The Sondheim Lyrics Chain

[MartinG]

It's that kind of a neighborhood, [sic]
That kind of a neighborhood.

Fair Brooklyn,
Pride of the port of New York!

(Delinquents would have been much too easy.)

[scenicdesign71]

And the years filled with joy,
And my heart filled with pride
Just to know Ariadne was there at my side.
Then she died...
Being mortal, she died.

[KathyB]

And you know that you're immortal--
And you'll always be remembered--
Even if they never see you--
And you're listening to drivel--
And you're part of your companion--
And your glasses have been stolen--
And you're bored beyond endurance--


[It really is hot up here.]

[scenicdesign71]

I know, honey, you don't agree,
But this is our family tree...
Just wait 'til we're there and you'll see.
Listen to me,
Mama was smart.
Listen to Mama:
Children and art,
Children and art...

[KathyB]

Do your best
(Meaning do your worst),
Let me rest,
And remember, Schubchen,
Women and children / first!

[MartinG]

I have gone to Moscow. It's very gay -
Well, anyway,
On the first of May.
I have seen Rangoon and Soho,
And I like them more than so-so.
But when there's a moon,
Goodbye, Rangoon -
Hello, Montmartre, hello!
Peking has rickshaws, New Orleans jazz.
But ah! Paree!
Beirut has sunshine - that's all it has,
But ah! Paree!
Constantinople has Turkish baths
And Athens that lovely debris.

[scenicdesign71]

Whence comes this melody, constantly flowing?
Is it rejoicing, or merely hullo-ing?
Are you discussing, or fussing,
Or simply dreaming?
Are you crowing?
Are you screaming?

[KathyB]

I found it in a stage direction in Follies. Does that count?

Just posting this to let everyone know I haven't forgotten this game. Now I'm off to scrutinize the Hat books.

[KathyB]

City on fire!
Hunchbacks kissing!
Stirring in the graves
And the screaming of giant winds!
Watch out! Look!
Crawling on the chimneys,
Great black crows screeching at the
City on fire!
City on fire!
City on fire!

[I was thinking of leaving "crow," which would lead us back to where we came from, into a nice little circle.]

[scenicdesign71]

Rain
Gathering,
Winding into streams
Like the roads to Boston.
Your turn.


Faced with an iffy "your turn" (to wit: the spoken scuffle between Czolgosz and Hinckley near the beginning of Assassins: "You, wait your turn! / It is my turn!", probably notated rhythmically in the score, but I don't own a copy to check) -- I instead decided to go with Boston, though I can only find one other instance: a bit of SJS arcana from a short-lived show to which he contributed only a couple of songs which are credited as collaborative efforts, making precise attribution of the "Boston" line difficult).

Even so, the song in question still gets performed often enough in Sondheim-specific contexts (concerts and cabarets, etc.) that I felt it would probably be legit to use in this game, if it really does turn out to be the only other use of the word in SJS's oeuvre.

But it's possible there are others; it's one of those things that's hard to Google, since you end up with pages of search results related to, e.g., local Boston productions of Sondheim shows.

[MartinG]

I think I found it - in "Don't Laugh" from Hot Spot  

Show me the latest dance step,
I'll show you the latest fall.
Show me the train to Boston,
I'll show you St. Paul.
Show me a hundred lighters,
I'll show you the one that won't.
Show me a priceless vase -
No, don't!


Made me smile how the intro is faintly reminiscent of the one for "Love, I Hear". 

[KathyB]

Just when I stopped
Opening doors
Finally knowing the one that I wanted was yours,
Making my entrance again with my usual flair,
Sure of my lines,
No one is there.

Don't you love farce?
My fault, I fear,
I thought that you'd want what I want
Sorry, my dear.
But where are the clowns?

[scenicdesign71]

I hear drums in the air.
I see clowns in the square.
I see marchers marching,
Tossing hats at the sky!

Did you hear?  Did you see?
Was a parade in town?
Were there drums — without me?
Was a parade in town?

'Cause I'm dressed at last,
At my best, and my banners are high!
Tell me, while I was getting ready,
Did a parade go by?

[MartinG]

Did it go by so quickly?
Really, it seems a crime.
But thank you so much
For something between
Ridiculous and sublime.

[scenicdesign71]

This is ridiculous!
What am I doing here?
I'm in the wrong story...