| |
|
Lyric Selections
| |
 |
|
|
For a full libretto of the show as it appeared in the original Broadway Production, download the text file here, courtesy of The Collection of Musicals Lyrics and Libretti Online
Who Cares if My Boat Goes Upstream/Where's The Mate For Me?
Music by Jerome Kern, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
RAVENAL
Who cares if my boat goes upstream,
Or if the gale bids me go with the river's flow?
I drift along with my fancy
Sometimes I thank my lucky stars my heart is free -
And other times I wonder where's that mate for me?
The driftwood floating over the sea
Someday finds a sheltering lee,
So, somewhere there surely must be
A harbour meant for me -
I drift along with my fancy -
Sometimes I thank my lucky stars my heart is free,
And other times I wonder where's the mate -
MAGNOLIA
Hello...
Make Believe
Music by Jerome Kern, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
RAVENAL
Only make believe I love you,
Only make believe that you love me.
Others find peace of mind in pretending -
Couldn't you?
Couldn't I?
Couldn't we?
Make believe our lips are blending
In a phantom kiss, or two, or three.
Might as well make believe I love you,
For to tell the truth, I do.
Your pardon I pray,
'Twas too much to say
The words that betray my heart.
MAGNOLIA
We only pretend,
You do not offend
In playing a lover's part.
The game of just supposing
Is the sweetest game I know.
Our dreams are more romantic
Than the world we see
RAVENAL
And if the things we dream about
Don't happen to be so,
That's just an unimportant technicality.
MAGNOLIA
Though the cold and brutal fact is
You and I have never met,
We need not mind convention's P's and Q's.
If we put our thoughts in practice
We can banish all regret
Imagining most anything we choose.
We could make believe I love you,
We could make believe that you love me.
BOTH
Others find peace of mind in pretending,
Couldn't you,
Couldn't I?
Couldn't we?
RAVENAL
Make believe our lips are blending
In a phantom kiss - or two - or three.
BOTH
Might as well make believe I love you,
RAVENAL
For to tell the truth, I do...
Ol' Man River
Music by Jerome Kern, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
JOE
Dere's an ol' man called de Mississippi;
Dat's de ol' man dat I'd like to be!
What does he care if de world's got troubles?
What does he care if de land ain't free?
Ol' Man River,
Dat Ol' Man River
He mus' know sumpin'
But don't say nuthin',
He jes' keeps rollin',
He keeps on rollin' along.
He don' plant taters,
He don' plant cotton,
An' dem dat plants 'em
Is soon forgotten,
But Ol' Man River,
He jes' keeps rollin' along.
You an' me, we sweat an strain,
Body all achin' an' racked wid pain -
Tote dat barge!
Lift dat bale!
Git a little drunk,
An' you land in jail...
Ah gits weary
An' sick of tryin';
Ah'm tired of livin'
An' skeered of dyin',
But Ol' Man River,
He jes' keeps rollin' along.
SLAVE MEN
*Here we* all work on de Mississippi
Here we all work while de white folks play,
Pullin' dem boats from de dawn to sunset,
Gittin' no rest till de Judgement Day.
Don' look up
An' don' look down
You don' dast make
De white boss frown.
Bend your knees
An' bow your head,
An' pull dat rope
Until yo' dead.
JOE
Let me go 'way from the Mississippi
Let me go 'way from de white man boss;
Show me dat stream called de river Jordan,
Dat's de ol' stream dat I long to cross.
MEN
Ol' Man River,
Dat Ol' Man River,
He mus' know sumpin'
But don't say nuthin',
He jes' keeps rollin',
He keeps on rollin' along.
JOE
Long ol' river forever keeps rollin' on...
MEN
He don' plant taters,
He don' plant cotton,
An' dem dat plants 'em
Is soon forgotten,
But Ol' Man River,
He jes' keeps rollin' along.
JOE
Long ol' river keeps hearing dat song.
You an' me, we sweat an' strain,
Body all achin' and racked wid pain -
Tote dat barge!
Lift dat bale!
Git a little drunk
An' you land in jail...
JOE AND MEN
Ah gits weary
An' sick of tryin';
Ah'm tired of livin'
An' skeered of dyin',
But Ol' Man River,
He jes' keeps rollin' along!
*These Lyrics have been changed several times since 1927. The most recent version is reflected here.
Can't Help Lovin' Dat' Man of Mine
Music by Jerome Kern, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
JULIE
Fish got to swim, birds got to fly,
I got to love one man till I die
Can't help lovin' dat man of mine.
Tell me he's lazy, tell me he's slow,
Tell me I'm crazy, maybe I know
Can't help lovin' dat man of mine.
QUEENIE
How come y'all know dat song?
MAGNOLIA
Why? Do you know it, Queenie?
QUEENIE
F'sho' ah does - but ah didn't ever hear anybody but colored folks sing
dat song - sounds funny for Miss Julie to know it -
MAGNOLIA
Why, Julie sings it all the time.
QUEENIE
Kin y'sing de whole thing?
JULIE
'Course I can
What's so funny about that?
(sings)
Oh, listen, sister,
I love my mister man,
And I can't tell yo' why.
Dere ain't no reason
Why I should love dat man -
It mus' be sumpin' dat de angels done plan.
Fish got to swim, birds got to fly,
I got to love one man till I die -
Can't help lovin' dat man of mine.
Tell me he's lazy, tell me he's slow,
Tell me I'm crazy, maybe I know
Can't help lovin' dat man of mine.
When he goes away
Dat's a rainy day,
But when he comes back dat day is fine,
De sun will shine!
He kin come home as late as kin be,
Home widout him ain't no home to me
Can't help lovin' dat man of mine!
Live Upon the Wicked Stage
Music by Jerome Kern, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
ELLIE
Why do stage struck maidens clamor
To be actin' in the drammer?
GIRLS
We've heard say
You are gay
Night and day.
ELLIE
Oh, go 'way!
GIRLS
We drink water from a dipper,
You drink champagne from a slipper.
ELLIE
Tho' it seems Crool to bust
All your dreams,
Still I must;
Here's the truth I tell you:
Life upon the wicked stage
Ain't ever what a girl supposes;
Stage door Johnnies aren't rag-
Ing over you with gems and roses.
When you let a feller hold your hand
which means an extra beer or sandwich
Ev'rybody whispers: "Ain't her life a whirl?"
Though you're warned against a roué
Ruining your reputation,
I have played around
The one night trade around
A great big nation:
Wild old men who give you jewels and sables
Only live in Aesop's Fables.
Life upon the wicked stage
Ain't nothin' for a girl.
GIRLS
Though we've listened to you moan and grieve, you
Must pardon us if we do not believe you,
There is no doubt
You're crazy about
Your awful stage!
ELLIE
I admit it's fun
To smear my face with paint,
Causing ev'ryone
To think I'm what I ain't,
And I like to play a demi-mondy role
With soul!
Ask the hero does he
Like the way I lure
When I play a hussy
Or a paramour,
Yet when once the curtain's down
My life is pure,
And how I dread it!
GIRLS
Life upon the wicked stage
Ain't ever what a girl supposes,
Stage door Johnnies aren't rag-
Ing over you with gems and roses.
ELLIE
If some gentleman would talk with reason
I would cancel all next season.
Life upon the wicked stage
Ain't nothin' for a girl!
GIRLS
You'd be back the season after!
Bill
Music by Jerome Kern, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and P.G. Wodehouse
JULIE
I used to dream that I would discover
The perfect lover someday.
I knew I'd recognize him if ever
He came 'round my way.
I always used to fancy then
He'd be one of the God-like kind of men
With a giant brain and a noble head
Like the heroes bold
In the books I've read.
But along came Bill
Who's not the type at all,
You'd meet him on the street
And never notice him.
His form and face,
His manly grace
Are not the kind that you
Would find in a statue,
And I can't explain,
It's surely not his brain
That makes me thrill -
I love him because he's wonderful,
Because he's just my Bill.
He can't play golf or tennis or polo,
Or sing a solo, or row.
He isn't half as handsome
As dozens of men that I know.
He isn't tall or straight or slim
And he dresses far worse than Ted or Jim.
And I can't explain why he should be
Just the one, one man in the world for me.
He's just my Bill an ordinary man,
He hasn't got a thing that I can brag about.
And yet to be
Upon his knee
So comfy and roomy
Seems natural to me.
Oh, I can't explain,
It's surely not his brain
That makes me thrill -
I love him because he's - I don't know...
Because he's just my Bill.
|
