Stephen Sondheim: Another National Anthem

(CZOLGOSZ)
I did it because it was wrong for one man
to have so much service when other men have none...

(BOOTH)
I did it to bring down the government of
Abraham Lincoln and to avenge the ravaged South...

(HINCKLEY)
I did it to prove to her my everlasting love...

(FROMME)
I did it to make them listen to Charlie...

(ZANGARA)
I did it 'cause my belly was on fire...

(GUITEAU)
I did it to preserve the Union and promote the
sale of my book...

(MOORE)
I did it so my friends would know where I was
coming from...

(BYCK)
Where's my prize?

(CZOLGOSZ)
I did it because no on cared about the poor man's pain...

(MOORE)
I did it so I'd know where I was coming from...

(BYCK)
I want my prize...

(ZANGARA)
I did it 'cause the bosses made my belly burn...

(HINCKLEY)
I did it so she'd pay attention...

(MOORE)
So I'd have someplace to come from, and someplace
to go...

(BYCK)
Don't I get a prize?

(GUITEAU)
I did it 'cause they said I'b be Ambassador to France...

(BOOTH)
I did it so they'd suffer in the North the way we'd
suffered in the South...

(BYCK)
I deserve a fucking prize!...

(FROMME)
I did it so there'd be a trial, and Charlie would get to
be a witness, and he'd be on TV, and he'd save the world!...

(GUITEAU)
Where's my prize?

(BYCK)
I did it to make people listen.

(CZOLGOSZ, FROMME)
They promised me a prize...

(HINCKLEY)
Because she wouldn't take my phone calls-

(ALL (Except Zangara)
What about my prize?

(ZANGARA)
Because nothing stopped the fire-!

(ALL (Except Byck)
I want my prize!...

(BYCK)
Nobody would listen!

(BALLADEER)
And it didn't mean a nickel,
You just shed a little blood,
And a lot of people shed a lot of tears.
Yes, you made a little moment
And you stirred a little mud-

But it didn't fix the stomach
And you've drunk you're drunk you're final bud,
And it didn't help the workers
And it didn't heal the country
And it didn't make them listen
And they never said, "We're Sorry"-

(BYCK)
Yeah, it's never gonna happen,
Is it?
No, sir-

(CZOLGOSZ)
Never.

(BYCK)
No, we're never gonna get the prize-

(FROMME)
No one listens...

(BYCK)
-Are we?

(ZANGARA)
Never.

(BYCK)
No, it doesn't make a bit of difference,
Does it?

(OTHERS (Variously)
Didn't.
Ever.

(BYCK)
Fuck it!

(OTHERS)
Spread the word...

(ALL)
Where's my prize?...

(BALLADEER)
I just heard
On the news
Where the mailman won the lottery.
Goes to show:
When you lose, what you do is try again.

You can be
What you choose,
From a mailman to a president.
There are prizes all around you,
If you're wise enough to see:
The delivery boy's on Wall Street,
And the the usherette's a rock star-

(BYCK)
Right, it's never gonna happen, is it?
Is it!

(HINCKLEY, FROMME)
No, man!

(BYCK, CZOLGOSZ)
No, we'll never see the day arrive-

(ASSASSINS (Variously)
Spread the word...
Will we?
No, sir-
Never!

No one's ever even gonna care if we're alive,
Are they?...
Never...
Spread the word...
We're alive...
Someone's gonna listen...
Listen!

(BYCK)
Listen...
There's anothe national anthem playing,
Not the one you cheer
At the ball park.

(MOORE)
Where's my prize?...

(BYCK)
It's the other national anthem, saying,
If you want to hear-
It says, "Bullshit!"...

(CZOLGOSZ)
It says, "Never!"-

(GUITEAU)
It says, "Sorry!"-

(OTHERS)
Loud and clear-

(ASSASSINS (Variously)
It says: Listen
To the tune that keeps sounding
In the distance, on the outside,
Coming through the ground,
To the hearts that go on pounding
To the sound
Getting louder every year-

Listen to the sound...
Take a look around...

We're the other national anthem, folks,
The ones that can't get in
To the ball park.

Spread the word...

There's another national anthem, folks,
For those who never win,
For the suckers, for the pikers,
For the ones who might have been...

(BALLADEER)
There are those who love regetting,
There are those who like extremes,
There are those who thrive on chaos
And despair.
There are those who keep forgetting
How the country's built on dreams-

(ASSASSINS)
People listen...

(BALLADEER)
-And the mailman won the lottery-

(ASSASSINS)
They might not want to hear it,
But they listen,
Once they thinks it's gonna stop the game...

(BALLADEER)
-And the usherette's a rock star.

(ASSASSINS)
No, they may not understand
All the words,
All the same
They hear the music...
They hear the screams...

(BALLADEER)
I've got news-

(ASSASSINS)
They hear the sobs,
They hear the drums...

(BALLADEER)
-You forgot about the country-

(ASSASSINS)
The muffled drums,
The muffled dreams...

(BALLADEER)
-So it's now forgotten you-

(ASSASSINS)
And they rise...

(BYCK)
You know why I did it?
Because there isn't any
Santa Clause!

(ASSASSINS)
Where's my prize?

(BALLADEER)
And you forgot-

(ASSASSINS)
What's my prize?

(BALLADEER)
-How quick it heals-

(ASSASSINS)
Promises and lies...

(BALLADEER)
-That it's a place
Where you can make the lies come true-

(ASSASSINS)
Spread the word...

(BALLADEER)
-If you try-

(ASSASSINS)
Gotta spread the word...

(BALLADEER)
-That's all you have to do-

(ASSASSINS)
Right,
All you have to do...

Well, there's another national anthem,
And I think it just began
In the ball park.
Listen hard...

Like the other national anthem
Say to each and every fan:
If you can't do what you want to,
Then you do the things you can.

You've got to try again!

Like they say,
You've go to keep on trying
Every day
Until you get a prize...
Until you get a prize...

Until you're heard...
Musn't get discouraged...
Spread the word...
Mustn't give up hope...
Up to you-
Don't say-
-What you choose...
-It's never gonna happen...
Spread the word...

(ALL)
You can always get a prize...

(BOOTH)
You can always get your dream...

(BYCK)
Sure, the mailman won the lottery...