Langston Hughes
I Loved Her Too
[BUCHANAN, spoken]
They got him!

[MAURRANT]
Rose! You're wearing a black dress!

[ROSE]
Why did you do it?
Why did you?

[MAURRANT]
I must've been out of my head, Rose

[ROSE]
She never opened her eyes again

[MAURRANT]
It might not of looked like it to you
But I loved her, too

[THE CROWD]
He loved her, too

[MAURRANT]
I couldn't stand to see nobody takin' her away from me
For I loved her, too
[THE CROWD]
He loved her, too
He really loved her
He loved her, too

[ROSE]
She was so gentle, always so good and sweet

[MAURRANT]
I'd been drinkin', Rose, see what I mean
And all this talk that went around
There always was something inside of me
Right here like a wall
Seems like I never could break through
But I swear to God, Rose
That I loved her, too
I loved her, too
Yes, I loved her, too

[ROSE, spoken]
What'll they do to you, Pop?

[MAURRANT]
It's the chair for me, I guess
But I don't care
Let 'em give me the chair
I don't care
The way she looked at me!
That look in her eyes!
Rose! I oughtn't have done it!
[ROSE]
She always was gentle, always so sweet

[THE CROWD]
No, he oughtn't have done it!

[MAURRANT]
I oughtn't have done it!

[ROSE]
And now she is dead

[THE CROWD]
He loved her, he loved her

[MAURRANT]
I must have been crazy

[THE CROWD]
And yet he killed her

[ROSE]
She always was gentle

[MAURRANT]
I just went clean out of my head
[THE CROWD]
He killed her
Now she is dead

[ROSE]
And now she is dead

[THE CROWD]
Now she is dead

[MAURRANT]
But I loved her too

[THE CROWD, variously]
The woman he loved is dead
She is dead, where the window is broken

[ROSE]
You say you loved her

[MAURRANT]
There always was something inside of me

[THE CROWD, variously]
Up there in that room
He loved her too

[MAURRANT]
Right here like a wall I couldn't break through

[THE CROWD, variously]
And yet he killed her
Up there in that room
He loved her too

[ROSE]
But now she is dead
She was my mother, why did you kill her?

[THE CROWD, variously]
Why did he do it? Why did he kill her?
Why did he kill the one he loved?

[MAURRANT]
I loved her, too, Rose
Yes, I loved her, too

[THE CROWD]
He loved her, too