Act I: a Very Nice Prince / First Midnight / Giants in the Sky Songtext

von Stephen Sondheim

He's a very nice Prince.

And-?

And-
It's a very nice ball.

And-?

And-
When I entered they trumpeted.

And-?
The Prince-?

Oh, the Prince...

Yes, the Prince!

Well, he's tall.

Is that all?
Did you dance?
Is he charming? They say that he's charming.

We did nothing but dance.

Yes-? And-?

And it made a nice change.

No, the Prince!

Oh, the Prince...

Yes, the Prince.

He has charm for a Prince, I guess...

Guess?

I don't meet a wide range.

Did he bow?
Was he cold and polite?

And it's all very strange.

Did he speak? Did he flirt?
Could you tell right away he was royalty?
Is he sensitive,
Clever,
Well-mannered,
Considerate,
Passionate,
Charming,
As kind as he's handsome,
As wise as he's rich,
Is he everything you've ever wanted?

Would I know?

Well, I know.

But how can you know what you want
Till you get what you want
And you see if you like it?

Would I know?

All I know is-

I never wish-

What I want most of all-

Just within reason.

Is to know what I want.

When you know you can't have what you want,
Where's the profit in wishing?

He's a very nice Prince...

What I wouldn't give to be in your shoes.

Will you look over there, an enormous beanstalk
Growing next to that little cottage.

I mean slippers as pure as gold.

I must get home.

I need you shoes.

Wait!

One midnight gone...

No know unties itself...

Sometimes the things you most wish for are not
To be touched...

The harder to get, the better to have...

Never wear mauve at a ball...

Or pink...

Or open your mouth...

The difference between a cow and a bean
Is a bean can begin an adventure...

Slotted spoons don't hold much soup...

The prettier the flower, the farther from the path...

The closer to the family, the closer to the wine...

Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah...

One midnight gone!...

The mouth of a wolf's not the end of the world...

A servant is not just a dog, to a Prince...

Opportunity is not a lengthy visitor...

You may know what you need,
But to get what you want,
Better see that you keep what you have.

One midnight gone...

Sometimes the things you most wish for are not
To be touched...

The harder to get,
The better to have...
Agreed.

One midnight gone... one midnight gone...

Never wear mauve at a ball...

Or pink...

Slotted spoons don't hold much soup...

To get what you want,
Better keep what you...

The prettier the flower...

One midnight gone...

Into the woods,
Into the woods,
Into the woods, then out of the woods
And home before-

There are Giants in the sky!
There are big tall terrible Giants
In the sky!

When you're way up high
And you look below
At the world you left
And the things you know,
Little more than a glance
Is enough to show
You just how small you are.

When you're way up high
And you're own your own
In a world like none
That you've ever known,
Where the sky is lead
And the earth is stone,

You're free, to do
Whatever pleases you,
Exploring things you'd never dare
'Cause you don't care,
When suddenly there's

A big tall terrible Giant at the door,
A big tall terrible lady Giant
Sweeping the floor.
And she gives you food
And she gives you rest
And she draws you close
To her Giant breast,
And you know things now
That you never knew before,
Not till the sky.

Only just when you've made
A friend and all,
And you know she's big
But you don't feel small,
Someone bigger than her
Comes along the hall
To swallow you for lunch.

And you heart is lead
And your stomach stone
And you're really scared
Being all alone...

And it's then that you miss
All the things you've known
And the world you've left
And the little you own-

The fun is done.
You steal what you can and run.
And you scramble down
And you look below,
And the world you know
Begins to grow:

The roof, the house, and your Mother at the door.
The roof, the house and the world you never thought to explore.
And you think of all of the things you've seen,
And you wish that you could live in between,
And you're back again,
Only different than before,
After the sky.

There are Giants in the sky!
There are big tall terrible awesome scary wonderful
Giants in the sky!