A CHARLEMAGNE A RULE CONFESSED BY GENERALS ILLUSTRIOUS AND VARIOUS THOUGH POMPOUS AS A POMPEY OR DARING AS A DARIUS A SIMPLE RULE THAT EVERY GREAT MAN LEARNS BY HEART IT'S SMARTER TO BE LUCKY THAN IT'S LUCKY TO BE SMART. AND IF THE FATES FEEL FRIVOLOUS AND ALL OUR PLANS THEY SMOTHER WELL SUPPOSE THIS WAR DOES SHRIVEL US THERE'LL ALWAYS BE ANOTHER! AND THEN... ALL AND THEN... CHARLES AND GENTLEMEN, AND THEN... Now...gentlemen...now! SOLDIERS (The SOLDIERS rise from the benches with swords in hand, and the music changes to a softshoe which the SOLDIERS proceed to do as they sing) AND THEN THE MEN GO MARCHING OUT INTO THE FRAY CONQUERING THE ENEMY AND CARRYING THE DAY HARK! THE BLOOD IS POUNDING IN OUR EARS JUBILATIONS! WE CAN HEAR A GRATEFUL NATION'S CHEERS! Glory Back to the Song List LEADING PLAYER BATTLES, BARBAROUS AND BLOODY GLORY! GLORY! GLORY! GLORY! PRAISE BE TO CHARLES OUR LORD TRIUMPHANT IS HIS SWORD ALLEGIANCE IS HIS WORD GLORY! GLORY! GLORY! GLORY! BLOOD! BLOOD IS RED AS SUNSET BLOOD IS WARMER THAN WINE THE TASTE OF SALTY SUMMER BRINE STEEL! ALL STEEL IS COLD AS MOONLIGHT STEEL IS SHARPER THAN SIGHT SHARPER THAN SIGHT THE TOUCH OF BITTER WINTER WHITE SOLDIERS SHOUT IT OUT FROM THE HIGHEST TOWER SHOUT IT OUT IN THE DARKEST HOUR CHARLEMAGNE, YOU LEAD US ON TO ALL POWER! LEADING PLAYER / SOLDIERS WAR IS STRICT AS JESUS WAR WAR IT'S FINER THAN SPRING WAR LEADING PLAYER AND TWO SOLDIERS SERVICE TO CHRIST AND TO OUR ALL KING. SHOUT IT OUT FROM THE HIGHEST TOWER SHOUT IT OUT IN THE DARKEST HOUR CHARLEMAGNE, YOU LEAD US ON TO POWER... (The LEADING PLAYER and TWO SOLDIERS do a dance behind which killings are taking place in limbo. ) LEADING PLAYER (When the dance is at an end) WAR IS STRICT AS JESUS WAR IS FINER THAN SPRING Oh, you ain't seen nuthin' yet! ALL THE GATES OF HEAVEN AWAIT THROWN WIDE BY CHARLES THE GREAT WE FOLLOW HIM THROUGH BY SERVING HIS STATE GLORY! GLORY! GLORY! GLORY! Glory! Simple Joys Back to the Song List LEADING PLAYER WELL, I'LL SING YOU THE STORY OF A SORROWFUL LAD HAD EVERYTHING HE WANTED, DIDN'T WANT WHAT HE HAD HE HAD WEALTH AND PELF AND FAME AND NAME AND ALL OF THAT NOISE BUT HE DIDN'T HAVE NONE OF THOSE SIMPLE JOYS HIS LIFE SEEMED PURPOSELESS AND FLAT AREN'T YOU GLAD YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT? SO HE RAN FROM ALL THE DEEDS HE'D DONE, HE RAN FROM THINGS HE'D JUST BEGUN HE RAN FROM HIMSELF, WHICH IS MIGHTY FAR TO RUN OUT INTO THE COUNTRY WHERE HE PLAYED AS A BOY HE KNEW HE HAD TO FIND HIM SOME SIMPLE JOYS HE WANTED SOMEPLACE WARM AND GREEN WE ALL COULD USE A CHANGE OF SCENE SWEET SUMMER EVENINGS, HOT WINE AND BREAD SHARING YOUR SUPPER, SHARING YOUR BED SIMPLE JOYS HAVE A SIMPLE VOICE: IT SAYS WHY NOT GO AHEAD? WOULDN'T YOU RATHER BE A LEFT-HANDED FLEA OR A CRAB ON A SLAB ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA THAN A MAN WHO NEVER LEARNS HOW TO BE FREE NOT TILL HE'S COLD AND DEAD. (spoken) Enter ... Berthe. Pippin's grandmother; warm, strong... BERTHE Still attractive... LEADING PLAYER Still attractive. Charlemagne's mother ... Now living in the country where she enjoys those... (sings) SWEET SUMMER EVENINGS, SAPPHIRE SKIES FEASTING HER BELLY FEASTING HER EYES SIMPLE JOYS HAVE A SIMPLE VOICE IT SAYS TIME'S LIVING'S PRIZE AND WOULDN'T YOU RATHER BE A LEFT-HANDED FLEA A CRAB ON A SLAB ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA A NEWT ON THE ROOT OF A BANYAN TREE OR A FIG ON A TWIG IN GALILEE THAN A MAN WHO NEVER LEARNS HOW TO BE FREE NOT TILL THE DAY NOT TILL THE DAY NOT TILL THE DAY NOT TILL THE DAY HE DIES! NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA ... No Time At All Back to the Song List BERTHE WHEN YOU ARE AS OLD AS I, MY DEAR AND I HOPE THAT YOU NEVER ARE YOU WILL WOEFULLY WONDER WHY, MY DEAR THROUGH YOUR CATARACTS AND CATARRH YOU COULD SQUANDER AWAY OR SEQUESTER A DROP OF A PRECIOUS YEAR FOR WHEN YOUR BEST DAYS ARE YESTER THE REST 'ER TWICE AS DEAR... WHAT GOOD IS A FIELD ON A FINE SUMMER NIGHT IF YOU SIT ALL ALONE WITH THE WEEDS? OR A SUCCULENT PEAR IF WITH EACH JUICY BITE YOU SPIT OUT YOUR TEETH WITH THE SEEDS? BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE STOP TRYING TO WAIT FOR FORTUNE AND FATE YOU'RE SECURE OF FOR THERE'S ONE THING TO BE SURE OF, MATE: THERE'S NOTHING TO BE SURE OF. (PIPPIN jumps to his feet) PIPPIN But Grandma, it's time that I'm worried about. BERTHE Now you sit down. And don't say anything until I'm finished. I've got three more choruses to do. But you can all join in with me if you wish... (To audience) And that goes for all of you out there, too. But just the choruses, the verses are all mine. (Sings) I'VE NEVER WONDERED IF I WAS AFRAID WHEN THERE WAS A CHALLENGE TO TAKE I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT HOW MUCH I WEIGHED WHEN THERE WAS STILL ONE PIECE OF CAKE MAYBE IT'S MEANT THE HOURS I'VE SPENT FEELING BROKEN AND BENT AND UNWELL BUT THERE'S STILL NO CURE SO HEAVEN-SENT AS THE CHANCE TO RAISE SOME HELL. (The BOYS join her. A song sheet is lowered behind her, and the words of the song are delineated by a bouncing ball of light) Everybody... ALL OH, IT'S TIME TO START LIVIN' TIME TO TAKE A LITTLE FROM THIS WORLD WE'RE GIVEN TIME TO TAKE TIME, CAUSE SPRING WILL TURN TO FALL IN JUST NO TIME AT ALL BERTHE Verse! NOW WHEN THE DREARIES DO ATTACK AND A SIEGE OF THE SADS BEGINS I THROW THESE REGAL SHOULDERS BACK AND LIFT THESE NOBLE CHINS GIVE ME A MAN WHO IS HANDSOME AND STRONG SOMEONE WHO'S STALWART AND STEADY GIVE ME A NIGHT THAT'S ROMANTIC AND LONG THEN GIVE ME A MONTH TO GET READY NOW I COULD WAYLAY SOME AGING ROUE AND PERSUADE HIM TO PLAY IN SOME CRANNY BUT IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE I'M BEING LED ASTRAY BY A MAN WHO CALLS ME GRANNY (Spoken) One more time! Come on boys! And this time let's hear it from everybody! One! Two! Three! Four! ALL OH, IT'S TIME TO START LIVIN' (BERTHE encourages the audience to sing along. SHE shouts "Everybody") TIME TO TAKE A LITTLE FROM THIS WORLD WE'RE GIVEN TIME TO TAKE TIME, CAUSE SPRING WILL TURN TO FALL IN JUST NO TIME AT ALL. BERTHE Come on! You ought to know it by now! ALL OH, IT'S TIME TO START LIVIN' TIME TO TAKE A LITTLE FROM THIS WORLD WE'RE GIVEN TIME TO TAKE TIME, CAUSE SPRING WILL TURN TO FALL IN JUST NO TIME AT ALL. BERTHE Out! Out! SAGES TWEET THAT AGE IS SWEET GOOD DEEDS AND GOOD WORK EARN YOU LAURELS BUT WHAT COULD MAKE YOU FEEL MORE OBSOLETE THAN BEING NOTED FOR YOUR MORALS? HERE IS A SECRET I NEVER HAVE TOLD MAYBE YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY I BELIEVE IF I REFUSE TO GROW OLD I CAN STAY YOUNG TILL I DIE NOW I'VE KNOWN THE FEARS OF SIXTY-SIX YEARS I'VE HAD TROUBLES AND TEARS BY THE SCORE BUT THE ONLY THING I'D TRADE THEM FOR IS SIXTY-SEVEN MORE... ALL OH, IT'S TIME TO START... BERTHE (Stopping the BOYS and audience from singing) Aaaah! (To the man in the light booth controlling the bouncing ball) And you up there...out! (The arc goes out) Now let me take this one all by myself, all right? (The BOYS join BERTHE--making a chair for her with their arms. THEY lift her up. SHE sings.) OH, IT'S TIME TO KEEP LIVIN' TIME TO KEEP TAKIN' FROM THIS WORLD I'M GIVEN YOU ARE MY TIME, SO I'LL THROW OFF MY SHAWL AND WATCHING YOUR FLINGS BE FLUNG ALL OVER MAKES ME FEEL YOUNG ALL OVER BERTHE AND BOYS IN JUST NO TIME AT ALL... (The BOYS carry BERTHE offstage and SHE shouts to PIPPIN) BERTHE Remember that, Pippin! With You Back to the Song List PIPPIN MY DAYS ARE BRIGHTER THAN MORNING AIR EVERGREEN PINE AND AUTUMN BLUE BUT ALL MY DAYS WERE TWICE AS FAIR IF I COULD SHARE MY DAYS WITH YOU MY NIGHTS ARE WARMER THAN FIRECOALS INCENSE AND STARS AND SMOKE BAMBOO BUT NIGHTS WERE WARM BEYOND COMPARE IF I COULD SHARE MY NIGHTS WITH YOU TO DANCE IN MY DREAMS TO SHINE WHEN I NEED THE SUN WITH YOU TO HOLD ME WHEN DREAMS ARE DONE AND OH... MY DEAREST LOVE IF YOU WILL TAKE MY LOVE THEN ALL MY DREAMS ARE TRULY BEGUN AND TIME WEAVES RIBBONS OF MEMORY TO SWEETEN LIFE WHEN YOUTH IS THROUGH BUT I WOULD NEED NO MEMORIES THERE IF I COULD SHARE MY LIFE WITH YOU. Spread a Little Sunshine Back to the Song List FASTRADA BACK IN MY YOUNGER DAYS, IF THINGS WERE GOING WRONG I MIGHT SULK, I MIGHT POUT NOW I'VE LEARNED IF I JUST PITCH IN AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT THINGS WILL ALWAYS WORK OUT AND IF WE ALL COULD SPREAD A LITTLE SUNSHINE ALL COULD LIGHT A LITTLE FIRE WE ALL WOULD BE A LITTLE CLOSER TO OUR HEART'S DESIRE LORD KNOWS WE'VE SEEN ENOUGH TROUBLES ALREADY, WE'VE HAD OUR FILL OF GREY SKIES SO PUT DOWN THE VINEGAR, TAKE UP THE HONEY JAR YOU'LL CATCH MANY MORE FLIES AND IF WE ALL COULD SPREAD A LITTLE SUNSHINE ALL COULD THINK BEFORE WE STRIKE WE ALL WOULD BE A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE WORLD WE'D LIKE I KNOW THE PARABLES TOLD IN THE HOLY BOOK I KEEP CLOSE ON MY SHELF GOD'S WISDOM TEACHES ME WHEN I HELP OTHERS, I'M REALLY HELPING MYSELF AND IF WE ALL COULD SPREAD A LITTLE SUNSHINE ALL COULD LEND A HELPING HAND WE ALL WOULD BE A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE PROMISED LAND. CLOSER, CLOSER, CLOSER, CLOSER CLOSER, CLOSER, CLOSER, CLOSER. AND IF WE ALL COULD SPREAD A LITTLE SUNSHINE ALL COULD LEND A HELPING HAND WE ALL WOULD BE A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE PROMISED LAND DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO... Morning Glow Back to the Song List PIPPIN MORNING GLOW, MORNING GLOW STARTS TO GLIMMER WHEN YOU KNOW WINDS OF CHANGE ARE SET TO BLOW AND SWEEP THIS WHOLE LAND THROUGH MORNING GLOW IS LONG PAST DUE PIPPIN / ALL MORNING GLOW FILL THE EARTH AH COME AND SHINE FOR ALL YOUR WORTH WE'LL BE PRESENT AT THE BIRTH OF OLD FAITH LOOKING NEW MORNING GLOW IS LONG PAST DUE ALL OH, MORNING GLOW, I'D LIKE TO HELP YOU GROW PIPPIN / ALL WE SHOULD HAVE STARTED LONG AGO AH PIPPIN AND ALL SO, MORNING GLOW ALL DAY LONG WHILE WE SING TOMORROW'S SONG NEVER KNEW WE COULD BE SO STRONG BUT NOW IT'S VERY CLEAR PIPPIN MORNING GLOW IS ALMOST HERE MORNING GLOW BY YOUR LIGHT WE CAN MAKE A NEW DAY BRIGHT AND THE PHANTOMS OF THE NIGHT WILL FADE INTO THE PAST MORNING GLOW IS HERE PIPPIN AND ALL AT LAST On the Right Track Back to the Song List LEADING PLAYER YOU LOOK FRENZIED, YOU LOOK FRAZZLED PIQUED AS ANY ALP FLUSHED AND RUSHED AND RAZZLE-DAZZLED DRY YOUR LIPS, DAMP YOUR SCALP NOW I CAN SEE YOU'RE IN A RUT IN DISARRAY AND I'M NOT ONE TO BUTT IN BUT IN FACT I MUST SAY IF YOU'D TAKE IT EASY, TRUST AWHILE DON'T LOOK BLUE, DON'T LOOK BACK YOU'LL PULL THROUGH IN JUST AWHILE 'CAUSE YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK PIPPIN / LEADING PLAYER ON THE RIGHT TRACK UH HU HU HU ON THE RIGHT TRACK TAKE IT EASY, SONNY ON THE RIGHT TRACK TAKE IT EASY, SONNY ON THE RIGHT TRACK TAKE IT EASY LEADING PLAYER WHY BE FLURRIED PIPPIN FLUSTERED LEADING PLAYER KEEP THOSE PIPPIN HOPES ALOFT LEADING PLAYER KEEP COOL AS CUSTARD PIPPIN TRYING HARD LEADING PLAYER STEPPING SOFT BOTH THERE'S NO TRICK TO STAYING SENSIBLE DESPITE EACH CUL-DE-SAC 'CAUSE EACH STEP'S INDISPENSABLE WHEN YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK PIPPIN / LEADING PLAYER ON THE RIGHT TRACK UH HU HU HU ON THE RIGHT TRACK TAKE IT EASY, SONNY ON THE RIGHT TRACK TAKE IT EASY, SONNY ON THE RIGHT TRACK TAKE IT EASY LEADING PLAYER MANY WHEN THINGS GET DANK WILL FEEL THEIR GRIP GO WE STAY TRANQUIL, SPIRITS HIGH, PULSES LOW PIPPIN BUT! WHAT I'VE LEFT BEHIND LOOKS TRIFLING WHAT'S AHEAD LOOKS BLACK AM I DOOMED TO SPEND MY LIFE A-LINGERING ON LEADING PLAYER LINGERING ON PIPPIN JUST LINGERING ON BOTH MALINGERING ON THE RIGHT PIPPIN Oh, I'll never find it ...never ...never ...never ...never! Shit! LEADING PLAYER Easy... YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK! There He Was Back to the Song List CATHERINE When I first saw Pippin he was lying in the road like a discarded rag. I would have passed him by. (Sings) PERHAPS I SHOULD HAVE PASSED HIM BY BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT HIS FOOT YES ... IT WAS THE ARCH OF HIS FOOT THAT CAUGHT MY EYE (Spoken) What I did was merely an act of Christian charity. After all, I had no idea that this discarded rag would clean up so well. THERE HE WAS HE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE HE WAS AND HE LOOKED SO LOST AND EXHAUSTED YOU'D ALMOST SWEAR HE WAS DEAD SO I SAID: PICK HIM UP, PUT HIM TO BED SEE THAT HE'S BATHED AND CLOTHED AND FED AS I SAID, HOW COULD I FORTELL THAT HE'D CLEAN UP, OH, SO VERY WELL IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN I RAISED MY EYES AND THERE HE WAS Kind of Woman Back to the Song List CATHERINE I'M YOUR AVERAGE ORDINARY KIND OF WOMAN COMPETENT AND NEAT MAKING LIFE A TREAT OTHERS AS NICE YOU MEET OFTEN I KNOW AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE EVERY DECADE OR SO I'M YOUR EVERYDAY, CUSTOMARY KIND OF WOMAN PRACTICAL AS SALT MODEST TO A FAULT CONSERVATIVE WITH A BUDGET LIBERAL WITH A MEAL JUST YOUR AVERAGE IDEAL MY TELLING YOU THIS MAY SEEM SUDDEN AND STRANGE IT MAY NOT INTEREST YOU MUCH AT ALL RIGHT NOW BUT THINGS CHANGE THINGS CHANGE STILL I'LL UNDERSTAND IF I'M NOT YOUR KIND OF WOMAN ANYONE CAN MAKE ONE TERRIBLE MISTAKE BUT I'VE NO SPECIAL GLAMOUR NO BAIT I CAN TWIRL FOR I'M JUST A PLAIN, EVERYDAY COMMONPLACE, COME-WHAT-MAY AVERAGE, ORDINARY WONDERFUL GIRL! Extraordinary Back to the Song List PIPPIN PATCHING THE ROOF AND PITCHING THE HAY IS NOT MY IDEA OF A PERFECT DAY WHEN YOU'RE EXTRAORDINARY YOU GOTTA DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS I'M NOT THE TYPE WHO LOSES SLEEP OVER THE SIZE OF THE COMPOST HEAP WHEN YOU'RE EXTRAOR...