Reprise Records (9 45672-2), September 19, 1995
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ACT 1
Lyrics [+]
It is 4004 B.C., and the Lord has just created the Universe. He and His Original Angels celebrate the Lord’s great acheivement (Glory Train). Lucifer, the Lord’s favorite, and the best looking angel by far, makes a little mistake, as will happen at parties, and is banished from Heaven forthwith and forever.
The centuries fly by. Lucifer, the Devil, now reigns in Hell where to the surprise of many, he has proven to be an effective administrator–harsh to be sure, vicious, even sadistic, ruthless when necessary but always fair. His life has not been an easy one however, and he longs to return to Heaven where they now have golf, roller coasters and Hawaiian music. He promises revenge (Can’t Keep A Good Man Down).
The Devil visits the Lord in Heaven. He notices the Lord seems bored, and even for Him, a little irritable (note unfortunate reference to Buddhists and lack of modesty in How Great Our Lord). He senses that the Lord may have lost a step or two, and decides to take advantage of it. The Devil contends that the Lord made a mistake when He created Mankind. The Lord says he doesn’t make mistakes. Knowing Him and His little, not weaknesses exactly, idiosyncrasies perhaps, better than anyone, the Devil goads the Lord into making a bet — a representative specimen of Human life on Earth is to be selected, the Devil will try to corrupt the selectee. After negotiating a bit, even at one point considering a Canadian (Northern Boy), they agree on Henry Faust, a schizophrenic student from Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana (Bless The Children). Should the Devil win, he would be permitted to move back up to Heaven. If the Lord wins, he would get Faust’s soul which proves to be so tiny as to be almost invisible, but it is important to the Lord as are we all. The two old adversaries part amicably and get on with the rest of the show.
The Devil makes himself known to the boy and proffers a contract which Henry signs without reading. The Devil is astonished. Henry explains he doesn’t like to read on his own time. The Devil dislikes Henry at sight; he’s a bad boy alright, but in such an unimaginitive, illmannered, uncultured way (The Man)that the Devil, though sure of victory, is desheartened by the company he must keep. In any case, the Devil is certain that Henry will come through for him, and that he will once again abide with the Lord in Heaven. Right next door if possible. In addition, the Devil happens to know that an important member of the Lord’s staff, an English Angel, is angry about the Lord’s inexplicably cavalier treatment of his country, which did, after all, win those two Big Wars thereby saving the world (Little Island).
After spending some hard time with Henry, the Devil zips up to Heaven to pass a few quiet hours in the best place he knows. He unexpectedly encounters the Lord and some Angel Children. The Devil complains about having to deal with a barbarian like Henry. The Lord sympathizes, not liking the kid any better than the Devil does, and incidentally, genuinely worried about the viability of his bet–the Devil in Heaven would be intolerable. He’d ruin everything and probably would want to come over all the time and “do things” like they did as boys. The Lord loads up and with the help of the children, fires off an inspirational song at the Devil (Relax, Enjoy Yourself).
ACT 2
Lyrics [+]
Faust has never been in love except with himself. The Lord decides to send down Cupid to shoot Faust to get a love thing going for the boy. The Lord’s personnel resources are staggeringly comprehensive. Cupid shoots Faust at a big St. Patricks Day Easter Bunny festival in South Bend on Easter Sunday. Henry falls in love with Margaret, the poorest, nicest and most beautiful girl in South Bend (Gainsville). The Devil, raging inwardly at the Lord’s perfidy (Cupid is after all a mythological figure from a pagan culture), notices Margaret has a friend with her, Martha, the most sophisticated girl in Indiana (Life Has Been Good), and one who has seen action not only at Arlington Park, but at Belmont, Aqueduct and Bay Meadows. The Devil falls for Martha hard; as only a middle-aged man can fall for a beautiful heartless young girl. Believe me. It’s the truth. He’s headed for trouble (I Gotta Be Your Man). Martha seems to reciprocate his feelings for her (Feels Like Home). It’s a trick. Too late. Martha Dumps the Devil (Bleeding All Over The Place). Meanwhile, Margaret, against her better judgment, falls in love with Faust (My Hero). Faust poisons her mother so he can be alone with her, sleeps with Margaret, impregnates her, and with the Devil’s help kills Maraget’s brother, Valentine, who sees Faust leave his sister’s humble little sleep chamber. Henry and the Devil are forced to skip town. They head for a cabin the Devil keeps on Lake Superior near Duluth. They bring their own water and stay a year.
In South Bend, Margaret has Henry’s child, and crazed with grief and shame, drowns it in a creek. This is the comic high point of Goethe’s original play, and one of the most delightfully urbane moments in all of German literature. In a hilarious courtroom sequence, Margaret is convicted of murder and sentenced to die at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. She sings a lullaby (Sandman’s Coming) though her baby is, of course, dead. She sings to a blanket!
Henry attempts to rescue Margaret who is already in the spirit world in spirit but because she was so good in life, the Angels come down and take her off to Heaven even before she is dead. Henry is impressed. He asks the Lord for forgiveness and takes some of the poison he gave Margaret’s mother. The Devil laughs, his own move to Heaven seems imminent; he says he’s going home to pack. Henry, expiring noisily, with neither dignity nor courage (he tries to induce vomiting to rid himself of the poison) asks again for forgiveness. The Devil laughs, but Lo! The Angels decend. The Lord’s voice booms down “he is saved.” Henry ascends to Heaven, favoring the Devil with a little wave as he goes. At this point, the impartial observer, if one such could be found, might agree that the Devil has been denied the victory to which he was entitled. Predictably, he is angry, very angry. Then after rage, depression, deep depression. He stands alone inthe cell. Head down, beaten. Even the Lord, watching from above, feels sorry for him.
A wind begins to blow, a warm, dry wind. The Devil’s hair is ruffled as the breeze freshens. His cape billows to the east. He wags his tail. He thinks of something that makes him very, very happy (Happy Ending).
THE END
Faust, Disc 1
The lyrics to Faust were transcribed by Ralph Page. Thanks Ralph!
Glory Train
Lyrics [+]
Lord: Will you pass on over?
Angels: Yes, Lord
L: Will you all pass over?
A: Yes, Lord
L: Will you pass on over, and join the Lord?
L: Have you been redeemed?
A: Yes we have
L: Have you been redeemed?
A: Yes we have
L: Then you can pass on over, you can join the Lord
I see some hard times coming
Fire and wind and rain
Billions of people, all scared of each other
Hearts full of envy and anger and pain
There on the edge of darkness
People come together again
Standing on the platform
Waiting for the glory train
Get on the glory train
Get on the glory train
They’ll be standing on the platform
Waiting for the glory train
Lift up your head and stand tall
Let faith be your only guide
With all that love inside you
Salvation cannot be denied
Just when the storm is breaking
Just when no hope remains
Rollin’ into the station
Here comes the glory train
Get on the glory train
Get on the glory train
It’s rollin’ into the station
Bound for glory, bound for glory
Get on the glory train
Devil: If I might intrude
Just for a moment
If only to inject a note of reality
On this festive occasion
In all my life
I don’t believe I’ve ever heard such bullshit
Even from you
A master of bullshit
You know it
I know it
It’s bullshit
Bullshit
All of the faith and prayer in the world
All of your dumb show and circuses
You know it’s a lie
It’ll always be a lie
The invention of an animal
Who knows he’s going to die
Some fools in the desert
With nothing else to do
So scared of the dark
They didn’t know if they were coming or going
So they invented me
And they invented you
And other fools will keep it all going
And growing
Everybody
We’re a figment of their imagination
A beautiful dream, it is true
A figment of their imagination
Me and you
And you know it
Me and you
Can’t Keep A Good Man Down
Lyrics [+]
Devil: Everybody, gather ’round me
I got somethin’ I wanna tell you
Listen to me
When you’re on the bottom like I am today
And those around you are losing faith in what you’re tryin’ to do
There is only one thing a man can say
You can’t keep a good man down
There’ve been mistakes and I’ve made a few
But oh, what a price I had to pay
Yet still they try to push me around
But they can’t keep a good man down
There may be times when I’m feelin’ low
I lose sight of the dream
But that’s alright ’cause soon I know
I’ll be back on top again, runnin’ things
Hey hey
Treat a man like dirt. Give him no respect for who he is
Expect something dirty in return
Oh they’re flyin’ high up there
But they’ve got a lot to learn
Because you can’t keep a good man down
They shame me, blame me. They’re tryin’ to frame me
But they can’t keep a good man
They can’t keep a good man
They can’t keep a good man down .
Whoa, whoa, whoa
They can’t keep a good man…down
How Great Our Lord
Lyrics [+]
Lord: Sorry ladies, to make you wait
There’s a couple of Buddhists at the Pearly Gate
Asked my permission to come on board
Angel: What’d you do Lord?
I had to have ‘em put out with the trash
Sing it!
Oh Lord, how great our Lord
Oh Lord, how great our Lord
Ladies. Ladies!
Why does the earth, glide by below
Like a great big rubber ball?
Angel: It is like a rubber ball!
Why does the bird, fly through the sky
Why does the apple fall?
Folks up here, ask me why
Things go so badly down below
I tell them when they ask me why
I really do not know
Angel: But you do know, don’t you Lord?
Of course I do! Sing it!
Oh Lord, how great our Lord!
Oh Lord, how great our Lord!
Folks up here, ask me why
Things go so badly down below
I like to tell them when they ask me why
I say I really do not know
Angel: But you do know, right?
You know it! Come on!
Oh Lord, how great our Lord
Oh Lord, how great our Lord
Best Little Girl
Lyrics [+]
Devil: I once knew a girl
Her name was Barbara
The cutest little muffin you have ever seen
I was livin’ in St. Louis
At the Chase Hotel
And she lived there
With her mommy and her daddy
And her little brother Skipper
Who was just thirteen
She went to church every morning
Said her prayers real loud every night
She was the best little girl
In the whole damn town
Lord: Watch it. Devil
Devil: But you know I’m right
You know I’m right
One morning in the lobby
I whispered in her ear
“Honey it’s too hot today to go to school
Whyn’t you call up
That cute little lifeguard?
He’s out by the hotel pool”
They drank all her daddy’s whisky
They took all her mama’s pills
They were found the next day
Drowned in their own vomit
Poor little fool
Poor little fool
Northern Boy
Lyrics [+]
Lord: In Ottawa, there is a custom
Before the boy becomes the man
He takes a drop of Northern courage
And swears he’ll do the best he can
He swears he’ll do the best he can
Devil: Oh Northern boy
As thick as a tree
As dull as a butterknife
L: Oh, Northern boy
Clean of limb, clear of eye
Unfettered he lives, unfettered he’ll die
The Northern boy
Oh Northern boy
Saskatchewan
An endless prairie
Where the buffalo used to roam
D: Only a man
Half blind on whisky
Would choose to make
This land his home
Would choose to make
This land his home
L: Oh Northern boy
As strong as an oak
As quick as thunderbolt
To adventure he’ll rise
The Northern boy
Can be as gentle as a lamb
D: And just like a sheep he will follow you
Whenever he can
The Northern boy
L: The Northern boy
The Northern boy
Bless The Children Of The World
Lyrics [+]
Faust: Sometimes you know I think that I
Will surely go insane
Got suicide and murder
Runnin’ in and out my brain
I dream of love, I dream of hate
I dream of death and pain
But no matter how I try
The dream remains the same
The same
All the little piggies
Up against the wall
All the little piggies ‘gainst the wall
(‘Gainst the wall)
One little piggie
Catch a bullet and he falls
Now there’s one less piggie ‘gainst the wall
(‘Gainst the wall)
Next little piggie
Gets a bullet in the eye
(Bullet in the eye)
Last little piggie
Falls to his knees and cries
‘Cause he’s blown away blown away
Blown away
Bless the children of the world
Give us all a chance to grow and live
Give us all you have to give
Bless the children of the world
Bless the children of the world
We’re the one’s who’ll have to carry on
Even though all hope is gone
Bless the children of the world
All we need is understanding
A sign to show us that you care
It isn’t love that we’re demanding
Just be there
Bless the children of the world
All we want is just to live our life
All we ask is to be free
Let it be
Bless the children of the world
Please bless us
Bless the children
Bless us
Bless the children of the world
Gainesville
Lyrics [+]
Margaret: I was born in Gainesville, Florida
And my father was a tailor
And my mother ran a café near the university
I’ve a brother died a’borning
And another who’s a sailor
I’ve a sister who is older, and living on her own
I have tried all my life to be kind to others
Even when others were unkind to me
I’ve been told all my life when I found someone
He would look at me and I’d know
Are you really mine?
Are you really mine?
Does your heart glow
When you see me walkin’ down the street, boy?
Do your eyes shine
When you know that we’re about to meet?
I don’t think they do
I was born in Gainesville, Florida
And my father was a tailor
And my mother ran a café near the university
And she didn’t raise a fool when she raised me
Relax, Enjoy Yourself
Lyrics [+]
Lord: When I’m feeling down
Worried about every little thing
I take a look around and this is what I say
Relax, enjoy yourself
It’s only a glorious game
There’s fruit trees growin’ in an open field
And wild roses bloomin’ down a country lane
Look around, old chum
Slow it down, old chum
For you never will succeed
You never will succeed
Relax, enjoy yourself
It’s all just a wonderful game
There are rivers and forests,
And mountains high
There’s the deep green ocean
And the pale blue sky
Let it go and then, you will know, old friend
That you never will succeed
You never will succeed
Angel Child: It must be very trying to be bad all the time
Vicious and cruel and mean
When there’s so much beauty
All around us to be seen
And so very little time in which to see it all
And feel it all
So little time
Perhaps when you were little
No one held you in their arms
And told you that they loved you very much
Perhaps you were embittered
By your fall from grace
D: How long have you been dead?
AC: Two Months
D: Do you miss your friends?
AC: Yes, I miss them
I’ve tried to make friends here, but it’s hard
D: You were a good girl
Cut down in your prime
AC: Yes
D: The man who shot you in the head
In that ‘Burger King in Tucson
Well, he never will be punished you know
He will move to Big Pine, California
Become the richest man in Inyo County
While that may not be much, it’s enough
When he dies
Sixty-five years from today
With his loved ones all around him
He’ll be whisked right up to heaven
He won’t pass go or have to wait
He’ll just march right through the Goddamned gate
And why, you may ask yourself why
For thousands and thousands of years
I have asked myself why
L: Faith.
Contrition.
Sincere contrition.
Confession.
Sincere confession
Redemption.
Absolution
Those who seek Me shall find Me
In the case of this man,
Predestination
My ways are mysterious
Sometimes even to myself
My ways are mysterious
D: Relax, old chum. Relax.
Its only a glorious game that we’re playing
And in a few more years
When I move up here
Things will never be the same
Life Has Been Good To Me
Lyrics [+]
Martha: Life has been good to me
Got very few complaints so far
Life has been good to me
Hope you’re as happy wherever you are
I got the blue sky every mornin’
Big yellow moon at night
I always do whatever I want to
And everything I do, it always turns out right
Hey, Hey. Hey, Hey. Hey, Hey. Hey, Hey
Life has been good to me
Man, I would not change a thing
Life has been good to me
Can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring
In every life a little rain must surely fall
I’m here to say that there’s a rainbow
Just around every corner
Life has been good to me
Well, I admit I’ve had a ball
Life has been good to me
I never worry ’bout nothin’ at all
I’ve got some good friends, they adore me
Know how to treat me right
I got a good man waitin’ for me
I’ve won every fight I’ve been in, and it always
Turned out that I was right
Hey, Hey. Hey, Hey. Hey, Hey.
Life has been good to me
Life has been good to me
Little Island
Lyrics [+]
Angel Rick: In two long wars, my country bled
To save the world for everyone
As through the years, the fight we’ve led
Too long, we stood alone, too long alone
And when at last, the battle won
We asked for no reward
An empire gone
Two generations turned to blood and dust
Only the best were lost
Only the best
And now, the years have passed
The times have changed
The foe is risen up
He stands
Astride the world
His dreams of conquest all fulfilled
Little Island, Little Island
Glory lost in the mists of time
They will pay
For what was done
To those of us
Who died so young
They will pay
For what was done
Little Island, Little Island
Little Island
The Man
Lyrics [+]
Faust: Absolute control
Absolute power
I don’t have any power
I need power power power power power
power power
Absolute obedience
To my every command
I want to be the man
I want to be The Man
I want to be The Man
I’ve got to got to got to
Bodyguards
I’m gonna have bodyguards
When I walk into a club
With my bodyguards
They’ll say excuse me
That’s Mr. Faust’s table you’re sitting at
(You can’t sit there)
‘Scuse me sir
That’s Mr. Faust’s chair your big ass is in
(You can’t sit there)
‘Scuse me motherfucker
Don’t you understand motherfucker?
D: He’s the man
F: What?
D: You’re the man
F: I am?
D: Yes you are
F: I’m the man?
D: You’re the man
F: I’m the man
Women will come
Women will go
Big tits, pretty little tits
I just don’t know
Goddamn it I just don’t know
Do I have your respect?
D: Yes you have it
F: Do I have your admiration?
D: You know you got it
F: Do you get those good vibrations?
D: Yes, we do, you’re the man
F: I’m the man
I’m the man
I’m the man
Money, power, control
Equals love
My Hero
Lyrics [+]
Margaret: There’s something in his eyes that I like
He’s got this lazy little smile that he stole from a movie he saw
But I like him
He’s a momma’s boy for sure
It’s their lips that give them away you know
So soft, so pink
My hero. My little hero
I believe that in the sky there shines a star for me
Clean and bright and shining like the sun shines
And when it seemed that life was hard
Impossible to find your way
I thought about my star and kept on
Listen to your heart
It will tell you everything
Follow it wherever it would go
I believe that in the sky there shines a star
My special star
But I like this boy and I hope that he likes me
I like this boy and I hope that he likes me
I Gotta Be Your Man
Lyrics [+]
Devil: Let me be your lover boy
Just wanna hold your hand
Something we might both enjoy
Can you understand
Now I been waitin’ for a long time
For you to tell me that you’d be mine
And honey I’m doin’ the best I can
But I got to be your man
I got to be your man
I got to
That great big moon that shines
Down in the sky above
Remindin’ me of love baby
Whoa, I’m really gonna give it to you
And in our solitude
I hold you in my arms
Captivated by your charms
Whoa
Whoa, now you’re gonna get it
When the mornin’ sun comes up
I’ll be there by your side
Fetch your coffee in your favorite cup
Do anything to keep you satisfied
Now people say this, people say that
People say they know where it’s at
But the proof of the pudding is in the pan
And I gotta be your man
I gotta be your man
I gotta be it
There’s somethin’ you should know
Tell you where I stand
Never gonna let you go
Yours to worship or command
I been waitin’ for a long time
For you to tell me that you’d be mine
Honey I’m doin’ the best I can
But I gotta be your man
I gotta be your man
I gotta be your man
Feels Like Home
Lyrics [+]
Margaret: Something in your eyes
Makes me want to lose myself
Makes me want to lose myself
In your arms
There’s something in your voice
Makes my heart beat fast
Hope this feeling lasts
The rest of my life
If you knew how lonely my life has been
And how low I’ve felt for so long
If you knew how I wanted someone
To come along
And change my life the way you’ve done
Feels like home to me
Feels like home to me
Feels like I’m all the way back where I come from
Feels like home to me
Feels like home to me
Feels like I’m all the way back where I belong
A window breaks
Down a long dark street
And a siren wails in the night
But I’m alright ’cause I have you here with me
And I can almost see
Through the dark there’s a light
If you knew how much this moment
Means to me
And how long I’ve waited for your touch
If you knew how happy you are making me
I never thought I’d love anyone so much
Feels like home to me
Feels like home to me
Feels like I’m all the way back
Where I come from
Feels like home to me
Feels like home to me
Feels like I’m all the way back where I belong
Feels like I’m all the way back where I belong
Bleeding All Over The Place
Lyrics [+]
Martha: Sounds like a real sad song.
Devil: Why don’t you love me like you used to do?
Are you trying to break my heart?
M: Not me, baby
D: I know there’s somethin’ goin’ on with you
M: Un uh
D: Whatever it is, it’s tearin’ me apart
I walk along the river every night
Tryin’ to figure out why we fuss and fight
Is love once again to slip right through my hand?
M: I hope not
D: Baby, Have you been messin’ with another man?
M: Ohhh
D: Ohhhh
I’m bleedin’ all over the place
Bleedin’ all over the place
I don’t mean to be rude
But I’m in a pretty bad mood
Just take a look at my face
M: Yep, you look awful
D: I’m bleedin’ all over the place
Bleedin’ all over
Someone call a doctor
We got a serious case
Of bleedin’ all over the place
Why don’t you love me like you used to do
M: He’s startin’ to repeat himself, now
D: Tell me, what did I do wrong?
Seems like you’re through with me
I wasn’t through with you
My love for you is still very strong
M: Oh, yeah?
D: I wander aimlessly, not knowing what to do
I’ve become quite shameless in my love for you
I’m tryin real hard to understand
Have you been sleeping with another man baby, baby?
I’m bleedin’ all over the place
Bleedin’ all over
Get me a witness
To record my disgrace
How I’ve been dishonored
Deceived and debasedThen someone get me a band-aid
Before I fall on my fuckin’ face
‘Cause I’m bleedin’ all over the place
Sandman’s Coming
Lyrics [+]
Margaret (in prison): Close your eyes now little girl
They don’t want to hear you cryin’
You never had a chance,
You never had a chance
It’s a great big dirty world
If they say it’s not they’re lyin’
Sandman’s comin’ soon
You know he’s comin’ soon
Close your eyes and dream
A little dream for you and me
Dream yourself a place where we can go
Baby you’ll never know
Close your eyes now little girl
Go to sleep my little baby
Sandman’s comin’ soon
You know he’s comin’ soon
Sandman’s comin’ soon
You know he’s comin’ soon
Happy Ending
Lyrics [+]
Devil: I feel the hot wind blowin’
From the West to the East
I feel the hot wind blowin’
Can’t get no relief
I feel the hot wind blowin’
Ev’ry day and ev’ry night
I feel my confidence growin’And I know I’m gonna be alright
I see the volcanoes
‘Rupting and erupting
Red walls of fire
I got corruption
Seduction
Destruction
Reproduction
I got Las Vegas in my mind
Seem like it’s stuck up in there
Like it’s been up there for all times
You can take your desert
Goddamn it, give me mine
‘Cause I got Las Vegas in my mind
Through these portals
Pass the rich and the famous
Through these portals
Pass the very best at what they do
Man, they’re the greatest
It’s the land of giant women
But the little man is king
Here in Las Vegas
Man, they got ev’rything
Run with it
They got English girls
With legs so long
You gotta use a stepladder
To lick their love thing
It’s a family place too now
So bring the kids along
They’re gonna have a real good time here
They got wild women from Borneo
Playin’ the piano
In your bungalow
They got monkey women from the Amazon
Or something really funky
From the lands beyond
They’re here in Las Vegas
They’re here in Las Vegas
Las Vegas
Man, I’m speaking in tongues!
Faust, Disc 2 (Demos)
Pass On Over
Lyrics [+]
Lord: Will you pass on over?
Angels: Yes, Lord
L: Will you all pass over?
A: Yes, Lord
L: Will you pass on over, and join the Lord?
L: Will you pass on over?
A: Join the Lord
L: Will you all pass over?
A: Join the Lord
L: Will you pass on over, will you join the Lord?
L: Have you been redeemed?
A: Yes, Lord
L: Have you been redeemed?
A: Yes, Lord
L: Then you can pass on over
You can join the Lord
How Great Our Lord
Lyrics [+]
Angels: He isn’t in the garden
Nor on the golden stair
We searched beside the campground
But we couldn’t find him there
You know He’s very busy
For he listens to every prayer
Almost every prayer
Almost, almost
When He’s gone, we miss him
We miss our Lord
[The Lord enters.]
Whoa Lord
Whoa
Lord: Sorry ladies, to make you wait
There’s a couple of Buddhists at the Pearly Gate
They asked permission to come on board
A: What’d you do Lord?
L: I had ‘em put out with the trash
Sing it!
A: Whoa Lord!
How great our Lord
Whoa Lord!
How great!
H ow great our Lord
L: Ladies. Ladies!
Why does the earth, glide by below
Like a great big rubber ball?
Angel: We don’t know Lord
L: Why does the bird, fly through the sky
Why does the apple fall?
Angels: We don’t know.
L: Folks up here, they ask me why
Things go so badly down below
I tell them when they ask me why
I really do not know
Angel: But you do know, don’t you Lord?
L: ‘Course I do! Sing it!
Angels: Whoa Lord!
H ow great our Lord.
L: Sing it ladies!
A: Oh Lord!
How great!
So great
So great
Whoa Lord!
How great our Lord
Whoa Lord!
How great our Lord
Each Perfect Day
Lyrics [+]
Lord [complaining about his soft, boring, wimpy life]: The grass is green
The sky is blue
Each perfect day is a dream come true
The days are mellow
And the nights are sweet
Each perfect day is a dream come true
The days are mellow
And the nights are sweet
Best Little Girl
Lyrics [+]
Devil: Once knew a girl
Her name was Barbara
Cutest little muffin you have ever seen
Livin’ in St. Louis
Chase Hotel
Lord: I know the place
D: And she lived there
With her mommy and her daddy
And her little brother Skipper
Who was just thirteen
Backup Devilettes: Just thirteen
D: Went to Church every morning
Said their Prayers real loud every night
She was the best little girl
In the whole damn town
Lord: Watch it, Devil
Devil: Sorry, Lord
But you know I’m right
You know I’m right
One morning in the lobby
I whispered in her ear
“Honey it’s too hot today to go to school
Whyn’t you call up
that cute little lifeguard?
He’s out by the hotel pool”
They drank all her daddy’s whisky
And they took all her mama’s pills
They were found the next day
Drowned in their own vomit
[Angels gasp]
Poor little fool
Poor little fool
It Was Beautiful
Lyrics [+]
Lord: Deep within my heart
Still there glows an ember
One golden dream that only I remember
Long ago
Blue, the deepest blue
How it shown within me
Greens and golds delight the darkness in me
Long ago I dream
Long ago I dream
But once I’ve dreamed
And it was beautiful
It was beautiful, beautiful
Deep within my heart
I dream
Northern Boy
Lyrics [+]
Lord: In Ottawa, there is a custom
Before the boy becomes the man
He takes a drop of Northern courage
And swears he’ll do the best he can
He swears he’ll do the best he can
Devil: Oh Northern boy
As thick as a tree
As dull as a butterknife
L: Oh, Northern boy
Clean of limb, clear of eye
Unfettered he lives, unfettered he’ll die
The Northern boy
Oh Northern boy Northern boy
Saskatchewan
Thy endless prairie
Where the buffalo used to roam
D: Only a man
Half blind on whisky
Would choose to make
This land his home
Would choose to make
This land his home
L: Oh Northern boy
As strong as an oak
As quick as thunderbolt
To adventure he’ll rise
The Northern boy
Can be as gentle as a lamb
D: And just like a sheep he will follow you
Whenever he can
The Northern boy
L: The Northern boy
Oh Northern boy
Bless The Children Of The World
Lyrics [+]
(Henry Faust on Easter Eve in South Bend, playing an electric guitar):
Faust: Sometimes you know that I think that I
Will surely go insane
Got suicide and murder
Runnin’ in and out my brain
I dream of love, I dream of hate
I dream of death and pain
But no matter how I try
The dream remains the same
The same
Four little piggies
Up against the wall
Four little piggies ‘gainst the wall
Backup Faustettes: ‘Gainst the wall
F: One little piggie
Catch a bullet and he falls
Now there’s three little piggie ‘gainst the wall
BF: ‘Gainst the wall
F: Second little piggie
Gets a bullet in the eye
BF: Bullet in the eye
F: Last little piggie
Falls to his knees and cries
‘Cause he’s blown away blown away
Blown away
[Henry moves to the front of the stage and plays an acoustic guitar]
Bless the children of the world
Give us all a chance to grow and live
Give us all you’ve got to give
Bless the children of the world
Bless the children of the world
We’re the one’s who’ll have to carry on
Even though all hope is gone
Bless the children of the world
All we need is understanding
A sign to show us that you care
It isn’t love that we’re demanding
Just be there
Bless the children of the world
All we want is just to live our life
All we ask is to be free
Let it be
And bless the children of the world
Bless us bless us
Please bless us
Bless the children of the world
Damn Fine Day
Lyrics [+]
The Irish: Oh Easter times are time for eggs
And the time for eggs is Easter time
It’s a damn fine day
(It’s a damn fine day)
It’s a damn fine day
(It’s a damn fine day)
It’s a damn fine day for the USA
And a damn fine day for the Irish
In spring the golden daffodils
Spread so sweetly o’er the hills
It’s a damn fine day
(It’s a damn fine day)
It’s a damn fine day
(It’s a damn fine day)
It’s a damn fine day, it’s a damn fine day
It’s a damn fine, damn fine day
Before the piper’s tune is played
A man may woo a pretty maid
It’s a damn fine day
(It’s a damn fine day)
It’s a damn fine day
(It’s a damn fine day)
It’s a damn fine day
(It’s a damn fine day)
It’s a damn fine day
(It’s a damn fine day)
It’s a damn fine day, it’s a damn fine day for the USA
And a damn fine day for the Irish
It’s a damn fine day for the USA
And a damn fine day for the Irish
March Of The Protestants
Lyrics [+]
Marchers [inspiring fear in the crowd]:
Oh, here we come
There’s a bold new spirit in the land
Not from Spain, not from Rome
But our own thing
All that we ask
Is the right to worship as we please
No more priests with their stuck-up ways
No nuns
Oh, we are men
And a man of god should marry if he wants to marry
Oh, we’re men, men, men, men
But our own thing
Oh, here we go
Will we find the answer, who can say
Won’t you all wish us well on our way
(The Doppler effect kicks in as the marchers march away.)
Little Island
Lyrics [+]
(Angel Rick, a British angel who always wears a flight jacket, in the Lord’s office alone with pictures of
prosperous Germans and Japanese and their cities rising to the sky)
Angel Rick: In two long wars, my country bled
To spare the world the fearsome Hun
As through the years, the fight we’d led
Too long, we stood alone, too long alone
Little Island
And when at last, battle’s won
We asked for no reward and no reward was received
The empire gone
Two generations turned to blood and dust
Only the best were lost
Only the best
And now, the years have passed
The times have changed
The foe is risen up
He stands
Astride the world
His dreams of conquest all fulfilled
Little Island, Little Island
Glory lost in the mists of time
Little Island
They will pay
For what was done
To those of us
Who died so young
They will pay
For what was done
Little Island, Little Island
Little Island
The Man
Lyrics [+]
(Henry, playing on the guitar Hendrix was buried with)
Faust: Absolute control
Absolute power
I don’t have any power
I need power power power power power
power power yeah
Absolute obedience
To my every command
I want to be the man
I want to be the man
Devil: You’re the man
F: I want to be the man
D: You’re the man
F: I’ve got to got to got to got to got to got to got to got to
Bodyguards
Gonna have bodyguards
When I walk into a club
With my bodyguards
They’ll say excuse me
That’s Mr. Faust’s table you’re sitting at
Bodyguards: You can’t sit there
F: ‘Scuse me sir
That’s Mr. Faust’s chair your big ass is in
B: You can’t sit there
F: ‘Scuse me motherfucker
Don’t you understand motherfucker?
D: He’s the man
F: What?
D: You’re the man
F: I am?
D: Yes, you are
F: I’m the man?
D: You’re the man
F: I’m the man!
Women will come
Women will go
Big tits, pretty little tits
I just don’t know
Goddamn it I just don’t know
Who?
D: You
F: Who?
D: Man, it’s you
F: Do I have your respect?
D: Yes you have it
F: Do I have your admiration?
D: You know you got it
F: Do you get those good vibrations?
D: Yes, we do. You’re the man!
F: I’m the man, I’m the man, I’m the man
Money
Power
Control
Equals love
Love Time
Lyrics [+]
Devil: There is a boulevard
Where lonely people go
When all their dreams have withered and died
This is the place they go
They bring their broken hearts
Hearts that will never mend
They come here for they know
There’s nowhere else to go
This really is the end
[Tap dancers make an appearance.]
Along the boulevard
Think of the tears they’ve shed
They’ve nothing left to lose
They’ll always have the blues
They might as well be dead
[Girl standing on a bridge, looking to jump. She jumps.
Then she enters a little love-land, a little damp. She sees some other girls are there already.]
Girl: I never felt this way before
I don’t know what to do
You girls look like you know the score
That’s why I’m asking you
When he whispers sweet words in my ear
Tell me what I long to hear
Will he try to steal a kiss or two?
Existing Girls: Oh he’ll do more than that I’m telling you
First he’ll kiss your dainty finger tips
And then he’ll kiss your ruby lips
Then he’ll plant one right on your wazoo
You won’t know if the sky is green or blue
You won’t know if the sky is green or blue
Devil (entering with a top hat): It’s love time, whoa baby, it’s love time
You drive me crazy
I’d walk a mile just for a smile from you
Dance with me
It’s love time let me put my arms around you
Honey I’m so glad I found you
[The Devil exposes himself to the audience.]
(Spoken)
Just take a look at this
Oh, I ‘m so excited
Lets spoon a little, croon a little
Moon a little, Tune a little
Pretty soon, in a little while
I’ll be all over you
It’s love time
Here we are, we’re all alone
Lock the door, unplug the phone
Get into bed, we’ll turn out the lights
And say goodnight, goodnight
Say goodnight
It’s love time
Little honey, it’s love time
The days are sunny
What could I do, I’m so in love with you
Say goodnight
Goodnight
(Growling and commotion)
Girl: What’s the matter?
D: Just tired I guess
Love time
Relax, Enjoy Yourself
Lyrics [+]
Lord (taking some kids on a Nature tour, including a little Chinese girl, who is standing apart from the rest):
Relax, enjoy yourself
You know it’s only a glorious game
They’ve fruit trees growin’ in an open field
And wild roses bloomin’ down a country lane
Look around, old chum
Slow it down, old chum
Or you never will succeed
You never will succeed
[The Devil is still pretty unhappy]
Relax, enjoy yourself
It’s all such a wonderful game
There are rivers and forests,
And mountains high
There are deep green oceans
And the pale blue sky
Let it go and then, you will know, old friend
That you never will succeed
You never will succeed
Chinese Angel Child (to the Devil):
It must be very trying to be bad all the time
Vicious and cruel and mean
[you get used to it]
When there’s so much beauty
All round us to be seen
And so very little time in which to see it all
And feel it all
So little time
[you should know]
Perhaps when you were little
No one held you in their arms
And told you that they loved you very much
Perhaps you were embittered
By your fall from Grace
Devil: How long have you been dead?
Angel Child: Two Months
D: Do you miss your friends?
AC: Yes, I miss them
I’ve tried to make friends here, but it’s hard
D: Yes, they resent you
AC: Perhaps
D: They know you’re smarter than they are
AC: Perhaps
D: Yes
AC: Perhaps
D: Yes
AC: Yes
D: Your parents, do you miss them?
Do you wish that you were with them?
AC: Yes, I miss them
I do miss them
D: The man who shot you in the head
In that Burger King in Tucson
Well, he never will be punished you know
He will move to Big Pine, California
Become the richest man in Mono County
While that may not be much, it’s enough
When he dies
Sixty-five years from today
With his loved ones all around him
He’ll be whisked right up to heaven
He won’t pass go or have to wait
He’ll just march right through the God-damned gate
Why
you may ask yourself why
For thousands and thousands of years
I have asked myself why
Lord: Faith
Angels: Contrition
L: Sincere contrition.
Confession.
A: Yes Lord
L: Sincere confession
A: Yes Lord. Yes Lord
L: Redemption.
Absolution
Those who seek Me shall find Me
In the case of this man,
Predestination
A: Predestination
L: My ways are mysterious
Sometimes even to myself
My ways are mysterious
Devil: Relax, old chum, relax
It’s all just a beautiful game that we’re playing
And in a few more years
When I move up here
Things will never be the same
Same
Same
Same
When Love Is In The Air
Lyrics [+]
(Night March 17th, Sunday, in South Bend)
(Cupid shoots Faust and the Peasants notice)
Chorus of South Bend peasants: When love is in the air
It may strike swiftly
Like a bolt out of the blue
One never knows whom it might fall on
Maybe me, maybe you
Maybe me, maybe you …
Faust: I love you
Those words sound strange in my ear
I’ve never said them before to anyone
I love you
Now I know I’ll always love you
That must sound crazy to you
But girl, I love you
If you knew how lonely I have been
How cold and how lonely my life has been
I need the warm touch
Of someone who loves me like I love you
I love you and I don’t know your name
Margaret (speaking): It’s Margaret.
Faust: Margaret, do you love me?
Margaret: No
Faust: What was that?
Margaret: No
Faust: What was that you just said?
Margaret: No, I don’t love you
I don’t know you
I don’t love you
Faust: You little bitch
You whore
The first person I ever love and they don’t love me?
Unbelievable!
Forgive me, I didn’t know what I was saying
South Bend Chorus: Forgive him
Chorus from above: Forgive him
Margaret: I forgive you
South Bend Chorus: When love is in the air
It may strike swiftly
Like a bolt out of the blue
One never knows whom it might fall on
Maybe me, maybe me maybe you, maybe you
Maybe you
Gainesville, Florida
Margaret: I was born in Gainesville, Florida
And my father was a tailor
And my mother ran a café near the university
I’ve a brother died aborning
And another who’s a sailor
I’ve a sister who is older, and living on her own
I have tried all my life to be kind to others
Even when others were unkind to me
I’ve been told all my life when I found someone
He would look at me and I’d know
Are you really mine?
Are you really mine?
Does your heart glow
When you see me walkin’ down the street, boy?
Do your eyes shine
When you know that we’re about to meet?
I don’t think they do
I was born in Gainesville, Florida
And my father was a tailor
And my mother ran a café near the university
And she didn’t raise a fool when she raised me
Life Has Been Good To Me
Lyrics [+]
Martha (scaring the Devil a bit):
Life has been good to me
Got very few complaints so far
Life has been good to me
Hope you’re as happy wherever you are
I got the blue sky every mornin’
Big yella’ moon at night
I always do whatever I want to
And everything I do
it always turns out right
Hey, Hey. Hey, Hey. Hey, Hey.
Life has been good to me
Man, I would not change a thing
Life has been good to me
Can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring
In every life a little rain must surely fall
I’m here to say that there’s a rainbow
Just around every corner
Life has been good to me
Life has been good to me
I admit I’ve had a ball
Life has been good to me
I’ve never worried ’bout nothin’ at all
I’ve got some good friends
They adore me
Know how to treat me right
I got a good man waitin’ for me
I’ve won every fight I’ve been
and it’s always turned out that I was right
Hey, Hey. Hey
Life has been good to me
My Hero
Lyrics [+]
Margaret: There’s something in his eyes that I like
And he’s got this lazy little smile he stole from a movie he saw
But I like him
He’s a momma’s boy for sure
It’s their lips that give them away you know
So soft, so pink
My hero. My little hero
I believe that in the sky there shines a star for me
Clean and bright and shining like the sun shines
When it seemed that life was hard
Impossible to find your way
I thought about my star and kept on
Listen to your heart
It will tell you everything
Follow it wherever it would go
(Played, not sung) I believe that in the sky there shines a star
My special star
But I like this boy and I hope that he likes me
I like this boy and I hope that he likes me
Hard Currency
Lyrics [+]
(Martha is heading toward the Costa Rica airport, in posession of Margaret’s jewels.)
(Industrialists, the military, and peasants are waiting at the airport for Martha.)
Chorus: She’s coming, she’s coming, she’s coming
With a great silver bird she is coming
She’s coming, she’s coming, she’s coming
With a great silver bird she is coming
Martha, Martha, Martha, Martha, Martha
Martha, Martha, Martha, Martha, Martha
Martha: When I was poor I hated it
Always the wolf at the door
Now that I’m rich I’m so happy
I’ll never be poor anymore
Never be poor anymore
Chorus: Heavy industry
A higher standard of living
Martha: When I was a kid grandma told me
Girl, now you listen to me
Without any money you’re nothing
Without money you’ll never be free
Chorus: Martha, Martha, Martha, Martha, Martha
Martha: You might be pretty. Forget it. (Forget it.)
You might be smart but so what?
If you don’t have plenty of money
It’s plenty of nothing you’ve got
Chorus: Heavy industry
A higher standard of living
¡Hard currency!
(The crowd dances an unwritt