tom jones and harvey schmidt - round and round lyrics
luisa:
take me there!
el gallo:
where?
luisa:
to the parties! to the world!
el gallo:
but i’m a bandit
there is a price upon my head
luisa:
oh! i was hoping there would be!
(music.)
el gallo:
you and i!
us together!
luisa:
yes. dancing forever and forever!
(as el gallo sings, he holds his hand above her, her eyes closed – as if casting her in a trance.)
el gallo:
round and round
till the break of day
candles glow
fiddles play
why not be wild if we feel that way?
reckless and terribly g+y!
round and round
‘neath a magic spеll
velvet gown
pink lapel
lifе is a colorful carousel
reckless and terribly g+y!
(el gallo raises his hand. she lifts her head and her eyes suddenly open.)
luisa:
i’m ready anytime
if you’ll take me, i’m
ready to go!
so show the way to me
i will try to be
ready to go!
el gallo:
i seem to see venice:
we’re on a lagoon
a gondolier’s crooning
a gondola tune
the air makes your hair
billow blue in the moon!
luisa:
i could swoon!
el gallo:
you’re so blue in the moon!
(and now they begin to dance. the mute hands her a mask – a plastic mask of a laughing+hollow face that is frozen forever into unutterable joy. this mask is upon a little hand+stick, so that when held in front of one’s visage, it blocks out any little tell+tale traces of compassion or of horror.)
(as luisa and el gallo go on dancing, we see – in a stylized blaze of light – mortimer and henry up on the platform, now transformed into a puppet+like stage, waving “flames” of torn red silk. at first they are gondoliers, but as the action gets wilder, they change into rioting peasants. in each of these sequences, it is matt who is the object of their fury.)
(at el gallo’s urging, luisa takes the mask and holds it up to her face.)
luisa:
(speaks as she looks through the mask.)
look a the peasants!
they’re lighting candelabras
no. i believe they’re lighting torches
yes, see –
they’ve started burning the palaces!
there goes the doge!
henry:
arrivederci!
luisa:
what fun! i adore pyrotechnics!
(matt slowly rises, writhing, as henry and mortimer turn to him, and billow their “flames” up and down his twisting body. luisa puts down her mask and speaks to el gallo.)
luisa:
that man – look out; he’s burning. my god, he’s on fire!
el gallo:
(pleasantly.)
keep on dancing
luisa:
but he’s burning!
el gallo:
just put up your mask
then it’s pretty
(luisa puts on mask.)
matt:
help!
luisa:
oh. yes, isn’t he beautiful!
he’s all sort of orange
red+orange
that’s one of my favorite colors
matt:
(writhing in pain.)
help!
luisa:
you look lovely!
(with one last flash of flame, henry and mortimer pull matt down out of sight on the little “puppet stage.”)
el gallo:
(as luisa sings a wild obbligato.)
we’ll just dance!
we’ll kick up our heels to music and dance!
until my head reels with music
just like a lovely real romance
all we’ll do is daily dance
all we’ll do is just dance
all we’ll do is just dance
all we’ll do is just –
luisa:
(speaks.)
whee. i’m exhausted
el gallo:
but you can’t be
the evening’s just started!
(music. as he sings, luisa turns slowly round and round on the prop box, the mask up to her face, like a mechanical doll.)
round and round
till the break of day
candles glow
fiddles play
why not be wild if we feel that way?
reckless and terribly g+y!
luisa:
i’m ready anytime
if you’ll take me, i’m
ready to go!
so show the way to me
i will try to be
ready to go!
el gallo:
i seem to see athens, it’s terribly chic
atop the acrop’lis, it’s terribly greek
there’s venus, adonis, ‘n us
cheek to cheek
(as venus and adonis have been mentioned, henry and mortimer pop out from behind the “puppet stage,” trying to look greek.)
luisa:
oh how chic!
el gallo:
to be greek cheek to cheek!
(once again matt rises into sight.)
luisa:
observe the friendly natives!
henry & mort:
(waving their “whips” of colored ribbons at the audience.)
h+llo there!
luisa:
la, how g+y
(henry and mortimer turn up to matt and begin to “whip” him in rhythm with their streamers.)
look, dear, they’re beating a monkey
isn’t it fun
(puts down mask; looks at el gallo.)
i wonder why anyone should be beating a monkey?
(looks front.)
oh, no, that’s it
it’s not a monkey at all
it’s a man dressed in a monkey suit
that man – they’ve hurt him!
el gallo:
put up the mask
luisa:
but he is wounded!
el gallo:
the mask! the mask!
(once again she lifts the mask up to her face.)
matt:
help!
luisa:
oh, isn’t that cute
they’re beating a man in a monkey suit
it’s a show. la, how jolly
don’t stop; it’s charming
don’t stop
matt:
help!
luisa:
that’s it. writhe some more!
(the “puppets” disappear again, as el gallo and luisa dance.)
el gallo:
(sings as luisa resumes her obbligato.)
we’ll just dance!
we’ll kick up our heels to music and dance!
until my head reels with music
just like a lovely real romance
all we’ll do is daily dance
all we’ll do is just dance
all we’ll do is just dance
all we’ll do is just –
luisa:
couldn’t we just sit this one out?
el gallo:
ridiculous! when there’s music to be danced to
play, gypsies!
(shouts are heard from behind the “puppet stage.” then everyone, including the old actors, joins in singing.)
el gallo (& all):
round and round
‘neath a magic spell
velvet gown
pink lapel
life is a colorful carousel
reckless and terribly g+y
luisa:
i’m ready anytime
if you’ll take me, i’m
ready to go!
so show the way to me
i will try to be
ready to go!
el gallo:
(at the same time as luisa.)
g+y –
we’re so g+y!
terribly g+y!
g+y –
we’re so g+y!
terribly g+y!
el gallo:
we’ll be in bengasi or maybe bombay
i understand india is terribly g+y
the natives assemble on feast day and play
luisa:
with their snakes?
el gallo:
what a racket it makes!
luisa:
i think i’m going to love india
such a big population, and
i adore crowds!
oh, look, there’s a fakir –
hi, fakir!
henry:
(a bit confused.)
arrivederci!
luisa:
see – he’s there with his assistants
they all know yogi –
and they’re just loads of fun! oh!
look, there’s one – a young one –
they’re putting him down on some nails
(she puts down her mask.)
if he fails, he’ll be cut to bits by those nails
matt:
help!
luisa:
somebody help him
el gallo:
the mask!
luisa:
but he’s bleeding!
horrible!
el gallo:
mask!
(and he forces it up to her face. once more, the transition.)
luisa:
go on. sit down harder!
he’s a sissy
i don’t believe he’s a real fakir
they never complain
he’s a fake fakir
matt:
help!
luisa:
fake!
(and we go into the last chorus, with luisa singing the obbligato and the entire company – except the mute – singing in the background.)
el gallo:
(as the others sing their variations.)
we’ll –
just –
dance –!
we’ll kick up our heels to music
and dance!
until my head reels with music
just like a lovely real romance –
(henry and mortimer come forward and kneel on either side of luisa, joined by the mute who comes with his red flame and kneels just below her. as they do so, all three continue to move their flames up and down, so they are l!cking luisa’s body as she turns round and round, the laughing mask barely covering her own horrified face.)
all we’ll do is daily –
i can see the friendly natives!
all we’ll do is just dance!
all we’ll do is just dance!
all we’ll do is just –
round and round in a magic spell –
(the old actors and the mute rush back up to the platform and resume flaming the boy as luisa stops turning and stands facing front, her face just below el gallo’s.)
all we’ll do is just –
all we’ll do is just –
all we’ll do is just –
all we’ll do is just –
el gallo & luisa:
all we’ll do is just
matt:
(calls out.)
help!
el gallo & all:
dance!
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