LEADING PLAYER
WELL, I'LL SING YOU THE STORY OF A SORROWFUL LAD
HAD EVERYTHING HE WANTED, DIDN'T WANT WHAT HE HAD
HE HAD WEALTH AND PELF AND FAME AND NAME AND ALL OF THAT NOISE
BUT HE DIDN'T HAVE NONE OF THOSE SIMPLE JOYS
HIS LIFE SEEMED PURPOSELESS AND FLAT
AREN'T YOU GLAD YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT?

SO HE RAN FROM ALL THE DEEDS HE'D DONE, HE RAN FROM THINGS HE'D JUST BEGUN
HE RAN FROM HIMSELF, WHICH IS MIGHTY FAR TO RUN
OUT INTO THE COUNTRY WHERE HE PLAYED AS A BOY
HE KNEW HE HAD TO FIND HIM SOME SIMPLE JOYS
HE WANTED SOMEPLACE WARM AND GREEN
WE ALL COULD USE A CHANGE OF SCENE

SWEET SUMMER EVENINGS, HOT WINE AND BREAD
SHARING YOUR SUPPER, SHARING YOUR BED
SIMPLE JOYS HAVE A SIMPLE VOICE:
IT SAYS WHY NOT GO AHEAD?
WOULDN'T YOU RATHER BE A LEFT-HANDED FLEA
OR A CRAB ON A SLAB ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA
THAN A MAN WHO NEVER LEARNS HOW TO BE FREE
NOT TILL HE'S COLD AND DEAD.

(spoken)

Enter ... Berthe.
Pippin's grandmother; warm, strong...

BERTHE
Still attractive...

LEADING PLAYER
Still attractive. Charlemagne's mother ... Now living in the country where she enjoys those...

(sings)

SWEET SUMMER EVENINGS, SAPPHIRE SKIES
FEASTING HER BELLY
FEASTING HER EYES
SIMPLE JOYS HAVE A SIMPLE VOICE
IT SAYS TIME'S LIVING'S PRIZE
AND WOULDN'T YOU
RATHER BE A LEFT-HANDED FLEA
A CRAB ON A SLAB ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA
A NEWT ON THE ROOT OF A BANYAN TREE
OR A FIG ON A TWIG IN GALILEE
THAN A MAN WHO NEVER LEARNS HOW TO BE FREE
NOT TILL THE DAY
NOT TILL THE DAY
NOT TILL THE DAY
NOT TILL THE DAY HE DIES!
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