This blog follows the progress of playwright August Mergelman and composer Samuel Stokes on their latest musical theatre project. It includes works in progress such as lyrics and musical demos.
This is a character song for the musical. It will either be sung by the aging starlet or the director (with the appropriate lyric adjustments).
Lyrics:
One thing always gets me feeling blue
When my colleagues seem to have no clue.
The thing that makes difficult to acccept
Is that everyone else so inept.
But of everything at all that I hate
Of all the things in the world I berate
One thing puts me out at the drop of a dime.
I hate being right all the time.
I hate it when someone throws me a curve
Or gets on my last nerve.
I can’t take these lackeys that get in my way,
The incompetence I deal with everyday.
There’s so much that drives me crazy, for heaven’s sake.
There’s only so much stupidity I’m able to take.
One thing ticks me off at the drop of a dime.
I hate being right all the time.
All the mistakes in the world that I see
Could all be avoided if people would listen to me.
Everyone really ought to follow my rules
Or they’ll keep wandering around like a bunch of bumbling fools.
Ignoring my advice should be a crime.
I hate being right all the time.
One huge thing that I really hate
Is letting other’s control my fate.
Having to bow to the director’s demand
Is something I can’t stand.
But of everything that I cannot bear
Of all annoying things that get stuck in my hair.
One thing hacks me off at the drop of a dime.
I hate being right all the time.
Since I live in Louisiana and August lives in Colorado, we are relying a lot on Skype to meet and discuss ideas for the musical. In our meeting the other day, August asked if we could use a song that I wrote earlier this year, entitled, "You Talk Entirely Far Too Much," in the show. This is a song that I wrote in a Vaudeville tongue-in-cheek style, and incidentally, it was played on The Dr. Demento Show on May 12 this year. The plot as it is currently laid out involves the production of a new musical and contains flashbacks to an earlier era of Broadway, which could use a song like "You Talk Entirely Far Too Much." The sarcastic sense of humor is quite appropriate to the show as we are currently envisioning it. Of course, some of the lyrics will probably have to be rewritten to incorporate the song into the plot.
Lyrics:
Do you know your mouth is open quite a lot
Sharing ev'ry slightest thought?
You talk entirely far too much.
When you go to meetings at your work,
ev'ryone thinks you're a jerk.
You talk entirely far too much.
You are entirely mistaken when you think
That anyone at all would care to hear you when you fink.
Tell me just who do you think you are?
You must think that you're the star.
You talk entirely far too much.
(Spoken)
Darling, did you know, did you know that everyone's tired of hearing from you?
and that everyone's sick of seeing your face?
You think it's up to you to tell everyone what to say and do,
but no one, no one even asked you to speak in the first place.
(Sung)
You are by far the dumbest person that I know.
Why then is it such a chore for you to shut your hole?
Tell me just who do you think you are?
You must think that you're the star.
You talk entirely far too much. (You're such a nag!)
You talk entirely far too much. (You need a gag!)
You talk entirely far too much.
This afternoon, August e-mailed me a first draft of some lyrics for a potential song. Even though he plans to polish and edit the lyrics, I went ahead and set them to music (of course, the music may also change in the course of things). So here is the result of today's composition session on August's lyrics. By the way, there are two singers in the song, a boy and a girl (both sung by me on this demo).
This song, entitled "You and I," is a potential love theme for the musical. Since the story is still being written, the lyrics of the song may be adjusted later in order to be as relevant to the plot as possible. The given text, however, will be useful as a starting point.
Lyrics:
This is the time here in this place For us to meet and speak face to face. How can I say what I am feeling for you now Without the words I need to express My sense of emptiness.
But time goes on and you're still here. Will time run out? This is my fear. Tell me the words of what you're feeling for me now. Will you be mine or should I even try? Should I bother to cry?
You and I have got just what it takes now to see it through. So why must you take far too long to say you love me, too? What can I do to show you that my love is true? And how long can I wait around to see if it's my fate to be with you?
But let's face facts - this may be the end. If we both move on, we each will lose a friend. But what would life be like without you? I can't say But I would really not like to know. Tell me you'll never go Because I love you so.
August Mergelman and I are working together once again to create a new musical. We made the musical Bird Millman, which was produced in 2002 in Canon City, Colorado. Now we are teaming up to write the ultimate backstage musical. It is currently untitled, but will likely incorporate some of the material I already composed for a project that I called "The Great American Musical." Below is a sample of the demo recordings I did for the previous project. It includes the songs, "The Great American Musical," "27 Parts in the Show," and "Women are Such Wonderful Playthings." Please note that the third song is a satire on the very chauvinistic attitudes found in many classic musicals. Listen to these songs in the demo below.
Lyrics: The Great American Musical
This is the great American musical.
This is the great American show.
There'll be singing and dancing and laughs and romancing
And songs that we all will come to know
That you'll be singing in the shower.
It's the great American musical
Here on the great American stage.
We're not here to tax your brain
Just to entertain
So you'll enjoy no matter what your age.
27 Parts in the Show
I may not be the star. I don't drive a fancy car,
But I've played more parts than any other actor in history so far.
It all begins in Act I where I have lots of fun
Playing Dancer 3, hey, look at me!
Memorize that face, because you'll have to place it
When you see me in my other 26 parts in the show.
I am playing 27 parts in the show.
At least that's what I've counted out so far.
I'm not a shining star. I'm no one you should know,
But I'm the only person playing 27 parts in the show.
In the second scene I have five seconds to change
All my clothes down to my underwear.
It isn't very fun, but somehow it gets done
When you have this much experience as extras in the show.
I am playing 27 parts in the show.
Until the rewrites come and I have more.
My job is not a bore, I'm always on the go
And I'm the only person playing 27 parts in the show.
Women are Such Wonderful Playthings
Women are such wonderful playthings.
It's fun to watch them brush their hair and dress in clothes they like to wear.
Oh women are such wonderful playthings
To comfort men who do the work of the world.
But some women will make us men feel sorrow. Oh no!
Just because they don't see they have their place.
But we're enlightened with masculinity so we can see
Just how things have been and how they should be. Yesiree!
Women are such wonderful playthings
And only for the special price of fancy clothes and diamond rings.
Oh women are such wonderful playthings
To comfort men who do the work of the world.
(Following the first rehearsal of this number, all of the actresses in the show go on strike).
