People say that’s irresponsible
People tell me stay at home
But I’m not made for things like mowing lawns or apron strings
I’m my best, when not at rest

So I fight the dragons and I storm the castles
And I win a battle or two
Then comes the day it’s time,
I’m packing up and I am bringing all my stories home to you

All I can see is miles ahead with miles to go
All I can feel is wind and sun and sky
Stop for a coffee, make a friend, and pray the day will never end
‘Cause there’s one more adventure waiting ’round another bend

Where I fight the dragons and I storm the castles
And I win a battle or two
But then a feeling comes
Like fifty thousand drums all banging, “Bring my stories home to you”

And I wonder as I wander on the road from door to door
Exactly what you think of where I’ve been

Do you know I joined the circus, met a mermaid, fought a war?
Do you know I think of you through thick and thin?
Because even though I’m making deals and bringin’ people joy
I’m usually only thinking of my boy

Out there on the road I pray
You’ll come to my one day
And say, “Let’s fight the dragons and then storm the castles
’til we win what needs to be won”
So when I’m old and tired, you’ll do the job required
You’ll be there telling stories to your son

And we fight the dragons and we storm the castles
And I do the best that I can
For everybody knows that’s how the story goes
To turn each boy into a bigger man

So I’ll fight the dragons ’til you can

(sung)
With your eye on the ball and your feet on the fairway-
Hit it high little girls, marry well!

MAN
Four!

MAJOR BOUVIER
Every point under par is a leg up the stairway
To the sky little girls, marry well.
Find a staunch young patrician,
Republican!
With the blood and the brains to excel!
Like the fine strapping lad your late grandmama had
Meaning I, little girls, marry well.

Ridiculous woman my daughter Edith
Flying at the face of every good solid value I ever tried to instill in her
God knows I’ve tried to teach her tried to teach all of my brood-

EDIE &MAJOR BOUVIER(spoken)
The hallmark of aristocracy is responsibility

MAJOR BOUVIER
Edie, oh ho ho, the last hope of the great Bouvier clan.

EDIE
Oh, honestly!

BROOK
But Major Bouvier, the time!

MAJOR BOUVIER
Oh alright, alright, I’m coming.
Company, fall in! Ten hut!

EDIE
Chair the ball for the blind

LEE
Treat your church to a steeple

ALL
When in doubt, little girls, marry well!

LEE
Bail the met out of debt

JACKIE
Leave your art to the people.

ALL
And the crowd will fall under your spell!

MAJOR BOUVIER
But an unmarried lassie who’s fast and loose,
is a moose in a herd of gazelle!

ALL
POW

MAJOR BOUVIER
Don’t be picked off the pack
With your head on a plaque!
Do me proud, little girls

ALL
Marry well

MAJOR BOUVIER
It’s your future that counts
They say greatness always skips a generation
So now its up to you to burnish the family crest
And remember girls- this crest of our french royal providence
It took a while for it
We paid a pile for it
So go end up spinsters and diletants!
The name Bouvier will surpass all others
All of your uncles, aunts-

EDITH
Oh Ah Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh

MAJOR BOUVIER
And mothers

LEE
Picture Lee in Milan with a prince and a villa.

MAJOR BOUVIER
Sally forth, little girl! Very nice.

JACKIE
Jackie B. in Paris, simply bathes in chinchilla

EDIE
As for me, Joe will more than suffice!

MAJOR BOUVIER
Good girl!
With a grandfather’s blessing, I wish you love!
Someone there when your hair goes to gray, and I’ll strut in my spats down the isle of Saint Pat’s!

BROOKS
Marry high!

EDIE
Marry proud!

JACKIE & LEE
Nouveau riche ain’t allowed!

BROOKS
Upper class!

LEE
Upper Crust!

JACKIE
Standard Oil and Morgan Trust!

EDIE
Marry young!

BROOKS
Marry chaste!

MAJOR BOUVIER
Or if not, then in haste-

ALL
Marry well, and you’re well on your way!

No lyrics at this time, if you would like to submit please email trevor@theatrenerds.com

There will always be a valley
Always mountains one must scale
There will always be perilous waters
Which someone must sail

Into valleys, into waters
Into jungles, into hell
Let us ride, let us ride home again with a story to tell
Into darkness, into danger
Into storms that rip the night
Don’t give in, don’t give up
But give thanks for the glorious fight

You can tremble, you can fear it
But keep your fighting spirit alive boys
Let the shiver of it sting you
Fling into battle, spring to your feet boys
Never hold back your step for a moment
Never doubt that your courage will grow
Hold your head even higher and into the fire we go

Are there mountains that surround us?
Are there walls that block the way?
Knock ’em down, strip ’em back boys
And forward and into the fray

Into terror, into valour
Charge ahead, no, never turn
Yes, it’s into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn

Someone has to face the valley
Rush in, we have to rally and win boys
When the world is saying not to
By God, you know you’ve got to march on, boys
Never hold back your step for a moment
Never doubt that your courage will grow
Hold your head ever higher and into the fire we go

Let the lightning strike
Let the flash of it shock you
Choke your fears away
Pull as tight as a wire
Let the fever strike
Let the force of it rock you
We will have our day, sailing into the fire

Land Ho!

Someone has to face the valley
Rush in! We have to rally and win boys
When the world is saying not to
By God, you know you’ve got to march on, boys
Never hold back your step for a moment
Look alive! Oh, your courage will grow
Yes, it’s higher and higher and into the fire we go
Into fire!
Onward, ho!

They want my blood
They’re ready to feed
They don’t even know
The man that they bleed
As if a man
Can love on demand
Accept his life
Is already planned

There is no demon inside
Just a man full of pride
For my hopes haven’t died
Look…

Look, I’m Martin Guerre
Too young to love
But still above
The lie they live
Yes! I’m Martin Guerre
A man who knows
How evil grows
And can’t forgive

Soon they will see
A man can choose to be free
They all look for someone to blame
But I swear it aloud, I will be proud that
Martin Guerre is my name

First I trusted Pierre
I was sold at the shrine
Then I trusted the priest
Now my blood runs like wine
And then there was Bertrande
It seems all love must turn to dust
There must be someone I can trust

Look, I’m Martin Guerre
Father I’m brave
And from your grave
You’ll keep me strong
Yes. I’m Martin Guerre
For they will learn
When I return
That I belong

Soon you will see
That I can choose to be free
They all look for someone to blame
But I swear it aloud, I will be proud I’m
Martin Guerre
They all look for someone to blame
But I swear it aloud, I will be proud that
Martin Guerre is my name

CAMPBELL
You?

RANDALL
Right?
I was a loser, a mess,
A loner, depressed
That every day I had to be me
Walked around hoping no one
Would see me

I’d lock myself in the guys room
And let the tears fall,
Til one day this custodian
Knocked on my stall
And asked if I’d heard
Of the band: The Grateful Dead —
And I thought he might not be
Quite right in the head…

But he changed my life around
When he said
“Right now everything seems so important.
But time rushes by at a clip
And when you look back,
These high school years
Will be nothing more than a blip
So you might as well — enjoy the trip.”

CAMPBELL
But its such a long blip!

RANDALL
Thats what i said! and he said:

“Trust me on this, when you’re older
And wiser and balder and fatter
And you look back on this
Moment in time
The only things thats gonna
Matter is
Did you only do what you
Thought you should do?
Did you dance monkey dance
Cause the man told you to?
Or did you spend your time doing
What brings joy to you?

“All you see is this old dude
With a broom in his hand.
But I’ve followed my dreams
And my favorite band.”

So don’t sit on your ass
Waiting for life to begin
If you do what you love
With your time, then you win!
What a long, strange,
Wonderful trip it’s been!

Right now everything seems
So important
But time rushes by at a clip
And when you look back,
These high school years
Will be nothing more than a blip
Just a tale to tell!

RANDALL & CAMPBELL
That rings a bell
So what the hell!
We might as well enjoy the trip!

I’m passing through a rite
That every parent does
I’m walking on some shared familiar ground
Yet every step I take
Is not a step that was
And I found
I like the sound of

Stranger
A child I’ve yet to meet
Becomes my everything
My song to sing
Father
And suddenly the weight of it is real
What do I feel?

I feel connected
In a way I’ve never known
A line from dad to me to new-born son
So from today
I’ll never make a choice alone
One for all
All for one

And when he’s born
I’ll teach him how to use his common sense
He’ll listen and he’ll learn and he’ll excel
I’ll tell my son
That life is lived in clear and present tense
Not only in the stories we can tell

My father told me stories
I could never comprehend
In every tale he’d claim to be the hero
I’ve tried to understand him
But I wonder if I can

Because after almost thirty years
I still don’t know the man
I wish I knew the man

But he’s a stranger
My father is a stranger I know very well
A puzzling shell
Hopeful
What’s on its way help us both to grow
But I don’t know

I don’t know when I’ll understand
What made him wild
I don’t know why he has the urge to fly
I want to face him
Like a man and not a child
So I’ll try
I’ll really try

And in time, my boy is sure to see
Brighter days for dad and me
We can do things better than before
So that strangers we will be no more

Got some years ahead to go
You’ll go free if you take it slow
Oh boy you got left, right
oh boy, ain’t that right

Two kinds of people in this world
Some say yes and some say no
Time to say which side you’re on
Eeeny meeny miney moe

Say yes and your adventure start
Not always as expected
Say no you stay apart
But you stay protected

You’ve got to give your self
A reason to rejoice
Cause the music you make
Counts for everything
Now every living soul has got a voice
You’ve got to give it room
And let it sing

My family never had too much
Made the best of every day
Ate what’s on our plates you know
Never threw a thing away
We kept our nightmares on the shelf
Our dreams were on the table
Pass ‘em down and help your self
As long as you are able

My momma told me
Son forget what might have been
Give yourself a break whatever’s happening
Don’t let your spirit, son, come closing in
You gotta give it room and let it, let it sing
You gotta give it room and let it sing
Oh you gotta lift up your voice and sing

Got some years ahead to go
You’ll go free if you take it slow
Got some years it won’t be long
You’ll be free to sing your song

Oh boy you got left, right
Oh boy

There’s precious little really folks like us controlled
But you can make your music from the simplest thing
And though no one has got to tend your soul
You’ve got to give it room and let it
Let it sing
You’ve got to give it room and let it sing

You’ve got to let it sing
You got to let it sing
You got to give it room
And let it sing