Stephen Sondheim
City on Fire
[COMPANY]
The engine roared, the motor hissed
And who could see how the road would twist?
In Sweeney’s ledger the entries matched:
A beadle arrived, and a beadle dispatched
To satisfy the hungry god of Sweeney Todd
The demon barber of Fleet...
Sweeney!
...Street
Sweeney!
Sweeney! Sweeney! Sweeney!
Sweeney! Sweeney!

[LUNATICS]
City on fire!
Rats in the grass
And the lunatics yelling in the streets!
It’s the end of the world! Yes!
City on fire!
Hunchbacks dancing!
Stirrings in the ground
And the whirring of giant wings!
Watch out!
Look!
Blotting out the moonlight
Thick black rain falling on the
City on fire!
City on fire!
City on fire!

[JOHANNA]
Will we be married on Sunday?
That’s what you promised
Married on Sunday!
That was last August..
Kiss me!

[LUNATICS]
City on fire!
Rats in the grass
And the lunatics yelling in the streets!
It’s the end of the world! Yes!
City on fire!
Hunchbacks kissing!
Stirrings in the graves
And the screaming of giant winds!
Watch out! Look!
Crawling on the chimneys
Great black crows screeching at the
City on fire!
City on fire!
City on fire!
[MRS. LOVETT]
Toby! Where are you, love?

[TODD]
Toby! Where are you, lad?

[MRS. LOVETT]
Nothing’s gonna harm you

[TODD]
Toby!

[MRS. LOVETT]
Not while I’m around …

[TODD]
Toby!

[MRS. LOVETT]
Where are you hiding?
Nothing’s gonna harm you, darling

[TODD]
Nothing to be afraid of, boy…

[MRS. LOVETT]
Not while I’m around
[TODD]
Toby…

[MRS. LOVETT]
Demons are prowling everywhere
Nowadays

[TODD]
Toby…

[LUNATICS]
City on fire!
Rats in the streets
And the lunatics yelling at the moon!
It’s the end of the world! Yes!

[BEGGAR WOMAN]
Beadle! Beadle!
No good hiding, I saw you!
Are you in there still
Beadle? Beadle?
Get her, but watch it!
She’s a wicked one, she’ll deceive you
With her fancy gowns
And her fancy airs
And her —
Mischief! Mischief!
Devil’s work!
Where are you, Beadle?
Beadle…

[LUNATICS]
City on fire!
Rats in the grass
And the lunatics yelling in the streets!
It’s the end of the world! Yes!
City on fire!
Hunchbacks kissing!
Stirrings in the graves
And the screaming of giant winds!
Watch out! Look!
Crawling on the chimneys
Great black crows screeching at the
City on fire!

[ANTHONY]
Mr. Todd?

[JOHANNA]
No one here. Where is this Mr. Todd?

[ANTHONY]
No matter. He’ll be back in a moment, for I trust him as I trust my right arm. Wait for him here. I’ll return with the coach in less than half an hour

[JOHANNA]
But they are after us still. What if they trace us here? Oh, Anthony, please let me come with you

[ANTHONY]
No, my darling, there is no safety for you on the street

[JOHANNA]
But dressed in these sailor’s clothes, who’s to know it is I?

[ANTHONY]
No, the risk is too great
Ah, miss
Look at me, look at me, miss, oh
Look at me please, oh
Favor me, favor me with your glance
Ah, miss
Soon we’ll be, soon we’ll be gone
And sailing the seas
And happily, happily wed in france

[ANTHONY/JOHANNA]
And we’ll sail the world
And see its wonders
From the pearls of Spain
To the rubies of Tibet—[ANTHONY]
And then come home to London
Some day.[JOHANNA]
And then home
Some day.[ANTHONY]
I’ll be back before those lips have time to lose that smile

[BEGGAR WOMAN]
Beadle!
Beadle! Where are you?
Beadle, dear!
Beadle!
Beadle deedle deedle deedle deedle dumpling
Beadle dumpling, be-deedle dumpling...

[TODD]
You! What are you doing here?

[BEGGAR WOMAN]
Ah, evil is here, sir. The stink of evil — from below — from her! Beadle dear, Beadle!

[TODD]
Out of here, woman

[BEGGAR WOMAN]
She’s the devil’s wife! Oh, beware her, sir. Beware of her. She with no pity in her heart

[TODD]
Out, I say!

[BEGGAR WOMAN]
Hey, don’t I know you, mister?

[TURPIN]
Mr. Todd, sir!

[TODD]
The judge. I have no time

[TURPIN]
Where is she? Where is the girl?

[TODD]
Below, your honor. With my neighbor, Mrs. Lovett. Thank heavens the sailor did not molest her. Thank heavens, too, she has seen the error of her ways

[TURPIN]
She has?

[TODD]
Oh yes, sir, your lesson was well learned. She speaks only of you, longing for forgiveness

[TURPIN]
And she shall have it. She’ll be here soon, you say?

[TODD]
I think I hear her now

[TURPIN]
Oh, excellent, my friend!

[TODD]
Is that her dainty footstep on the stair?

[TURPIN]
I hear nothing

[TODD]
Yes, isn’t that her shadow on the wall?

[TURPIN]
Where?

[TODD]
There! Primping
Making herself even prettier than usual

[TURPIN]
Even prettier …
If possible

[TURPIN]
Oh, pretty women!

[TODD]
Pretty women, yes …

[TURPIN]
Quickly, sir, a splash of bay rum!

[TODD]
Sit, sir, sit

[TURPIN]
Johanna, Johanna

[TODD]
Pretty women

[TURPIN]
Hurry, man!

[TODD]
Pretty women are a wonder

[TURPIN]
You’re in a merry mood again today, barber

[TODD]
Pretty women!

[TURPIN]
What we do for[TODD]
Pretty women!
Blowing out
Their candles
Or combing out their hair
Even when they leave
They still
Are there
There... they’re there[TURPIN]
Pretty women!
Blowing out
Their candles
Combing out their hair, then they leave
Even when they leave you
And vanish, they somehow
Can still remain
There with you, there[TURPIN]
How seldom it is one meets a fellow spirit!

[TODD]
With fellow tastes—in women, at least

[TURPIN]
What? What’s that?

[TODD]
Oh, sire, the years no doubt have changed me. But then, perhaps, the face of a barber—the face of a prisoner in the dock—is not particularly memorable

[TURPIN]
Benjamin Barker!

[TODD]
Benjamin Barker!
Rest now, my friend
Rest now forever
Sleep now the untroubled
Sleep of the angels

[COMPANY]
Lift your razor high, Sweeney!
Hear it singing, “yes!”
Sink it in the rosy skin
Of righteousness!

[MRS. LOVETT]
Die! Die! God in heaven—die! You! Can it be? How all the demons in hell are sent to torment me!

[TODD]
Why did you scream? Does the judge live still?

[MRS. LOVETT]
He was clutching, holding on to my skirt, but now he’s finished

[TODD]
Leave them to me. Open the oven doors

[MRS. LOVETT]
No!

[TODD]
Open the doors!

[MRS. LOVETT]
No! Don’t go near her!

[TODD]
What is the matter with you, woman? It’s only some meddling old beggar– Oh no! Oh good god…”don’t I know you?” she said… you knew she lived. From the first moment that I came into your shop you knew my Lucy lived!

[MRS. LOVETT]
I was only thinking of you!

[TODD]
Lucy

[MRS. LOVETT]
Your Lucy! A crazy hag picking bones and rotten spuds out of alley ash-cans! Would you have wanted to know that she ended up like that?

[TODD]
You lied to me

[MRS. LOVETT]
No, no, not lied at all. No, I never lied

[TODD]
Lucy…

[MRS. LOVETT]
Said she took the poison—she did
Never said that she died—poor thing, she lived

[TODD]
I’ve come home again

[MRS. LOVETT]
But it left her weak in the head
All she did for months was just lie there in bed

[TODD]
Lucy

[MRS. LOVETT]
Should’ve been in hospital
Wound up in bedlam instead
Poor thing!

[TODD]
Oh, my god!

[MRS. LOVETT]
Better you should think she was dead
Yes, I lied ‘cause I love you!

[TODD]
Lucy…

[MRS. LOVETT]
I’d be twice the wife she was!
I love you!

[TODD]
What have I done?…

[MRS. LOVETT]
Could that thing have cared for you like me?

[TODD]
Mrs. Lovett
You’re a bloody wonder
Eminently practical and yet
Appropriate as always
As you’ve said repeatedlyThere’s little point in dwelling on the past
No, come here, my love ..
Not a thing to fear
My love
What’s dead
Is dead.[MRS. LOVETT]
Do you mean it?
Everything I did I swear
I thought was only for the best
Believe me!
Can we still be married?[TODD]
The history of the world, my pet

[MRS. LOVETT]
Oh, Mr. Todd
Ooh, Mr. Todd
Leave it to me ..

[TODD]
Is learn forgiveness and try to forget

[MRS. LOVETT]
By the sea, Mr. Todd
We’ll be comfy-cozy
By the sea, Mr. Todd
Where there’s no one nosy …

[TODD]
And life is for the alive, my dearSo let’s keep living it!
Just keep living it
Really living it![MRS. LOVETT]
We'll keep living it!
Really living it![TODD]
There was a barber and his wife
And she was beautiful
A foolish barber and his wife
She was his reason and his life
And she was beautiful
And she was virtuous
And he was naive

[TOBY]
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker man. Bake me a cake. No, no, bake me a pie to delight my eye, and I will sigh if the crust be high! Mr. Todd. Pat him and prick him and mark him with a "b", and put him in the oven for baby and me!