Stephen Sondheim
November 22, 1963
[LEE, spoken]
People will hate me.​

[BOOTH, spoken]
They will hate you with a passion. Imagine: people having passionate feelings about Lee Harvey Oswald.​ It's in your grasp, Lee. All you have to do is move your little finger.​

You can close the New York Stock Exchange.​

[GUITEAU, spoken]
Shut down the schools in Indonesia.​

[MOORE, spoken]
In Florence, Italy, a woman will leap from the Duomo clutching a picture of your victim and cursing your name—

[CZOLGOSZ, spoken]
Your wife will weep—

[FROMME, spoken]
His wife will weep—

[ZANGARA, spoken]
The world will weep—

[GUITEAU, spoken]
Grief. Grief beyond imagining—
[HINCKLEY, spoken]
Despair—

[MOORE, spoken]
The death of innocence and hope—

[CZOLGOSZ, spoken]
The bitter burdens which you bear—

[BYCK, spoken]
The bitter truths you carry in your heart—

[GUITEAU, spoken]
You can share them with the world.​

[BOOTH, spoken]
You have the power of Pandora's Box, Lee. Open it.​

(sung, overlapping)

[GUITEAU]
I envy you

[MOORE]
We're your family
[HINCKLEY]
I admire you

[CZOLGOSZ]
I respect you

[MOORE]
Make us proud of you

[BOOTH]
I envy you

[GUITEAU]
We're your family

[HINCKLEY]
I admire you

[FROMME & MOORE]
We're depending on you

[ZANGARA]
You are the future

[CZOLGOSZ, GUITEAU, & MOORE]
We're your family
[BOOTH]
We envy you

[GUITEAU]
Make them listen to us

[GUITEAU & ZANGARA]
We've been waiting for you

[HINCKLEY]
Make them listen, boy

[CZOLGOSZ]
You are the future

[ALL]
We admire you
We're your family
You are the future
We're depending on you
Make us proud
All you have to do is squeeze your little finger
Squeeze your little finger
You can change the wor—

[A gunshot— Bang!]