SPREAD A LITTLE JOY (Andrew Lippa)

I know it’s hard for you to imagine.
I see the lines on your brow.
But close your eyes and try to imagine
The way I see things here and now.
The time has come to change the world,
And I’m the little girl who knows how.
Spread a little bit of joy.
Whip it up in an ice cream cone,
And follow the rainbow sky.
If you spread a little sweet hello
Pianissimo
Then I’ll know that you’re my guy.
You don’t have to be a politician to know
If you spread a little joy
Then the votes will flow.
Our lives today are stretched to the breaking.
You work, you fight for your share,
And who can say the pain that we’re making
Won’t end up being yours to bear?
Beware the gloom and the frowny face,
And breathe a bit of lighthearted air.
Spread a little bit of joy.
Pop it into a watering can,
And shower the street with light.
If you spread a little vo-di-oh,
Every Jane you know
Will be on your lane tonight.
You don’t need to bleed a dime or trust it to fate.
If you spread a little joy,
I’m your candy-date
Don’t let the daily headlines mow you down.
That’s not the life for you.
When cold and stale-y breadlines slow you down,
You’ll know the only thing left to do.
Spread a little bit of joy,
Spread a little bit of joy,
Spread a little bit of joy,
Spread a little bit,
Just a little bit,
Spread a little bit of joy.
Roll it out on a baking pan,
And serve with a goofy grin.
If you spread a little happy heat,
Every Joe you meet
Will entreat you to come in.
Don’t spend your life rehearsing every whimper and whine.
Go and spread a little joy
Every girl and every boy.
When you spread a little joy,
Then the sun will shine!

UNANSWERED QUESTION (David Kirshenbaum)

A cold night wind blows through a hot tub in Mendocino.
Somewhere my phone rings, but it’s nobody I’ll miss.
I got up early and got drunk on six kinds of vino…
Which says a mouthful, but it can’t account for this.
I see your breath, or is it steam that floats across the water?
I catch your eye, or do I dream you look my way?
You ask me my name and for once in my life,
I have no idea what to say.
It’s a change in the weather that was never there before.
It’s the first flush of fever when I woke up feeling fine.
Something is new
When I look at you,
And there’s an unanswered question…
Should you be mine?
You tell me Cindy will be flying out for a visit.
I tell you nothing, but you fill in all the blanks.
I want to kiss you and the torture is so exquisite.
You just keep talking, and for that I give you thanks.
’Cause what is wrong and what is right goes flying out the window.
We’re lost together in the night, and that is all.
We’ve put those we love out of sight, out of mind,
So is it our fault if we fall?
It’s a wave turning violent as it crashes to the shore.
It’s the first spark of fire when you see the flames begin.
I can be strong,
But only so long,
Until the unanswered question…
Will I give in?
And I give in to the kind of passion I’ve prayed for,
And I give over my heart and soul to the moment that we share.
Do you feel the same, as I think you do?
Could we make a life, for a month or two?
Well, it hardly matters.
Everything is clear, as we lie in bed.
Every word feels safe, even as it’s said.
And my whole world shatters…
And the dawn is peaceful…
But my peace of mind has vanished in thin air…
It’s the doubt and the drama, when you realize what’s in store.
It’s the fear that you’re facing, when you break a solemn vow.
It’s the guilt that should be there, and it’s not there anymore.
It’s the way friends will judge you, acting holier-than-thou.
It’s the no looking backward, since you opened up the door.
It’s the pain yet to go through, though you can’t imagine how.
We’ve gone too far.
Just look where we are.
And it’s the unanswered question…
What happens now?

MY LIFELONG LOVE (Georgia Stitt)

He wasn't much to look at.
I wouldn't call him "fun."
He was twelve years old,
And I was just eleven.
My friends thought I was crazy,
But my innocence was won
By the boy who introduced my heart to heaven.
He was the smartest boy
In the whole sixth grade,
And I couldn't believe I'd found him.
Though his teeth were in braces
And his Dockers were frayed,
I just wanted to be around him.
There are men who make you lose yourself
Or fill you with regret,
But Adam won my lifelong love
Because he played the clarinet.
Doo do doo. Doo do doo…
I wanted nothing more
Than to share a stand
With this prodigy of perfection.
I dreamt of afterschool practice
With the junior high band,
Where we'd sit in the woodwind section.
So I marched into the band room
And became a devotee.
For Adam was my lifelong love,
And this would make him notice me.
Doo do doo. Doo doo doo...
Oh... how I practiced.
God, did I suck.
Adam gave lessons;
I was in luck!
All the scales he made me learn by heart.
I had never seen him look so cute!
I told him that his music was an art.
He told me that his girlfriend played the flute.
I was the dumbest girl
In the whole fifth grade,
And now everyone else had seen it.
I announced I'd quit the band;
My decision had been made,
But I wished that I didn't mean it.
For the music had a hold on me,
Much more than any fling.
I knew I'd found my lifelong love,
And Adam didn't mean a thing.
The marching band was not for me,
But in the choir, I could sing.
Doo doo doo. Doo doo doo…
He was the smartest boy
In the whole sixth grade.

PRETENDING THAT I'M SOMEBODY ELSE (Matthew Sklar & Chad Beguelin)

I found a way to escape from this broken heart,
This mass destruction you left in your wake
I just avoid all the sorrow by spending all my time
Pretending that I’m somebody else.
This little game that I play gets me through the night.
Those sleepless hours I just couldn’t shake.
If I was me I might suffer, but honey not when I’m
Pretending that I’m somebody else.
Someone who doesn’t love you,
Someone who doesn’t care,
Who doesn’t see you when you’re not there.
Someone who doesn’t see you
In every passing face,
Who doesn’t hunger for your embrace,
Your embrace.
The girl I was seems to vanish with each passing day,
But that’s a risk that I’m willing to take.
If I’m not me you can’t hurt me, so tell me where’s the crime
In pretending that I’m somebody else.
Just pretending that I’m somebody else.
You might love me if I’m somebody else.

JUST NOT NOW (Joshua Salzman & Ryan Cunningham)

I want true love some day,
But just not now.
A picket fence cliché,
But just not now.
How can I make you see
Though this feels right to me,
Now's not the time to be
Quite where you are?
You're here too soon.
And though I know it sounds unfair,
If you would wait for me,
I swear, I'll meet you there.
I need some time to heal,
And though your love seems real,
I'm not prepared to feel
The way you do.
So let’s slow down.
It's all too new.
Don't ask me yet again.
I know a day will come
When I can be with you.
So won't you wait 'til then?
Don't think that I don't care.
And please don't get upset.
Just ’cause I'm not quite there,
Just means I'm not there yet.
I know that I'm unsure,
But I've been hurt before
And so I can't ignore
The way I feel.
Let's take this time.
We'll wait it out,
Or else we'll crash and burn.
I'm lost and I don't know
What true love's all about.
Please give me time to learn.
I want so much to say,
"Okay, I love you too."
I will but not today.
You know. I know you do.
And though it's hard you must
Control your heart, and trust,
I want to be with you
Just not now.

IN THIS ROOM (Jason Robert Brown)

I will wait, he said,
By an open door.
I will hold and I will stand.
I will wait, he said,
‘Til I feel the tip
Of your finger in my hand.
I will come, she said,
When you move to me,
When you step away
From the open door.
I will wait, they said.
I will come, they said,
While the water turned to sand.
Waiting…
(Someone push me over the edge.)
Standing…
(Someone tip me over the side.)
Holding…
(Someone send me over the cliff
And open me wide.)
There is love in this room, and it’s growing around you.
There is love, clearing ground, cutting paths through the clay.
There is love in this room,
Standing meekly behind you
Keeping all things that blind you away.
Someone push me over the edge.
Someone tip me over the side.
Someone send me over the cliff
And open me wide.
There is love in this room, building borders and bridges.
There is love, making light, shining silver through gray.
There is love in this room,
Standing strongly behind you,
Keeping all things that blind you away.
In this room, there is love today.
And they start over.
And they start over.
And we start over.
And we start over.
I am here, he said.
I am here, she said,
With his finger in her hand.

THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN (Adam Guettel)

I’m a-walk you through the mountain
On a bearskin rug.
Through the great halls you dream of
An’ tell of so often.
I’m a-keep you jes’ as warm
As a goodnight hug,
As we follow ‘long the diamonds
To the outside.
You kin take me on a tour
Of the emerald towers,
To the spires of sapphires
An’ waterfalls a’ crystal.
We’ll lay down to sleep
With the gypsum flowers,
As we follow ‘long the diamonds
To the outside.
Gonna git you outta there,
To a land a’ babies dancin’
With a banjo in the air.
An’ the sky is all lit up
With lemons and roses;
Everythin’ from your head to your toes is warm.
Listen to me now.
I’m a-walk you through the mountain
On a bearskin rug.
Through the great halls you dream of
An’ tell of so often.
I’m a-take you by the hand,
An’ with a gentle tug,
We’ll be gone—
We’ll be long gone—
As we follow ‘long the diamonds
To the outside.
As we follow ‘long the diamonds
To the outside.

MR. HOPALONG HEARTBREAK (Jason Robert Brown)

So long, farewell, Mr. Hopalong Heartbreak.
Thanks for the kicks, but I guess we’re through.
Oh well, it’s been fun hitchin’ up with a psycho like you.
Nice work, good job, Miss Perpetual Heartache.
Hey! Welcome back! Ain’t you glad you’re here?
You picked a freak twice as crazy as the freaks
You had rejected as too crazy last year.
Oh, I picked a doozy.
He’s a piece of work!
I shoulda worked it out before.
I been sittin’ here hopin’
That door would re-open,
But I ain’t gonna wait no more.
So long, farewell, Mr. Hopalong Heartbreak.
Kiss all the girls and you make them cry –
Ta-ta, adios, thanks a lot, eat shit, and goodbye!
Lord, but I worked and I waited.
If that ain’t tryin’, I don’t know what tryin’ is.
If there ever was a body that fit with mine,
I know in my bones it was his.
Lord, but it feels like I’m burnin’.
I ain’t hurt like this since I don’t know when,
And worse than the pain of losin’ that man
Is the fact that I screwed up again!
Mr. Riggity Righteous! Mr. Tiggity Tough!
Mr. Nobody Could Ever Be Good Enough!
Mr. Piggity Perfect! Mr. Friggity Free!
Mr. Holier Than Thou Could Ever Hope To Be!
Mr. Uppity Uptight! Mr. Striggity Strong!
Mr. Long As You’re Right, Everyone Else Must Be Wrong!
Mr. Got No Patience!
Mr. Cut No Slack!
Well, Mister, watch this butt,
‘Cause I ain’t turnin’ back!
So long, farewell, Mr. Hopalong Heartbreak,
Some other girls like to sit and cry;
Not me, nosiree! I got loads of other roads to try!
So long, Mr. Buddy!
So long, Mr. Pal!
So long from your dedicated, dominated gal!
So long, Mr. Hopalong Heartbreak!
Goodbye!

EASY
(Frank Wildhorn & Jack Murphy)

Learning how to dance is easy.
Put your foot like this, bend for emphasis.
It’s easy...
Then a little turn, once around the floor.
Not too hard to learn, now another turn.
It’s easy...
Learning how to love is easy.
Never say good-bye, never question why.
It’s easy...
Hide the way you feel, never take your share.
Careful to conceal what you can’t reveal.
It’s easy unless you care.
Young romantic notions are easy
Till they start obscuring the view.
Counterfeit emotions are easy
When pretending is all you can do.
Learning how to live is easy
Till you lose your way, day by crazy day.
It’s easy...
Always homeward bound, never getting there.
Always losing ground, racing all around.
It’s easy... So easy...
Life’s easy but seldom fair.

APATHETIC MAN (Marcy Heisler & Zina Goldrich)

I was totally indifferent when it started…
Brokenhearted's not a thing I like to be,
So when he asked me to the movies
I said that might be okay –
A decent way to spend and hour or 2 or 3.
I maintained a cool composure throughout dinner,
And I thought that he was nice, but nothing more.
And after some Chablis it's true,
There was a longing glance or two.
While walking through the city to my door,
I had a real nice time, I said, and softly tilted back my head.
And if he was surprised, he didn't look it.
I said I don't usually do this, but I've got some tea upstairs…
And he gently took my hand, and then he shook it…
Is there anything more sexy than an apathetic man?
What could possibly more set your soul on fire
Than a man who holds you to him, and with eyes of darkest brown,
Looks right through you with complete lack of desire?
No, there is nothing more arousing than an apathetic man.
Nothing brings your fever pitch to point of blister
Than a soft and sultry baritone that whispers in your ear:
"Well…I think of you more like…you know…a sister."
Aaaaaaahhhh….Aaaaaaaah….
I used to think attentive men were better to adore.
Men who'd champagne, caviar and then endive me.
But nothing in the world can make my heart scream "Take Me!" more
Than a man who says that he can take or leave me.
Is there any drug more potent than the apathetic man?
Friends have screamed at me to quit to no avail.
Why take chances on relationship with men that might work out
When you've got one that you know is doomed to fail?
There's no better science project than the apathetic man.
Though he's really not a theory you can prove,
That won't stop you from the hundreds of experiments you'll try
Thinking you the one that's gonna make them move.
So you'll don a fuzzy sweater in a lovely shade of pink,
Trace a sweet vanilla path behind your ear.
Then you'll bat your baby blue eyes as you sit upon his lap,
And he'll murmur, oh that's right, are you still here?
Is there anything more swoony than an apathetic man?
Ladies, try one…they are not too hard to find.
Why spend time on friends and family when you can spend your life
Wondering what on earth is going through his mind?
No, there's nothing that's more moony than an apathetic man,
Though you're sure to make him yours the twelfth of never
So remember if you want to love with passion unconstricted,
Bypass smitten, slightly interested and woefully conflicted.
For you'll find the vice that's sure to make you totally addicted
Is the apathetic man.

I'M FREE (Jeff Blumenkrantz & Libby Saines)

Free.
I'm free.
I'm free
For the first time in my life.
I'm nobody's daughter, nobody's wife.
I'm free
For the first time in my life
To do what I please,
Go where I please,
No one to please but me.
I'll read my book ’til dawn, and then I'll sleep.
And only I will know what hours I keep.
And when a voice inside me whispers
"Run!"
Like a colt let loose in a meadow,
I'll run.
I'll run for miles along the shifting sand,
My shoes and stockings dangling from my hand.
And when the voice inside is singing
"Fly!"
Like a lark ascending to heaven,
I'll fly
Beyond the danger and fear,
The open sky
Will sparkle, crystal clear.
The voice I once denied
Will not be still.
I hear it saying
"Now, you can. Now you will."
All the friends I used to have I’ll have once more.
I'll give the time I couldn't give before.
And when the voice inside is crying
"Sail! Sail!"
Like a ship on it's way to the sea,
I'll sail.
When my heart and my mind agree,
I cannot fail.
I'm free,
Body and soul,
Free and strong.
Oh, God, let my life be long!

YOU'LL WANT ME TO SHINE (Dan Lipton)

You
Tie my shoe
And get blue.
Look out, get worried
Too.
What will you do
When I'm older
And the lines get blurry?
Take
Me away
For today.
Find a half way house for
Us
Just to discuss
The weight of the world
That will be mine.
You'll want me to shine.
You
Gave me my start,
Made me smart,
And my boots are growing.
We
Want to astound
In our way
When the wind is blowing.
Hey,
Far away
You can say
That my roots are showing
Now.
Could you allow
One more vow?
Tell me where I'm going to
You want to come too.
You'll want me to
Play nice,
Share my lot.
You'll want me to
Take advice,
Connect the dots.
You'll want me to shine.
You'll want me to shine.
You'll want me to
Say please.
Always should.
You'll want me to
Make it easy,
Be understood.
You'll want me to
Live well,
Be polite.
You'll want me to
Give 'em hell,
Without a fight.
You'll want me to shine,
Shine.

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