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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