Get all 11 Brendan Milburn releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of When It's Right, The Future Of Us: OST, stop me if you've heard this one before (262 songs, vol.9), Songs For The End Of The World (262 songs, vol.8), Don't Get Too Comfortable (262 songs, vol. 7), 24 Hours A Day Until Further Notice (262 songs, vol. 6), Beautiful Poison demos (262 songs, vol. 5), once more, with feeling (262 songs, vol. 4), and 3 more.
1. |
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Follow your winding road
as it turns with the riverbend.
Follow your winding road,
follow it all the way to the end
see how the river twists and turns
on its long, long way back to the sea
so on your winding road, you may not know the way,
but you'll get back where you ought to be.
Follow your winding road
over the top of the mountain so steep
follow your winding road
down through the valley, so dark and so deep
there'll come a day not long from now
when you will lay down your wearisome load
just as the river flows to the sea,
you will come to the end of your winding road.
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2. |
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Here's the setup:
John Conti, aging rock star with one big hit to his name from twenty years ago, is in New Orleans for a two-week acoustic gig at a club in the French Quarter. He has found a bed and breakfast in the garden district, with a strange spooky landlady, Mrs. Gage, and balcony doors that don't open from his 2nd floor room.
Before going to soundcheck at the club he drops his suitcase off at the room, pulls out a flask, drinks from it. Music begins, and he sings:
Mister One-Hit Wonder hit a homer first time at bat
Mister One-Hit Wonder coasted for a long time on that
We're in the bottom of the ninth. there's two men out and two men on,
and Mister One-Hit Wonder wonders if his hitting days are gone.
(He grabs his guitar, comes down the stairs.)
Mister one-hit wonder had a marriage for a little while
Mister one-hit wonder's eye was wandering even while he walked down the aisle.
And since that day he's seen a lot of lovely women in and out of his revolving door
But mister one-hit wonder gives them one hit, and leaves 'em when they ask for more.
(As he sings, the Gage House disappears behind him.)
A whole lot of spins on the radio,
A whole lot of spins 'round the sun
He thought he had picked the right way to go,
thought he did all that had to be done
'cause he's a hit single, not a family man.
No time for a family, they would not understand.
He's riding the long, long tail of his fame
and the darkening skies that once lit up his name
are now showing the shadows in corners that he'd rather
not look into at all.
(Another sip from his flask as he crosses to...
Delgado’s. A club in the French Quarter. Late Afternoon.)
Mister One-Hit Wonder takes a hit of courage from his little flask.
Mister One-Hit Wonder doesn't much like the face there behind the mask,
'cause when he looks he sees an aging Peter Pan who never ever had a Tinker Bell.
And Mister One-Hit Wonder wonders if he's on the road to hell.
(He heads to the small stage with one microphone on a stand - begins to unpack his guitar.)
But for now he's passing through here, and he's got a job to do here,
and he's got that one hit song to sell.
(and he begins his sound check.)
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3. |
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The third song (as it stands right now) in BEAUTIFUL POISON is called "Rumor Has It." It takes place after Conti's brief, halfhearted sound check at Delgado's club in New Orleans. He has a dispiriting conversation with Delgado, the proprietor, ("You wouldn’t be playing this toilet if the
arenas were still calling. And it’s my toilet, so I can call it that") and then picks up a good-looking, sexy redhead he's been eyeing at the end of the bar.
They walk out into the gathering night of the French Quarter, and her conversation turns to things spooky and scary - and as their mating dance plays out toward its seemingly-inevitable conclusion of a hot 'n' raunchy night back at his room, she sings to him:
rumor has it you're a man who's at a crossroads
rumor has it I'm the gal at the crossroads saloon
(as he sips from his flask)
and I bet you can find your way down to the bottom of that little bottle
but you might get all turned around on these curvy, curvy city streets pretty soon.
'cause there's danger everywhere you look
(Three lascivious-looking passersby sing "Watch out, boy")
there are tourist traps that terrorize with tales of the undead,
yeah, there's danger everywhere you look
("Watch out, boy...")
so you best let little ol' me escort you back to your bed.
(making their way back to his room - street set backs away, Mrs. Gage's place slides in...)
rumor has it
you know how to treat a lady
rumor has it
you know how to treat a lady right
and the rumor is long as your lady's not looking to tie you down ('less you like it like that)
then you will be sure to protect her from things that go bump in the night...
(by this point they are in his bedroom, getting hot and heavy)
'cause there's danger everywhere you look
vampires and voodoo, they send a shiver down your spine,
yeah, there's danger everywhere you look
so keep your eyes on me, tonight you're mine.
(and at that moment, an otherworldly woman's voice comes from the downstairs garden next door, behind the shutters. Conti stops in his tracks, and the Redhead's seduction is derailed.)
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4. |
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Spring turns to summer and fall.
Seasons go by on this side of the wall.
Fall turns to winter and spring,
and I ache to touch even one living thing.
And I will remain as the seasons go by.
New buds will blossom and bloom and then slowly die.
Over and over the seasons change and I
will remain.
And yet I dream,
what I would do if I were free:
the things I'd see,
and never mind the danger,
never mind the pain.
I fly,
and in my dream I'm light as air,
and I don't care
what grief may come to be,
what matters is I'm free.
And for a moment these walls disappear
then I wake
and I see
I'm still here.
And I will remain as the seasons go by,
new buds will blossom and bloom and then slowly die.
Over and over the seasons change
and I will remain.
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5. |
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ERIC
(a cappella)
YOU’RE THE ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD FOR ME...
(Fearing what he assumes to be the unwelcome intrusion of a fan, Conti sinks lower in his chair.)
ERIC
Conti?
CONTI
Eric? What the hell--?!
(and Eric, seizing the moment and the zydeco sounds of the nearby busking musicians, launches into a number mocking his old friend:)
ERIC
Well, the word on the street is my buddy from college
has made his way to the city that I call home
and the word on the street, to the best of my knowledge,
is someone else musta booked the superdome.
'cause look at the flyer (holds it up) - he's playing some bar!
Whatcha gonna do, pass 'round the tip jar?
How the mighty have fallen, and they've fallen so far,
but I'm hopin' that you'll land on your feet.
It's been a long time since I've seen my old buddy,
so I'm giving you a hard time,
and that's the word on the street.
(probably an embrace, the straight guy awkward back-slapping thing as they hug with one arm)
(So they awkwardly catch up - Eric is unwilling to have a 9 AM drink with Conti - he's a grownup now, unlike some people. Oh yeah? Growing up is overrated - it's on my bucket list. So what are you doing now?
I'm a doctor.
They let you be a doctor?)
(Eric shows him a business card. Conti starts singing back to him)
CONTI
Word on the street: my old buddy's a physician
M.D., Ph.D., B.F.D.,
he's all grown up, but I'll make it my mission
to make my old buddy have a little drink with me.
'cause look at yourself! You're wearing slacks and a tie!
what happened to that fun-loving, partying guy,
who would never let the good times roll on by,
put the pager down and grab yourself a seat!
It's been a long time since I've seen my old buddy,
let's raise a glass to old times, that's the word on the street.
(Dialog about: All right. Anyone tell you you're a bad influence? Yeah, everybody. Cheers. Clink. So how's it going for you? Well, I'm staying in this B&B next door to these Rappaccini people - you know anything about them?)
(The Rappaccinis?)
(a hush falls over the passersby and the band...)
ERIC:
Word on the street, man, you gotta steer clear there
lotta bad ju-ju in that old man's place
Word on the street: you better not go near there,
(Conti smiles)
so wipe that knowing grin off your smug little face.
Messing with stuff you don't wanna know,
trying to go places you don't wanna go,
Why do I get the feeling that you're gonna igno'
alla this and jump in with both feet?
You haven't changed a bit in twenty years, you old rascal,
staying at the bars until they're calling out the last call,
I'm always Beaver Cleaver and you're always Eddie Haskell
don't go looking for trouble, boy. That's the word on the street.
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6. |
Let It Be (#66 of 262)
02:22
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MRS. GAGE (sings: LET IT BE)
LEAVE THE SKELETONS ON THEIR HANGERS IN THE CLOSET, LET ‘EM STAY
IF THERE’S A NEEDLE IN THE HAYSTACK LEAVE IT THERE AMONG THE HAY
IF THERE’S SLEEPING DOGS A-NAPPIN’ YOU JUST LEAVE ‘EM WHERE THEY LAY LET IT BE
LET IT BE
LET IT BE
FOR THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT
YOU BEST JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES TIL’ DAWN MAKE SURE PANDORA’S BOX’S LID
IS TRULY, TIGHTLY ON
LIKE PAUL MCCARTNEY TOLD US
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM JOHN
LET IT BE
LET IT BE
LET IT BE
CONTI
I saw a bouquet of flowers die in her hands.
What would you call that?
MRS. GAGE
I’d call that odd. But flowers die. Look at
my geraniums.
CONTI
Fresh cut flowers. I’m not making this up.
MRS. GAGE (sings)
I’M NOT MAKING THIS UP EITHER, JOHN
CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT
AND IT JUST MIGHT KILL YOU TOO MY FRIEND
I WOULD BET MY LIFE ON THAT
IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW RIGHT IT FEELS TO YOU
I’M TELLING YOU IT’S JUST PLAIN WRONG
SOME PEOPLE SWEEP THINGS UNDER THE RUG
BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE THEY BELONG
CONTI
You have to know there’s something not right
happening over there. She looks at the moon like it’s the sun.
MRS. GAGE
Leave it alone.
CONTI
C’mon!
MRS. GAGE
You’re a stranger here, John. Act like one.
(sings) WHEN YOU GO OUT TO THE ZOO
THEY KEEP THE SNAKES BEHIND THE GLASS THERE ARE REASONS WHY THEY MAKE THOSE SIGNS THAT SAY KEEP OFF THE GRASS
SO CONTI QUIT YOUR DIGGING
DON’T YOU MAKE ME KICK YOUR ASS
YOU’LL BE SORRY IF YOU DO, I GUARANTEE
LET IT BE
LET IT BE
LET IT BE
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7. |
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YOU’RE THE ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD...FOR ME
YOU’RE THE ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD...FOR ME
ALL MY DAYS AND ALL MY NIGHTS I THOUGHT I'D ALWAYS BE ALONE OH YOU COULD ALWAYS FIND ME STANDING ON THE SIDELINES AND APART
YEAH
I LED A LONELY LIFE AND LONELINESS WAS ALL I'D EVER KNOWN OH I BEEN SURE THAT THERE IS NOBODY WHO'S GETTIN' NEAR MY HEART
I KNEW IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN
BUT I PRAYED THAT I WAS WRONG
I WAS HOPING FOR A MIRACLE, MIRACLE AND THEN YOU CAME ALONG...
AND NOW, I
I'M DREAMING OF YOU EVERY NIGHT
AND I
SEE YOUR FACE WHEN I TURN OUT THE LIGHT
YEAH IT'S YOU
YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE I SEE
IT'S YOU
YOU’RE THE ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD...FOR ME
YOU'RE THE ONE WHO CAN RELEASE ME
FROM A SOLITARY FATE
YOU'RE THE ONE WHO TRULY SEES ME
COME ON NOW, DON'T MAKE ME WAIT
BECAUSE, I
OH I'M DREAMING OF YOU EVERY NIGHT
AND I
SEE YOUR FACE WHEN I TURN OUT THE LIGHT
YEAH IT'S YOU
YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE I SEE
IT'S YOU
YOU’RE THE ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD...FOR ME
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8. |
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Here's the lyrics to the most recent version (Book portions by Duane Poole, lyrics by me and Valerie Vigoda):
BEATRICE
Why do you suppose so many of his women die for love? Ophelia -- she went mad for the love of Hamlet and was drowned. Desdemona, Juliet. Cleopatra wanted it more than her entire kingdom. Is it really worth dying for?
CONTI
I’m maybe not the best person to ask.
(beat)
Why did you leave your garden tonight?
BEATRICE
(sings: FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME)
I WALK
IN SIMPLE CIRCLES ROUND AND ROUND I PACE THE GROUND
THE PATH I’VE TREAD BEFORE
A THOUSAND TIMES OR MORE
BUT SOFT
WHAT LIGHT THROUGH YONDER WINDOW BREAKS?
MY HEART AWAKES
AND STRANGER, THERE YOU ARE
PLAYING YOUR GUITAR
I’VE BEEN HIDING IN LEAVES AND BRANCHES
I’VE BEEN PEERING FROM DEEP IN THE SHADOWS
I’VE BEEN LOCKED AWAY SO LONG I DON’T KNOW HOW TO BEGIN
BUT WHEN UPSIDE-DOWN ROMEO
CALLED DOWN TO ME FROM HIS BALCONY
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME
I OPENED THE DOOR TO THE OUTSIDE AND LET SOME IN
(speaks)
My turn to ask. Why did you follow me from the club?
CONTI
Does it have to include references to Shakespeare?
BEATRICE (a smile)
It would be nice if it did.
CONTI Okay. Um...
(sings)
“IF MUSIC BE THE FOOD OF LOVE PLAY ON”
AND ONCE UPON A TIME I KNEW THE REST
MY MEMORY’S NOT THE BEST
YOU SEE
I’VE BEEN SO LAZY FOR SO LONG
I SING MY SONG
THE SAME OLD JADED SHOW
COLLECT THE CHECK AND GO
I’VE BEEN RESTING ON MY LAURELS
I’VE BEEN FADING FROM THE LIMELIGHT
EVERY DWINDLING DAY AND NIGHT IS JUST THE SAME AS BEFORE
BUT WHEN GARDEN-BOUND JULIET
CAUGHT MY EAR WITH HER SIREN SONG
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME
I’M GETTING TO KNOW SOMEONE NEW
AND I’D LIKE TO KNOW MORE
(speaks)
So what’s your favorite Shakespeare?
BEATRICE
SHE’S BEAUTIFUL, AND THEREFORE TO BE WOOED
SHE IS WOMAN, AND THEREFORE TO BE WON
(speaks)
Henry VI.
LOVE IS A SMOKE RAISED WITH THE FUME OF SIGHS
(sings)
Romeo.
MY MISTRESS’ EYES ARE NOTHING LIKE THE SUN
CONTI
Wait, I know that one. That’s a sonnet, right?
BEATRICE
Sonnet one hundred thirty. I think it’s my favorite because it’s so clear he loves her even with all her flaws.
CONTI
LOVE LOOKS NOT WITH THE EYES, BUT WITH THE MIND,
AND THEREFORE IS WING’D CUPID PAINTED BLIND
BEATRICE
A Midsummer Night’s Dream!
CONTI
I played Demetrius in high school.
(sings)
OH TIME, THOU MUST UNTANGLE THIS, NOT I
BEATRICE
And that’s from Twelfth Night!
CONTI
THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE NEVER DID RUN SMOOTH
BEATRICE
WHO EVER LOVED THAT LOVED NOT AT FIRST SIGHT?
(Beatrice pauses. Has she said too much? She weakens, can’t go on.)
BEATRICE (CONT’D)
I’m not feeling... I’m sorry. I need to leave.
CONTI
Are you sick? Beatrice? When can I see you again? C’mon, I’m not letting you go till you tell me.
BEATRICE
I don’t know. Soon. Somehow.
(She rushes away.)
CONTI
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME
THERE’S THE STIRRINGS OF A NEW SONG I COULD SING
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME
I’M TRULY EXCITED TO SEE WHAT TOMORROW WILL BRING
He moves off as LIGHTS RISE SLOWLY on...
SCENE
Rappaccini’s Garden. Morning.
Rappaccini works with great care, mask and rubber gloves in place, collecting clippings into a basket.
To one side, a freshly-showered Conti steps out onto his balcony, working out a new song on his guitar.
CONTI (CONT’D)
(sings: NOWHERE LEFT TO GO, Part I)
I MET A PRETTY GIRL IN OLD NEW ORLEANS
SHE’S SO FINE, SO FASCINATING
I JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO
DA DA DA DA SOMETHING RHYMES WITH "ORLEANS"
IT’S BEEN FOREVER SINCE I’VE EVEN
WRITTEN SOMETHING NEW
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9. |
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Lyrics below, including book excerpts by Duane Poole.
*****
An angry Rappaccini turns to the frightened Beatrice.
DR. RAPPACCINI
Who was that man? Do you know him?
BEATRICE
I don’t.
DR. RAPPACCINI
Have you spoken? Of course, you’ve spoken. Why else would he have come?
BEATRICE
I’ve done nothing wrong.
DR. RAPPACCINI
You must let it go no further. Avoid this man. Don’t see him, don’t speak to him.
BEATRICE
We only talk. He has a kind voice. What harm could there be?
DR. RAPPACCINI
(sings: YOU ARE THE WORLD TO ME)
WHAT HARM, YOU ASK
YOU ARE SO TRUSTING
THERE IS DANGER EVERYWHERE YOU LIE TO ME
IT IS DISGUSTING
MY LOVE WITH YOUR RAVEN HAIR
(speaks)
You remember the boy from town.
BEATRICE
-- who heard rumors and wanted to see for himself. He was nothing to me.
DR. RAPPACCINI
Yet we know how that ended. And the medical student? And the artist?
BEATRICE
They were curious, hateful. They were moments. This man --
DR. RAPPACCINI
No! No man! No other man!
(sings)
WHO ELSE COULD UNDERSTAND YOU AS I DO?
WHO ELSE COULD EVER GET SO CLOSE TO YOU?
I HAVE BUILT THIS WORLD AROUND YOU
AS PERFECT AS CAN BE
I AM YOUR SUN, YOUR MOON, YOUR STARS
AND YOU
ARE THE WORLD
TO ME
(speaks)
Beatrice, there is no one, there is nothing outside this property for you.
BEATRICE
There is life!
DR. RAPPACCINI
There is only death.
(sings)
YOU ARE MY GALAXY, MY UNIVERSE
MY FIRMAMENT, MY SKY
MY VAULT OF HEAVEN, MY CELESTIAL SPHERE
THERE IS NO ONE ELSE WHO MATTERS
THERE IS ONLY YOU AND I
AND THERE IS NOTHING FOR YOU ANYWHERE BUT HERE
Rappaccini takes a rubber glove from his pocket, snaps it over one hand, and pulls Beatrice to him as he lifts the needle.
DR. RAPPACCINI (CONT’D)
I HAVE BUILT THIS WORLD AROUND YOU
AS PERFECT AS CAN BE
I AM YOUR SUN, YOUR MOON, YOUR STARS AND YOU
ARE THE WORLD
TO ME
Rappaccini plunges the needle into her arm, injecting the poison.
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10. |
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Lyrics by Brendan Milburn and Valerie Vigoda.
Eric:
So the way the story goes is subject to interpretation
There’s a lot of different versions and a lot of variation
But rappaccini came from Venice
(Local passer-by) I heard it was Padua
(Another local) I heard it was Trieste
Eric: whatever, he came from somewhere in Italy, set up shop and did his best
To make things perfect all summer long before his very pregnant wife arrived in the fall
And he bought that house behind the garden wall.
(We see the house fresh and new with a bright coat of paint and an empty garden)
(Spoken) now keep in mind, this is like gaslight, horse-drawn carriages and stuff.
Conti: horse drawn carriages? How long ago was this?
Eric: i don’t know. A long time ago. This is how I heard the story. Anyways,
(sings)
So Rappaccini meets his wife as she disembarks from the boat here in the big easy.
But she got sick on the trip on the sailing ship and now she’s feverish and queasy
Redhead: I heard she died in childbirth!
Delgado: I heard she lived a few years more.
Eric: I heard she gave birth on the staircase right after getting in through the front door
And a brand new baby girl was born and her wailing cries did echo down the hall
Of that strange old house behind the garden wall
Conti: so the mother, did she die in childbirth or not?
Eric: I don’t know. I don’t think so but some people do.
(sings)
But most everyone agrees that she succumbed to some disease
Some new world nastiness and her frail constitution couldn’t fight it
And Rappaccini watched her fade in the sickbed where she stayed
Until she passed away and Rappaccini could not abide it
and they buried her above the ground here,
'cause that's how we do it around here
But they did it at midnight with only the daughter and dad.
No family or priest to say a blessing, just the little girl crying, I’m guessing
While she’s holding hand of her father who’s gone slightly mad
Back at home he’s acting peculiar, people see him in fits of rage
He locks the girl behind the gates, her house is like a cage
he’s certain he coulda saved his wife if he worked harder to protect her
And he damn sure won’t let those new world nasties get to his daughter and infect her
He orders a panoply of poison plants, maxes out his credit card
And he sows the seeds of poison there, and fills up his entire yard.
And the garden grows...
(And Eric and the cast sing in chorus as the garden does in fact grow before our eyes: from nothing into a teeming, alive, flowering and otherworldly place. )
So nobody goes in the garden unless they're coming back out in a hearse, now,
Rappaccini got poisonous plants with razor-sharp blossoms, venus flytraps and worse now.
And he wears his big ol' long black gloves and collects his clippings one by one,
and he grinds them down, adds a little distilled water, fills a syringe and then he's done
and calls his daughter close, be brave my dear, roll up your sleeve, a little sterile wipe of alcohol,
and you can hear the little girl's screams from far outside the garden wall.
CONTI
You’re saying he injected...the poison? His own daughter?
ERIC
For her own good, he figured, yeah. Larger and larger doses till her system becomes tough enough to fight off anything. Immunity off the charts.
CONTI
You gotta be kidding me.
ERIC
But wait. This is where the story gets a little strange.
CONTI
This is where it gets strange?
(The Servants, drawn by her screams, surround Beatrice as she reels with the effects of the injection.)
ERIC
All those toxins running through her system turned her into a walking poison herself. A beautiful poison, they say. But deadly. Can’t touch or be touched.
(Beatrice reaches out to those around her, all of whom back off fearfully, disappearing, leaving her alone in a POOL OF LIGHT.)
ERIC
(sings)
AND NOW SHE’LL NEVER TOUCH ANOTHER LIVING THING AT ALL
IN THE HOUSE BEHIND THE GARDEN WALL
ENSEMBLE
IN THE HOUSE BEHIND THE GARDEN WALL
IN THE HOUSE BEHIND THE GARDEN WALL IN THE HOUSE...
ERIC AND ENSEMBLE
...BEHIND THE GARDEN WALL!
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11. |
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BEATRICE
Legend says Medea tried to take the life of Theseus with its nectar. It paralyzes the nerves and stops the heart.
CONTI (another blossom)
Sweet. And this?
BEATRICE
The Mandrake --
GARDEN VOICES
Mandrake.
BEATRICE
It’s what Juliet took to appear dead. But isn’t it beautiful? And here, the Belladonna.
GARDEN VOICES
Belladonna.
BEATRICE
(sings: BEAUTIFUL POISON)
IN ROME A THOUSAND YEARS AGO
THE FASHION OF THE DAY
WAS TO MAKE THE EYES LOOK LARGER
AND THE DROPS FROM THIS PLANT WERE THE VERY BEST WAY
SO EVERY LOVELY LADY FAIR
HAD HUGE EYES THAT GLISTENED AND SHINED ALL WITH THANKS TO BELLADONNA
SHE COULD DRIVE A MAN OUT OF HIS MIND AND THEN SHE WOULD SLOWLY GO BLIND
CONTI
Blind. You’re serious.
BEATRICE
THE TRUTH CAME CLEAR AS YEARS WENT BY
EACH GIRLFRIEND OR MISTRESS OR WIFE
COULD NO LONGER SEE IN THE MIRROR
THE AMOROUS EYES THAT WOULD COST HER HER LIFE
IMAGINE ALL THE TEARS THEY SHED
IMAGINE THEIR SHOCK AND SURPRISE
WHEN THEY FOUND THEIR DOOM WAS DUE TO THE BLOOM THAT GAVE THEM THEIR BEAUTIFUL EYES
OH
BEAUTIFUL POISON
OH
BEAUTIFUL POISON
HEART OF JESUS, ANGEL’S WING
THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM
OLEANDER, WHISTLING THORN
I KNOW EVERY LEAF, EVERY ROOT, EVERY STEM
SO MANY WAYS TO END A LIFE
TO SET YOUR SPIRIT FREE
A TASTE OF WATER HEMLOCK LEAF
OR A BITE OF THE FRUIT OF THE SUICIDE TREE
YELLOW JASMINE, BLEEDING HEART
BLACK NIGHTSHADE, CHRISTMAS ROSE
ANGEL’S TRUMPET, LEOPARD’S BANE
AND THIS IS HOW MY GARDEN GROWS
Conti is incredibly drawn to her, but each time he moves close, she moves away.
CONTI
Beatrice, I want to know about you. This is important to me. I want to hear your story.
BEATRICE
And I’m trying to tell you.
(sings)
WITHIN THESE WALLS, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW
THERE’S DANGER EVERYWHERE
AND IT’S BEST TO KEEP YOUR DISTANCE
BUT HARD TO RESIST WHEN YOU BREATHE THE SWEET AIR
WITH EVERY LOVELY BLOSSOM FAIR
YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, YOU KNOW
CAN YOU LOOK PAST THE THORNS AND THE NETTLES
JUST HOW FAR ARE YOU WILLING TO GO?
DO YOU DARE TO DIG DEEP DOWN BELOW?
IF YOU GO BENEATH THE SURFACE
AND EMBRACE ALL THAT’S STRANGE AND BIZARRE
ALL THESE FRAGILE FATAL FLOWERS
WE DON’T DESERVE BLAME, WE CAN’T HELP WHAT WE ARE
IMAGINE HOW THE FLOWERS FEEL
WE YEARN TO REACH UP TOWARD THE SKY
WITHOUT WARMTH FROM ABOVE AND DEVOTION AND LOVE
OUR BEAUTY WILL WITHER AND DIE
OH
BEAUTIFUL POISON
OH
BEAUTIFUL POISON
OH
BEAUTIFUL POISON
The Garden Voices join as the CHORUS BUILDS. Bigger. More urgent. Seductive. Conti reaches out to Beatrice. She reacts, grabbing his hand by the wrist to push it away.
BEATRICE (CONT’D)
No!
At her touch, Conti CRIES OUT in anguish and sinks to his knees.
He looks up at Beatrice, wondering what the hell just happened.
BEATRICE (CONT’D)
You can never, never touch me!
She runs offstage, leaving Conti alone and stunned, slowly raising his arm to reveal angry red blisters already forming where Beatrice touched him.
Blackout.
END ACT ONE
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12. |
Armadillo (#109 of 262)
03:17
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DELGADO
"IT'S GOD'S OWN TRUTH,” MY MAMA SAID
"BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU DO
'CAUSE IF YOU GO AND LOOK FOR TROUBLE
IT'LL COME BACK ON YOU DOUBLE
IT'LL RAIN MISFORTUNE ALL OVER YOU”
OH, YOU THINK THAT WHAT DON'T KILL YA
MAKE YA STRONGER THAN YOU WAS
BUT MAYBE IT’LL KILL YA DEAD
YA BETTER DUCK YOUR PRETTY HEAD
YA BETTER DO LIKE THE ARMADILLO DOES
NOTHIN' SHAKES THE ARMADILLO
HE GOT ARMOR-PLATED SKIN
THAT'S HOW YA KEEP THE BAD STUFF OUT
THAT'S HOW YA KEEP THE GOOD STUFF IN
YA GOTTA HUNKER DOWN AND MIND YOUR BIZNESS
THE STORMS WILL PASS YOU BY
LET OTHER PEOPLE STICK THEY NECKS OUT
YOU STAY WARM AND DRY
LET THE WINDS BLOW HERE TO AMARILLO
YOU BE AN ARMADILLO
YOU BE AN ARMADILLO
CONTI
Aw, Delgado, you like me. you really like me.
ERIC
The man speaks the truth. You know that’s always been my motto. (sings)
BEIN' SAFE IS BEIN' HAPPY
EVEN IF YOU'RE SLIGHTLY BORED
'CAUSE HOW YOU BE CONTENTED IF
YOU ‘BOUT TO FALL RIGHT OFF A CLIFF?
YA KNOW THAT SAFETY IS ITS OWN REWARD.
2ND HALF SECOND VERSE STUFF
YOU DO LIKE YOUR DOCTOR TOLD YA,
AND YOU'LL SOON BE GOOD AS NEW
YOU GOT TO QUIT YOUR ACTING CRAZY
TAKE IT EASY, TAKE IT LAZY
AND YOU DO WHAT THE ARMADILLO DO.
'CAUSE
DELGADO AND ERIC
NOTHIN' SHAKES THE ARMADILLO
HE GOT ARMOR-PLATED SKIN
THAT'S HOW YA KEEP THE BAD STUFF OUT
THAT'S HOW YA KEEP THE GOOD STUFF IN
ERIC
YOU KNOW YOU DON'T LET NOTHIN' TIP YOU OVER
WHEN THE WINDS ARE BRISK
DELGADO AIN'T NO CAUSE TO WORRY
AIN'T NO NEED TO TAKE A RISK
DELGADO AND ERIC
DON'T GO CRYIN', WEEPIN' LIKE A WILLOW
BE AN ARMADILLO
CONTI
Guys, I appreciate that you’re looking out for my best interests, but I think you’re overreacting.
DELGADO
MY ADVICE TO YOU IS SIMPLE
BOY, I’M TRYIN’ TO MAKE YOU SEE
THAT YOU AIN’T MAKIN’ SENSE, GOT YOUR HEAD FULLA ROCKS AND YOU SHOULD BE AT HOME ON YOUR COUCH IN YOUR SOCKS
ERIC
IF YOU AIN’T CAREFUL, YOU’RE GOIN’ HOME IN A BOX
DELGADO
I GIVE YOU THIS ADVICE FOR FREE
ERIC
YOU WANT TO SAY ALIVE? YOU BEST TAKE THIS FROM ME
DELGADO AND ERIC
NOTHIN' SHAKES THE ARMADILLO
HE GOT ARMOR-PLATED SKIN
THAT'S HOW YA KEEP THE BAD STUFF OUT THAT'S HOW YA KEEP THE GOOD STUFF IN HUNKER DOWN AND MIND YOUR BIZNESS
THE STORMS WILL PASS YOU BY
LET OTHER PEOPLE STICK THEY NECKS OUT YOU STAY WARM AND DRY
YOU'LL FEEL BETTER WITH YOUR HEAD BENEATH YOUR PILLOW...
YOU BE AN ARMADILLO.
YOU BE AN ARMADILLO.
YOU BE AN ARMADILLO.
YOU BE AN ARMADILLO.
HEAD DOWN!
|
||||
13. |
|
|||
BEATRICE:
You are all that I can think of.
You are all that I can see.
When I close my eyes, you're close by
in the darkness there with me.
You are all that I can think of,
like no-one ever was before.
I'm awake, yet I am dreaming
tender dreams, and I want more.
And I think you feel the same way as I do,
that you're craving me as much as I crave you,
and I think you long to hold me in your arms so very much
to get as close as we can get, and yet not touch.
And he interrupts:
CONTI: Beatrice, what are you doing here? How did you get into my room?
(And she's off and singing again)
The night is dark and lonely,
and the house is fast asleep,
no-one here to punish me for the company I keep
for the night is dark and lonely,
and I long to hear your voice,
for I cannot stay away from you,
I have no other choice,
I have to know what you would say to me
will you say the words you'd say if we were free
if we could just be lovers for an hour, for a day,
tell me just what you'd be aching most to say.
(And Conti answers, spoken: I would say I have never desired anyone more than you. But, Beatrice, we can't...)
BEATRICE
and I would say you touch me, you touch me deep
where no-one else has gone
yes, you touch me, you make this sweet
anticipation linger on
and it's agony to stay away
and I long to kiss your lips
and it's dangerous to come so near
but make your hands my hands, my sweet,
and I'll touch you as you have touched me here (her heart)
(She sings it again, and he responds, now fully a part of it)
CONTI:
the forbidden fruit is sweeter
the forbidden grass is greener
the forbidden love is loveliest of all
and how I long to hold you
and how I long to kiss you
and I'm falling for you like a waterfall.
and it's agony to stay away
and I long to kiss your lips
and it's dangerous to come so near
but make your hands my hands, my sweet,
and I'll touch you as you have touched me here (his heart)
|
||||
14. |
|
|||
WELL I TOLD YOU WHAT TO DO
AND DID YOU LISTEN TO ME? NO
YOU'VE BEEN DIGGING WHERE YOU SHOULDN'T
NOW YOU'RE REAPING WHAT YOU SOW
YOU SHOULD QUIT THE SLEUTHING SHERLOCK
CUT THE SHIT AND LET IT GO
FOR GOD'S SAKE JOHN JUST LEAVE IT LET IT BE
LET IT BE
LET IT BE
LET IT BE
|
||||
15. |
|
|||
CONTI
Lock it up tight, Doc. Do the police know
you’re keeping her prisoner in there?
DR. RAPPACCINI Beatrice is no business of yours.
CONTI
At least you admit she exists now.
DR. RAPPACCINI
Why can’t you leave us in peace?
CONTI Because I care about her.
DR. RAPPACCINI
You don’t even know her.
CONTI
It’s possible I know her better than you do.
DR. RAPPACCINI
(sings: YOU ARE THE WORLD TO ME, Reprise)
THERE'S SO MUCH I CANNOT TELL YOU,
SO MUCH YOU CANNOT SEE
(speaks)
Leave us alone, Mr. Conti! For your own good. She is the only thing in life that matters to me. I will do anything in my power to keep her safe.
CONTI
You call that safe? Locking her away from the
world?
DR. RAPPACCINI
I AM HER SUN, HER MOON, HER STARS
AND SHE IS THE WORLD TO ME
Rappaccini pushes past an angry Conti and exits.
|
||||
16. |
|
|||
BEATRICE
He’s never going to let me go and nothing will change that. Could you spend your life this way, John? Never touching? Never being touched?
CONTI
No one could. It’s not how we’re made.
BEATRICE
Not all of us. It’s been an eternity here. And I see only an eternity beyond. This is my world.
CONTI
The world’s a much bigger place.
He produces a set of car keys, holds them out for her to see.
CONTI (CONT'D) Let me show it to you.
CONTI
(sings: COME AWAY WITH ME)
COME AWAY WITH ME
COME AWAY WITH ME
THERE IS NOTHING HERE NOTHING I CAN SEE
THAT IS HOLDING YOU DOWN
Beatrice shakes her head no, but it’s clear she’s charmed by this.
BEATRICE
Please don’t give me hope. It’s the one thing I couldn’t bear.
CONTI
COME AWAY WITH ME
JUST TAKE THE DAY WITH ME
YOU BEEN FAR TOO LONG
TRAPPED INSIDE THESE WALLS
SO LET ME SHOW YOU ‘ROUND
COME AWAY WITH ME...
BEATRICE (tempted)
For an hour, perhaps?
CONTI
An hour. For starters. And then...
BEATRICE
And then we’ll see.
At that, Conti steps to the vines covering the secret access.
Beatrice looks back, debating her options one last time, but only briefly. She steps through with Conti.
DR. RAPPACCINI (calling)
Beatrice! Beatrice?
Mrs. Gage appears on the balcony of Conti’s room. She calls to Rappaccini.
MRS. GAGE
They’ve taken my car.
SCENE
New Orleans. The Mississippi Riverwalk. Day.
On a small platform there is an ensemble of MUSICIANS playing the music we’ve been hearing. Piano, drum, bass, a horn section.
Conti and Beatrice stand at the edge of the river. Around them are TOURISTS, JOGGERS, and LOCALS enjoying the day in light summer clothing.
BEATRICE
That’s the Mississippi?!
CONTI
It runs down to the Gulf of Mexico. Beyond that, there’s the Caribbean, the Atlantic.
BEATRICE
And the smell in the air -- it’s like salt. And coconuts.
CONTI
Right, well, you should probably know some of that is sunblock.
(off her look)
UV rays. Sunburns.
BEATRICE
I didn’t know the sun could be this strong.
CONTI
Okay, I know you’ve seen the sun.
BEATRICE
Pieces of it, filtered through the trees. Nothing like this in...so long.
A COUPLE passes, hand in hand. Beatrice turns to watch, envious.
BEATRICE (CONT’D)
All these things I’ve missed. Or forgotten. And I’m finally out here among them. With you.
CONTI
Then it can’t end here. Let’s grab some beignets, get back in that car, and take off down the road.
Conti steps up on the platform with the musicians, going along with their groove.
CONTI
(sings)
‘CAUSE I’M THE PERFECT TOUR GUIDE DARLIN’
I’VE BEEN ON THE ROAD SO LONG
SO I’M IN THE KNOW ABOUT WHERE TO GO
I CAN SING EVERY SINGLE DRIVING SONG
He borrows a map from a TOURIST COUPLE who watch his antics, amused and charmed.
CONTI
JUST DOWN THE PIKE THERE’S BATON ROUGE
AND PAST THAT, LAFAYETTE
THEY GOT CREOLE FOOD AND A HAPPY MOOD
BUT THERE’S 49 STATES YOU NEVER MET
He hands the map back to the tourists, borrows a guidebook from a FOREIGN TOURIST, who is surprised, then delighted as well.
CONTI
WE’LL HAVE BBQ IN AUSTIN
‘CAUSE THAT’S THE TEXAS WAY
AND WE’LL PASS RIGHT THROUGH EL PASO TOO
‘CAUSE I KNOW THE WAY TO SANTA FE
WE CAN CALL IT LOVE IN COLORADO
GET SHY WHEN WE HIT CHEYENNE
RAISE HELL ENOUGH IN HELENA
F’R US TO HAVE TO HIT THE ROAD AGAIN
BEATRICE
John, what are you doing?
Conti sinks to his knees. More tourists and locals start paying attention to the developing story and the band follows Conti’s cues.
CONTI
COME AWAY WITH ME
COME AWAY WITH ME
THERE IS NOTHING HERE NOTHING I CAN SEE
THAT IS HOLDING YOU DOWN
COME AWAY WITH ME
TWO FEMALE LOCALS
GIRL, YOU SEE HIM DOWN ON HIS KNEES?
CONTI
COME AWAY WITH ME
TWO FEMALE LOCALS
GIRL, THE POOR BOY AIMS TO PLEASE
Conti plays to the gathering crowd for comic effect, but meaning it all the same.
CONTI
IF YOU LOVE ME, GIRL
LIKE YOU SAY YOU DO
THEN WHY DON’T WE SKIP TOWN?
COME AWAY WITH ME!
And with that, the Riverwalk becomes a huge production number, tourists and locals dancing and singing, brass band marching, drummers drumming, all devoted to convincing Beatrice to do as the song says.
CONTI
WE’RE GONNA SEE ALL OF SEATTLE
CROWD
SHO ‘NUFF!
CONTI
THEN PORTLAND AND EUGENE
CROWD
EUGENE!
CONTI
WE CAN DRIVE AND WE DRIVE OUT ON HIGHWAY FIVE
CONTI AND TWO LOCALS
THERE’S LOTSA REDWOOD, LOTSA GREEN
CONTI
LEAVE OUR HEARTS IN SAN FRANCISCO
BRING ‘EM ALONG DOWN HIGHWAY ONE
I DON'T LIKE TO BOAST BUT THE WESTERN COAST
IT’S THE PRETTIEST UNDER THE SUN
CROWD
SURE IS!
CONTI
AND WE'LL HAVE THE TOP DOWN AS WE GO
SO YOUR FACE CAN CATCH THE LIGHT
CAJUN FLOWER VENDOR
'cause you're pale, girl.
CONTI
AND WE'LL WEND OUR WAY TO THE END OF THE DAY
AND WE’LL BE HITTING L.A. IN THE COOL OF THE NIGHT
The MUSIC builds to a crescendo, the crowd adding their wordless VOICES to Conti’s plea.
CONTI
AND THEN MY LOVELY ANGEL
WE CAN SPREAD OUR AIRPLANE WINGS
AND GET GONE-AND-WENT TO THE CONTINENT
TO DO ALL THEM EUROPEAN THINGS
Beatrice wants to give in, to be swept up in the music, but something makes her put her arms up to stop the music.
BEATRICE
John, I can’t. I can’t go with you. I can’t leave.
CROWD
Awwww!
CONTI
(continues, hushed)
COME AWAY WITH ME
COME AWAY WITH ME
YOU’RE THE LOVE I THOUGHT I WOULD NEVER FIND
SO BEFORE I’M OLD AND GRAY
COME AWAY WITH ME
FLY TO MARSEILLES WITH ME!
Beatrice shakes her head no, but it’s clear she’s charmed by this. Conti makes his final pitch.
CONTI (CONT’D)
YOU’RE THE ONLY GIRL
IN THIS WHOLE WIDE WORLD
TO WHOM I’VE EVER WANTED TO SAY:
COME AWAY WITH ME
The SONG ENDS quietly, filled with promise. The CROWD CHEERS. Conti and Beatrice look at one another with love and expectation. A long moment. Then:
TOURIST
Awww, c’mon. Now you gotta kiss.
(to the others) Right? Am I right?
He grabs Conti’s and Beatrice’s hands to pull them the last few inches together.
TOURIST
(reacting in pain)
What the--?!
*****
And all hell breaks loose.
|
||||
17. |
So Little (#114 of 262)
02:09
|
|
||
I wanted so little
such simple things
the chance to go where I want, when I want
to spread my little wings
I wanted so little
I wanted so much
to sit in the sunlight on some little street
to hold someone's hand
to feel someone's touch
and with you I've come closer than I ever thought I could
closer to all of the everyday wonders that I never understood
and the little I've tasted has filled me with joy
and is filling me with despair
to crave something so is a little like madness
and I'm going mad with this craving, I swear.
For I cannot live in your world any longer.
I'm deadly, and dying on the vine.
And little by little, I'm more and more certain
that you cannot live in mine.
Our time has been so little
but my love for you goes on
I treasure these days with you
and I will treasure them more when you're gone
and that is little comfort
but this much I know
I wanted so little
I was selfish to want it
and it kills me a little to say it, but:
let me go.
Let me go.
Let me go.
|
||||
18. |
Sacrifice (#117 of 262)
03:17
|
|
||
CONTI
I need your help.
MAMA DELIGHT
Of course you do. But I say go ‘way! Go ‘way! No help here. Some things too strong even for Mama. An’ Rappaccini one of those.
CONTI
I’ll pay. Whatever you ask.
MAMA DELIGHT (a quick beat)
Maybe there is something. Give me a moment. What to do, what to do.
(sings: SACRIFICE)
YOU GOT POISON IN YOUR HEART
POISON IN YOUR VEINS
POISON IN YOUR BLOOD,
POISON IN YOUR BRAINS
YOU GOT POISON IN YOUR LIFE
POISON ON YOUR BREATH
HUSTLING YOU THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH
POISON IN THE GARDEN FROM THE OLD WORLD,
PLANTED IN THE NEW WORLD SOIL
POISON IN THE GARDEN TAKIN' HOLD --
GIRL IS GONNA SHUFFLE YOU OFF OF THIS MORTAL COIL
CONTI
So what can I do?
(Her fingers like claws, she grabs Conti’s wrist tightly, pulls him close.)
MAMA DELIGHT + APPRENTICES
THERE AIN'T NOTHING YOU CAN DO
WITHOUT A SACRIFICE
YOU GOTTA GIVE IT UP
WHATEVER YOU GOT
THERE AIN'T NOTHING YOU CAN DO WITHOUT A SACRIFICE
GOT TO SPILL YOUR SELFISH BLOOD ON THE LOUISIANA MUD
AND THEN MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, YOU'LL HAVE A SHOT
CONTI
A sacrifice. Fine. Name it.
MAMA DELIGHT
Don’ be so quick to say yes.
CONTI
What kind of sacrifice?
MAMA DELIGHT
One that will heal you. Heal you every which-way. But we talkin’ ‘bout somethin’ real, somethin’ deep.
(Mama Delight nods to an Apprentice, who begins collecting a few questionable items, including a thick and murky liquid, into a wooden bowl.)
MAMA DELIGHT
The girl is herself a poison. An’ for that you need an antidote to every deadly thing known to Man or Woman. Don’ come easy.
CONTI
Whatever it takes.
MAMA DELIGHT
It takes some rare ingredients, for sure. Lucky Mama be a collector. An’ then -- something special you an’ nobody else got.
CONTI
Something only I have?
(An Apprentice hands Mama Delight a large, nasty knife and she and her Apprentices begin to circle him.)
MAMA DELIGHT, APPRENTICES
YOU GOT POISON IN YOUR HEART
POISON IN YOUR VEINS
POISON IN YOUR BLOOD,
POISON IN YOUR BRAINS
YOU GOT POISON IN YOUR LIFE
POISON ON YOUR BREATH
HUSTLING YOU THROUGH THE VALLEY
OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH
(Conti offers his hand. She slices the knife across his hand, his blood streaming into the bowl. Conti SCREAMS bloody murder. An Apprentice wipes his hand -- and magically, he is healed.)
CONTI
Is that it? Is that the sacrifice?
(Unfazed, Mama Delight filters the brew into a small glass vial, which glows a bright, yellow-green light.)
MAMA DELIGHT, VOODOO APPRENTICES
THERE AIN'T NOTHING YOU CAN DO
WITHOUT A SACRIFICE
IT'S MORE THAN YOUR SKIN YOU GOTTA SAVE
THERE AIN'T NOTHING YOU CAN DO WITHOUT A SACRIFICE
GOT TO SPILL YOUR SELFISH BLOOD ON THE LOUISIANA MUD
AND THEN MAYBE, JUST MAYBE YOU WON'T DIG YOUR OWN GRAVE
(She places the vial in Conti’s hand.)
CONTI
What...what do I do with this?
MAMA DELIGHT
Good question. What do you do? What do you do?
|
||||
19. |
The Truth (#119 of 262)
04:35
|
|
||
Beatrice
the air,
the air is sweet and like perfume
there's so much room
to breathe this beauty in
where do I begin?
with you,
with you, most beautiful of all
the one I fall in
love with more each day,
and now come what may,
I've never wanted anything so much
as your breath
as your kiss
as your touch...
(She steps closer to him. Still tentative, Conti reaches out to touch her. She pulls away out of habit, but then allows it.)
CONTI
It’s okay. Really. No pain. There’s nothing.
BEATRICE
No. There’s something.
(and the music launches into the chorus of YOU TOUCH ME. When they can take a moment to break from the kiss, they sing to each other)
BEATRICE (and Conti)
You touch me (you touch me)
you touch me here (you touch me here)
where no-one else has gone (where no one's ever been)
you touch me (you touch me)
you make this sweet (you have this sweetness)
intoxication linger on (that I haven't tasted since I don't know when)
it's been agony to stay away (I couldn't stay away)
but to finally kiss your lips, (to finally kiss,)
BEATRICE & CONTI
oh it's ecstasy to come so near,
will you hold me in your arms, my sweet,
and kiss me once again, my dear.
(And now we see Rappaccini watching from the shadows, not having gone back to the house at all. He’s angered, concerned, frightened.)
(And they stand, looking at each other, his hands holding her face. And then...She slips, weakens.)
What's happening? John!
(Rappaccini steps from the shadows.)
RAPPACCINI
Leave her to me!
CONTI
(spoken)
You have no say in this.
RAPPACCINI
I have every say.
She is my wife!
CONTI
(spoken)
Your what?
RAPPACCINI
My wife.
(Beatrice collapses. Conti lowers her to the ground. Rappaccini takes her in his arms.)
The dearest thing to me.
CONTI
(spoken)
How...how is that possible?
RAPPACCINI
The poisons not only kept her alive,
they kept her young.
By destroying them...
She knew what it would do.
(Conti now realizes what he’s done. It shatters him.)
(Around them, the garden begins to move. Bending toward Beatrice. Stretching toward her. The tendrils of the plants begin to wrap around her, to cover her.)
(Rappaccini releases her and backs away. Conti knees before her.)
BEATRICE
(to Conti)
you're the one who could release me
from my solitary fate,
my life of never knowing what the much ado's about.
For an instant of this feeling
is a million times more great
than a long and lonely lifetime lived without
like Desdemona,
like Cleopatra,
oh this brave new world, at long last I see,
for the first time in a long time,
for the first time in a lifetime,
I found it.
I feel it.
I take it with me.
(And she dies. Conti’s heart breaks. He looks at Rappaccini, who has turned away, unwilling to show his tears.
The plants cover her from view.
Rappaccini sees the gun he dropped. He bends to pick it up, feeling the cold steel in his hands, fighting his anger, keeping his back to Conti for the moment.)
RAPPACCINI
Whatever she told you,
whatever you heard,
she was not my child,
Mr. Conti.
Our child died long ago.
(Rappaccini turns back to Conti, the gun firmly in his grip.)
DR. RAPPACCINI (CONT’D)
And without my wife, I have nothing at all.
(He threatens Conti, then suddenly turns the gun back on himself, pressing it to his heart.)
CONTI
Rappaccini, no!
(Rappaccini FIRES, killing himself.
Trying to grasp all that’s happened, Conti looks back to where Beatrice was. The plants pull back now to reveal her body is gone, absorbed into the garden.
The blossoms unfold under the moon. A final tribute.)
|
||||
20. |
|
|||
Follow your winding road
as it turns with the riverbend.
Follow your winding road,
follow it all the way to the end
see how the river twists and turns
on its long, long way back to the sea
so on your winding road, you may not know the way,
but you'll get back where you ought to be.
Follow your winding road
over the top of the mountain so steep
follow your winding road
down through the valley, so dark and so deep
there'll come a day not long from now
when you will lay down your wearisome load
just as the river flows to the sea,
you will come to the end of your winding road.
|
||||
21. |
|
|||
I got nowhere left to go since you been gone, now.
I got no-one in my corner, I got nothing left to lose.
I got nothing but the ground I'm standing on, now,
and this beat-up old guitar, and these worn-out walking shoes.
Yeah I got nowhere left to go,
and if there's one thing that I know,
since I drained out all the whiskey from the bottom of my cup,
it's I got nowhere left to go
nowhere left to go
nowhere left to go
but up.
cause I know what people must be thinking of me
yeah, they all say my sell-by date is past, and this'll be my last hurrah
but see, no-one's ever loved me like you loved me
yeah, you looked inside my soul and didn't run from what you saw
yeah, you saw right through my game,
and yet you loved me just the same,
and now you've gone and left me like some graying Romeo,
and I got nowhere left to go
nowhere left to go
nowhere left to go
but
up the mountain again
pushing that rock back up to the top
up the creek and I ain't got a paddle
the current is rough, but I ain't gonna stop
well the man that I was would keep sinking
he'd start drinking and soon he would drown
but the man that I am since you loved me
well girl, all I can say,
I'm not sure of the way
but I know come what may
I ain't going back down.
|
||||
22. |
|
|||
When I had your love I took it for granted
When I had your love I gave it away
When I had your love I never imagined that I could lose it one day.
So you pulled away from me just a little
Then you pulled away from me a little more
By the time I looked around you were long, long gone out the door.
I want it back
That feeling we had girl
I want it back
that summertime comfort and joy
that feeling that you are the only girl in the world
and I'm the only boy
I want it back
that sense of adventure
I want it back
when we knew we were on the right track
and you never know what you got 'til it's gone,
and I lost that love I was counting on,
and this thing we had we oh so fine,
and now it's no longer mine,
I want it back.
and here inside my mind, I can be all honest with myself
I can admit the truth to me and not to anybody else
that fifteen years of singing this namby pamby little ditty
has got me drowning in self-hatred, and self-loathing, and self-pity
'cause I hit it big with this song, yeah I went to number one
and when its run going up and down the billboard charts was done
I played the stadiums, and I was opening for the stones,
and now I'm not what they listen to on their little mobile phones
and the audience is dwindling, yeah, the audience is bailing,
and I try and I try to write a follow-up hit and I just keep on failing
and this frickin' song is a millstone 'round my neck, it chokes my throat, it
doesn't mean what it used to mean, like the way it meant back when I wrote it
'cause when we get to the chorus, yeah this is the funny thing
when we get into the chorus and they all haul off and sing
(everybody unfreezes)
BAND AND CROWD: I WANT IT BACK
(they refreeze)
the song was all regret for lost love, how I spoiled it,
but now it feels like the song is about my career gone down the toilet
and every time I sing it I get more depressed about it,
but I wouldn't have a paycheck if I tried to play a gig without it,
when I try to write a new song I'm all stymied, and I'm haunted,
'cause when I get up on the stage if I don't give them what they wanted,
they will throw tomatoes at me, will make it very clear
they want the song they came for, yeah, they only wanna hear
CONTI AND CROWD:
I want it back
That feeling we had girl
I want it back
that summertime comfort and joy
that feeling that you are the only girl in the world
and I'm the only boy
I want it back
that sense of adventure
I want it back
when we knew we were on the right track
and you never know what you got 'til it's gone,
and I lost that love I was counting on,
and this thing we had we oh so fine,
and now it's no longer mine,
I want it back.
|
||||
23. |
|
|||
(verse)
all my days and all my nights I thought I'd always be alone
oh you could always find me standing on the sidelines and apart
I led a lonely life and loneliness was all I'd ever known
oh I been sure that there is nobody who's gettin' near my heart
(prechorus)
oh, I knew it wouldn't happen
but I prayed that I was wrong
I was hoping for a miracle, miracle
and then you came along...
(chorus)
oh, I
oh I'm dreaming of you every night
and I
see your face when I turn out the light
yeah it's you
you're the only one I see
yeah it's you
the only girl in the world... for me.
2nd verse stuff:
took one look at you and knew that you were totally unique
the only person who could ever see right down into my soul
oh-oh-oh
ooh ooh
you make me shiver make me tremble so that I can hardly speak
you got the power baby now you are the one who's in control
(prechorus)
oh I'm aching just to hold you
I can't help the way I feel
did you know that you're a miracle, miracle
can't believe you're real
(chorus)
oh, I
oh I'm dreaming of you every night
and I
see your face when I turn out the light
yeah it's you
you're the only one I see
it's you
you're the only girl in the world... for me.
Bridge:
you're the one who can release me
BEATRICE
(repeats his lyric, with new melody)
you're the one who can release me
CONTI
from a solitary fate
BEATRICE
from a solitary fate
CONTI
login' you would be so easy
BEATRICE
lovin' you would be so easy
CONTI, BEATRICE & PATRONS
come on now don't make me wait
(last choruses)
because I
oh I'm dreaming of you every night
and I
see your face when I turn out the light
yeah it's you
you're the only one I see
it's you
you're the only girl in the world... for me.
|
Brendan Milburn Seattle, Washington
Brendan Milburn is a music teacher and a dad. In his former life he wrote musicals, songs for animated movies, shows for theme parks and cruise lines. He used to play in a band called GrooveLily. Now he has chickens, cats, and kids, and he is making a song a week. ... more
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