ACT II SCENE 9

 

SONG: THE ARGUMENT

 

 

 

 

 

[The gates to Whispering Glades. Moonlight. AIMÉE opens the gate on her way home. She is alone. DENNIS emerges from the shadows]

 

DENNIS: Aimée –
AIMÉE: Oh, leave me alone, Dennis.

 

AIMÉE:

I NEATLY CAUGHT YOU AT YOUR GAME

LIKE HELL YOU'RE ON THE ROAD TO FAME

I WAS A FOOL FOR BEING SO SHORT-SIGHTED

 

YOU KNOW I'LL LIVE TO RUE THE DAY

WHEN JOYBOY FIRST GOT IN THE WAY

AND THEN YOU STUCK YOUR NOSE IN UNINVITED

 

NOW ALL THE PIECES FIT TOGETHER
IT'S DEAD AS FAR AS I CAN SEE
WHAT'S THERE TO TALK ABOUT

EXCEPT THE WEATHER

 

DENNIS:
YOU KNOW YOU'RE VERY HARD TO TRACK
YOU NEARLY HAD ME TURNING BACK
I ONLY CAME TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS

AND WHEN HE'S MADE YOUR STOMACH CHURN
IT IS TO ME YOU'LL HAVE TO TURN

I OFFER CONFIDENTIAL CONSULTATIONS

 

SEEING IS BELIEVING

BUT YOU DO ME A DISCREDIT

MY PURPOSE WAS TO LOVE YOU

HEAVEN KNOWS I EVEN SAID IT

 

AIMÉE:
YOU ONLY SAW ME AS A GAME
AN EASY TARGET TOOK YOUR AIM
YOU KNEW I’D FALL FOR ANY TALL GO-GETTER

 

AND WHILE YOU HAD YOUR LITTLE LAUGH

I STUMBLED BLINDLY UP THE PATH

BUT YOU’RE AN ENGLISHMAN
I SHOULD KNOW BETTER

 

AND I WANTED TO BELIEVE IT

 

FAIRY STORIES AS A CHILD

WITH A RIDDLE AND A RHYME

JUST A STORY ON A PAGE
THERE’S NO ONCE UPON A TIME

 

DENNIS:

SEEING IS BELIEVING

BUT BELIEF HAS NO FOUNDATION

YOU CLING TO YOUR BELIEF

BUT WHERE THERE'S TRUTH THERE'S NO NEGATION

 

BOTH:

SEEING IS BELIEVING

BUT PERFECTION'S HARD TO FOLLOW

YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT IT SHOWS YOU

IT'S A BITTER PILL TO SWALLOW

 

STAY ALERT UNTIL I CALL

SO SAID WISDOM TO THE SAGE

YOU'LL BE TEACHER TO US ALL
WHEN YOU TURN THE FINAL PAGE

 

SEEING IS BELIEVING

WITH THE WHOLE WORLD RIGHT BEHIND YOU

WITHOUT IT YOU DOUBT IT

ONLY LOVE CAN TRULY BIND YOU

YOU PAY UNTIL YOU DRAW YOUR LAST BREATH

 

BUT THE WEEPING WILL END

IT COMES TO AN END

IT ALL HAS TO END

WITH DEATH

 

DENNIS:
JOYBOY CLAIMS MY POETRY WAS LIFTED
PARODY'S THE NOBLEST FORM OF ART
ALL MY FATHER'S PROGENY ARE GIFTED

PARAPHRASING SHAKESPEARE'S PRETTY SMART

EVERY SECOND-RATER  IS A SPIDER
FEEDS ON OTHER POETS WHERE HE CAN

EVEN MEDIOCRITY'S A STOCK PROVIDER

I'M IT'S GREATEST FAN

SO IF IT’S TRUE
THAT WORDS CONCEAL
THE TRUTH BENEATH
THE WAY WE FEEL
LET SILENCE SPEAK

 

[AIMÉE goes to leave]

HAVE YOU ANY NOTION WHERE YOU'RE HEADED

JOYBOY'S NOT A PLEASANT MAN TO CROSS
THINK OF THAT BEFORE YOU'RE WED AND BEDDED

TO YOUR BOSS

 

NOW LISTEN TO ME
HE'S FULL OF EXCUSE
ONCE HE HAS YOU SNARED

HE'LL ONLY TIGHTEN THE NOOSE

YOU’RE LIVING A LIE
HE WON'T LET YOU GO
JOYBOY IS THE KIND OF GUY
I'D RATHER NOT KNOW

 

AIMÉE: You don’t really love me. How can you? You’re cold, English. You just want to play with me for your own amusement. I am not as lucky as you to have had a privileged education; but I know who I am. Everything about you is a lie and a fake. Where are you? When I turn away I can’t even remember what you look like. When you are not there, I don’t think of you at all.

 

[DENNIS strikes her. AIMÉE recoils into the darkness]

 

DENNIS:
THEN GET ON YOUR BIKE
THERE'S NO MORE TO SAY

YOU MET A GUY YOU REALLY LIKE LIKE

AND THREW HIM AWAY

 

[He exits. BLACKOUT]