Stephen Sondheim
By The Sea
[MRS. LOVETT, spoken]
I've always had this dream ever since I was a skinny little slip of a thing and me rich Aunt Netty used to take me to the seaside on holiday. The pier, making little castles in the sand, I can still feel my toes wiggling around in the brimey

(Sung)
By the sea, Mr. Todd
That's a life I covet
By the sea, Mr. Todd
Oh, I know you'd love it!
You and me, Mr. T
We could be
Alone
In a house wot we'd almost own
Down by the sea

Wouldn't that be smashing?

With the sea at our gate
We'll havе kippered herring
Wot havе swum to us straight
From the Straits of Bering
Every night in the kip
When we're through our kippers
I'll be there slippin' off your slippers

By the sea...
With the fishies splashing
By the sea...
Wouldn't that be smashing?
Down by the sea...
I can see us waking
The breakers breaking
The seagulls squawking
Hoo! Hoo!
I'll do me baking
Then I'd go walking
With you—hoo...
Yoo-hoo...

I'll warm me bones
On the esplanade
Have tea and scones
With me gay young blade
Then I'll knit a sweater
While you write a letter
Unless we've got better
To do—hoo...

Think how snug it will be
Underneath our flannel
When it's just you and me
And the English channel
In our cozy retreat
Kept all neat and tidy
We'll have chums over every Friday
By the sea...
Don't you love the weather?
By the sea
We'll grow old together
By the seaside
Hoo! Hoo!
By the beautiful sea

(spoken)
Oh, I can see us now—in our bathing dresses—you in a nice, rich navy—and me, stripes perhaps

(sung)
It'll be so quiet
That who'll come by it
Except a seagull?
Hoo! Hoo!
We shouldn't try it
Though, till it's legal
For two—hoo!

But a seaside wedding
Could be devised
Me rumpled bedding
Legitimized
Me eyelids'll flutter
I'll turn into butter
The moment I mutter
"I do—hoo!"
By the sea, in our nest
We could share our kippers
With the odd-paying guest
From the weekend trippers
Have a nice, sunny suite
For the guest to rest in—
Now and then, you could do the guest in—

By the sea
Married nice and proper
By the sea—
Bring along your chopper
To the seaside
Hoo! Hoo!
By the beautiful sea

(Spoken)
Thank you, thank you