The Sondheim Lyrics Chain

[KathyB]

You've been a preacher--
  Yes, I have!
You've been an author--
  Yes, I have!
You've been a killer--
  Yes, I have!
You could be an angel--
  Yes, I could!



I'm listening to this song right now from Anthony De Mare's Liaisons: Reimagining Sondheim from the Piano. An insanely good recording.

[scenicdesign71]

If only angels could prevail,
We'd be the way we were.


I've always assumed that this game works far better with Sondheim than it would with any other lyricist, at least in terms of challenge and variety.  That's because I've always assumed he uses a significantly broader vocabulary, which might partly be related to his aversion to "extractable hits," instead tailoring each song to character and dramatic circumstance with uncompromising specificity.  (This is a randomly broad observation, apropos of nothing in particular.  But, just to link it loosely to the two lines above, Sweeney is written with far more attention to "period" diction — or at least to Sondheim, Wheeler and Bond's version thereof — than just about any other musical I can think of; the show's first three words, "attend the tale," place us in some fairly remote past, and for almost the next three hours, the slightly archaic word-choice and syntax never go away entirely, nor do they ever devolve into any insipid, Hollywoodish version of "olde-timey" language).

But I say I "assume" SJS's vocabulary is broader because, notwithstanding the many, many specific instances one could cite, I'm curious about the actual numbers.  How many of his more-exotic words are one-offs within his entire body of work ("ameliorate")?  How many are unique to him (e.g., had the word "cupola" ever, in the nearly 500 years since it entered the English language, been set to music prior to Bounce)?  And, in terms of overall breadth, how would a complete concordance of Sondheim's lyrics compare to one of, say, Jerry Herman's?  Again, I'm guessing it would contain "significantly" more entries — but just how significantly?  Is Sondheim's vocabulary as much as twice the size of Herman's?  or even more??  How about Sheldon Harnick's?  Or Fred Ebb's?  Would the actual numbers prove Sondheim to be the wordiest B'way lyricist, in terms of the sheer quantity of words he's written — or of the average word-length of his songs — and, if so, should that be factored into any attempt to quantify their variety?  Such a concordance might make this game a lot less fun to play, but it would still be fascinating to peruse.

To return to the current target-word, prevail isn't terribly exotic, but it's not super-commonplace, either; still, SJS uses it at least twice that I know of.

[KathyB]

I thought this would take a bit longer to find, but I had the libretto sitting out (being too lazy to put it away).

Don't be scared
You won't prevail,
Everybody's
Free to fail,
No one can be put in jail
For his dreams.


[When this lyric is repeated later in the show, it's "for their dreams," which is how I remember the lyric, but the libretto says "his dreams" when Booth originally sings it. (Assassins, Sondheim & Weidman, Theatre Communications Group, 1991, page 12). None of this affects the target word.] 

[scenicdesign71]

So, old friends.
Now it's time to start growing up:
Taking charge, seeing things as they are.
Facing facts, not escaping them.
Still with dreams — just reshaping them.
Growing up...

Charley is a hothead, Charley won't budge.
Charley is a friend...

Charley is a screamer, Charley won't bend!
Charley's in your corner.

Mary is a dreamer.  Mary's a friend...
Mary is a nudge.

Mary is a purist, Charley's a judge.
Charley is a dropout.  Everything's a "copout"!
Why is it old friends don't want old friends to change?

Every road has a turning,
That's the way you keep learning...

[KathyB]

Too many mornings,
Wishing that the room might be filled with you,
Morning to morning,
Turning into days.
All the days
That I thought would never end,
All the nights with another day to spend

[scenicdesign71]

I keep thinking,
Such a fine beginning,
Such a lovely evening we could spend.

Such a fine beginning,
I keep thinking
More about the end.



There are several possible choices using this target phrase — but, if I'm honest, I'm kinda fishing for the most recent instance, just to introduce SJS's youngest offspring into this game.

[KathyB]

Guess what showed up at my door today? Guess what I spent the last 75 minutes listening to! 

Once the revolution is up and humming,
That'll be the end of the world,
Your world.
The world of private jets and screening rooms,
And hundred-thousand-bucks-an-ounce designer perfumes,

[scenicdesign71]

Yay!    Hope you're enjoying it.

From last to first:


Here come the Jets like a bat outta hell:
Someone gets in our way, someone don't feel so well.
Here come the Jets — little world, step aside!
Better go underground, better run, better hide.

[KathyB]

I went through Here We Are, thinking that would be a good place to find the word, but didn't find it. Then I had a brainstorm and though it had to be in The Frogs, but no luck. Now I'm waiting for inspiration to strike again. 

Any chance of a hint?

underground

[scenicdesign71]

Your brainstorm was right on track, but the studio recording will be more helpful than the OBCR.

underground

[KathyB]

Thanks! Although I listen to the studio cast more, I figured there were more songs specifically about what's happening underground on the OBC, and Finishing the Hat has mostly lyrics from the 2004 Broadway version.

So I finally tracked it down in the lyric booklet of the studio cast recording:

The time is always right and fitting
When you pour another round,
Because it's nighttime unremitting
When you're sitting underground.
What with the dancing and the eating
And the laughing and the drinking,
There's no problem in retreating
From the awkwardness of thinking,
Plus that ever present smidgen of dread
Down here among the dead!

[scenicdesign71]

Scarcely a month ago, gentlemen,
I was struck with a horrible dermatologic disease.
Though the finest physicians in London were called,
I awakened one morning amazed and appalled
To discover with dread that my head was as bald
As a novice's knees.

[KathyB]

Pretty lady, look, I'm on my knees,
Pretty please.

Pretty lady in the pretty garden, wont'cher stay?

Pretty lady, we got leave and we got paid today.

Pretty lady with a flower,

Give a lonely sailor half an hour!

Pretty lady in the pretty garden, wont'cher stay?

Pretty lady in the pretty garden, wont'cher stay?

Pretty lady in the pretty garden, wont'cher stay?

Why can'tcher stay?

I sailed the world for you!

Don't go away.

[Leighton]

Let me see the world with clouds
Take me to the world
Out where I can push through crowds
Take me to the world

[scenicdesign71]

...Or they find each other in the crowded streets and the guarded parks;
By the rusty fountains and the dusty trees with the battered barks...