Into the Fire – The Scarlet Pimpernel

Act One

Storybook

  • Listen to me, I have beautiful dreams I can spin you

    Dreams to linger within you

    Close your eyes and we’ll ride my carousel

    I’ll sing you stories of lovers whose love used to fill me

    And the lovers who will be

    For, you see, love is one thing I do well

    Come, let’s believe love can be just as sweet as it seems

    Let’s live on dreams!

    In my dreams such beautiful lovers have found me

    Storybook lovers surround me

    Nothing is real, but I’m flying, sighing

    Where, where, where is my storybook ending?

    Why does my golden pretending

    Leave me with nothing to hold but my dreams?

    Oh, is it only in dreams that we find our ideal love?

    Are there lovers with real love?

    If you know how to feel love, show me how

    Ah, but my prince, if you can’t be as sweet as you seem

    I’d rather dream

    Come and wake me!

    Come be the love I can hold now

    Storybook love leaves me cold now

    Show me the way to stop dreaming

    There is only one perfect storybook ending

    That is the end of pretending

    That is the moment I say, love me now!

    Et sur mon manege, l’amour toujours est chantant

    De mes reves, c’est le commencement

    Et j’espere une fin heureuse

    Mais la fin de l’histoire ne vient pas tres doucement

    Pour l’histoire, il faut faire semblant

    Certes je n’embrasse que mes reves

    Seuls mes reves!

Madame Guillotine

    I know the gutter and I know the stink of the street

  • Kicked like a dog, I have spat out the bile of defeat

    All you beauties who towered above me

    You who gave me the smack of your rod

    Now I give you the gutter

    I give you the judgement of God!

    Vengeance victorious

    These are the glorious days

    Women of Paris, come gather your bloody buquets!

    Now gaze on our goddess of justice

    With her shimmering, glimmering blade

    As she kisses these traitors she sings them a last serenade

    Sing, swing

    Savour the sting

    As she severs you, Madame Guillotine

    Slice, come paradise

    You’ll be smitten with Madame Guillotine

    The world may be ugly, but each man must do what he must

    Give in pretty dear, in a year you will be pretty dust

    Now come let our lady possess you

    In her breathtaking, hair-raising bed

    She will tingle your spine

    As she captures your heart and your head

    Sing, swing

    Savour the sting

    As she severs you, Madame Guillotine

    Slice, come paradise

    Our Delilah will shave you razor clean

    God, when did man lose his reason?

    Save us, my God, if you’re there

    God, can you not feel the terror like a fire in the air?

    Flash, slash!

    Glisten and gash!

    She will ravash you, Madame Guillotine

    Split, Madame just bit

    Give her more to bite, she’s a hungry queen

    Sing, savour the sting

    As she severs you, Madame Guillotine

    Slice, come paradise

    Now

    Blow by blow

    We defy you

    Feel the glow

    Hear the cry

    Hearts will howl

    Blood will flow

    Hail her Majesty!

    Madame Guillotine!

You Are My Home

    From this day on, I give myself to you

  • Here in my arms, you will be free

    I only want you as you are

    Give me your trust

    Grow old with me

    I promise you to cherish and to hold

    Now and as long as we both live

    I’ll make you laugh, I’ll keep you warm

    There is so much I want to give

    You are my home

    You make me strong

    And in this world of strangers

    I belong to someone

    You are all I know

    You’re all I have

    I won’t let go

    May God above shine through this love

    To make us man and wife

    This is what I’ve wanted all my life

    You are my home

    You make me strong

    And in this world of strangers

    I belong to someone

    You are all I know

    You’re all I have

    I need you so

    I won’t let go

    You are my home

Prayer

    No, stay

  • I don’t care what you’ve said or done

    Don’t go away

    Not now, when life had just begun

    Come back, and be the woman who I knew

    Help me to believe in you

    What on earth am I to do?

    She’s gone, this vision who was not quite real

    I must move on despite the pain

    The pain will heal

    Oh, Lord, how could you let me love like this?

    No one dies upon a kiss

    And only fools believe in bliss

    And yes, God knows I am a fool

    A man deluded by his wife

    A figure ripe for ridicule

    Who’s lived a vain and useless life

    So be it then, I’ll play that game

    I do not give a tinker’s damn

    I’ll be a fool, it’s all the same

    It truly doesn’t matter what I am

    God, no!

    I’m broken, but I’m still alive

    And slowly I will feel my soul revive

    With time, I’ll find a way to right this wrong

    If it takes my whole life long

    Lord, I’ll fight my battles all alone

    But make me strong

Into the Fire

    David walked into the valley

  • With a stone clutched in his hand

    He was only a boy

    But he knew someone must take a stand

    There will always be a valley

    Always mountains one must scale

    There will always be perilous waters

    Which someone must sail

    Into valleys, into waters

    Into jungles, into hell

    Let us ride, let us ride home again with a story to tell

    Into darkness, into danger

    Into storms that rip the night

    Don’t give in, don’t give up

    But give thanks for the glorious fight

    You can tremble, you can fear it

    But keep your fighting spirit alive boys

    Let the shiver of it sting you

    Fling into battle, spring to your feet boys

    Never hold back your step for a moment

    Never doubt that your courage will grow

    Hold your head even higher and into the fire we go

    Are there mountains that surround us?

    Are there walls that block the way?

    Knock ’em down, strip ’em back boys

    And forward and into the fray

    Into terror, into valour

    Charge ahead, no, never turn

    Yes, it’s into the fire we fly

    And the devil will burn

    Someone has to face the valley

    Rush in, we have to rally and win boys

    When the world is saying not to

    By God, you know you’ve got to march on, boys

    Never hold back your step for a moment

    Never doubt that your courage will grow

    Hold your head ever higher and into the fire we go

    Let the lightning strike

    Let the flash of it shock you

    Choke your fears away

    Pull as tight as a wire

    Let the fever strike

    Let the force of it rock you

    We will have our day, sailing into the fire

    Someone has to face the valley

    Rush in! We have to rally and win boys

    When the world is saying not to

    By God, you know you’ve got to march on, boys

    Never hold back your step for a moment

    Look alive! Oh, your courage will grow

    Yes, it’s higher and higher and into the fire we go

    Into fire!

    Onward, ho!

Falcon in the Dive

    Hunt for the man

  • Comb the city, every street, every grate

    You put a guard at every gate

    Drag him out, shout the moment that you find him!

    Daam!

    Knock in the doors, lock up the city

    Track him down through this town

    And be quick about it…now!

    How the devil do I ever prevail when I’m only a man?

    But I’ll never be duped by this scurrilous phantom again

    I wasn’t born to walk on water

    I wasn’t born to sack and slaughter

    But on my soul, I wasn’t born

    To stoop, to scorn, and knuckle under

    A man can learn to steal some thunder

    A man can learn to work some wonder

    And when the guantlet’s down,

    it’s time to rise and climb the sky

    And soon the moon will smoulder

    And the winds will drive

    Yes, a man grows older but his soul remains alive

    All those tremulous stars still glitter

    and I will survive!

    Let my heart grow colder and as bitter as a falcon in the dive

    There was a dream, a dying ember

    There was a dream, I don’t remember

    But I will resurrect that dream

    Though rivers stream and hills grow steeper

    For here in hell where life gets cheaper

    Oh, here in hell the blood runs deeper

    And when the final duel is near

    I’ll lift my spear and fly

    Piercing into the sky and higher

    And the strong will thrive

    Yes, the weak will cower while the fittest will survive

    If we wait for the darkest hour

    Till we spring alive

    Then with claws of fire, we devour like a falcon in the dive

    These are the days! Yes!

    Days of glory, days of rage, and the dream

    And the dream of Paris preys on my bones

    Gnawing night and day and clawing through my brain and

    No, never bend! Never kneel!

    Rend him to bits! Bite!

    Now, the beauty of the fight

    I’m not a man to hunger for blood, but the spirit can cry

    To be younger and fiercer and fly

    Piercing into the sky and higher

    And the strong will thrive

    Yes, the weak will cower while the fittest will survive

    If we wait for the darkest hour

    Till we spring alive

    Then with claws of fire, we devour like a falcon in the dive

The Scarlet Pimpernel

    Who is the Scarlet Pimpernel?

  • I’ve heard he swaggers on a heath

    With several daggers in his teeth.

    They say he cracks the longest whip

    And has the stiffest upper lip

    I’ve heard he’s had his skin tatooed

    And dances in the nude

    Who is the Scarlet Pimpernel?

    Now really girls

    You can’t believe just anything you hear

    For accuracy I look to the daily press

    Today they say the fellow’s a Venetian gondalier

    A lusty Latin lover

    Yes, well, more or less

    And although he’s feeble minded

    They report he’s all the rage

    When he travels with his twelve foot spear

    He was seen the other day

    Hacking off a Frenchie’s ear…And two knee caps!

    He’s always at it tooth and nail

    There’s always someone to impale

    But he relaxes now and then

    To take a sail upon the Seine

    I wish he’d sail away with me

    Or simply come to tea?

    This plucky ne’er-do-well

    No, this lucky bloody swell!

    Who is the Scarlet Pimpernel?

When I Look at You

    When I look at you, what I always see

  • Is the face of someone else who once belonged to me

    Still I can hear him laugh

    And even though that melody plays on, he’s gone

    When I look at you, he is standing there

    I can almost breathe him in like summer in the air

    Why do you smile his smile?

    That heaven I’d forgotten eases through, in you

    If you could look at me once more

    With all the love you felt before

    If you and I could disappear into the past

    And find that love we knew

    I’d never take my eyes away from you

    When I look at you, he is touching me

    I would reach for him, but who can hold a memory?

    And love isn’t everything

    That moonlight on the bed will melt away, someday

    Oh, you were once that someone

    Who I followed like a star

    Then suddenly you changed,

    And now I don’t know who you are

    Or could it be that I never really knew you from the start?

    Did I create a dream?

    Was he a fantasy?

    Even a memory is paradise for all the fools like me

    Now, remembering is all that I can do

    Because I miss him so, when I look at you

When I Look at You: Reprise

    Oh, you were once that someone

  • Who I followed like a star

    Then suddenly you changed,

    And now I don’t know who you are

    Or could it be that I never really knew you from the start?

    Did I create a dream?

    Was he a fantasy?

    Even a memory is paradise for all the fools like me

    Now, remembering is all that I can do

    Because I miss her so

    I miss him so

    When I look at you

Where’s the Girl?

    I remember days full of restlessness and fury

  • I remember nights that were drunk on dreams

    I remember someone who hungered for the glory

    I remember her, but it seems she’s gone

    Where’s the girl? Where’s the girl with the blaze in her eyes?

    Where’s the girl with that gaze of surprise?

    Now and then I still dream she’s beside me

    Where’s the girl who could turn on the edge of a knife?

    Where’s the girl who was burning for life?

    I can still feel her breathing beside me

    And I know she remembers how fearless it feels

    To take off with the wind at her heels

    She and I took this world like a storm

    Come again!

    Let the girl in your heart tumble free

    Bring your renegade heart home to me

    In the dark of the morning, I’ll warm you

    I’ll rouse you

    Marguerite, don’t forget I know who you are

    We were cut from the same surly star

    Like two jewels in the sky sharing fire

    Where’s the girl so alive and still aching for more?

    We had dreams that were worth dying for

    We were caught in the eye of a storm

    Come again!

    Let the girl in your heart tumble free

    Bring your renegade heart home to me

    In the dark of the morning, I’ll warm you

    I’ll rouse you

    Where’s the girl?

    Is she gazing at me with surprise?

    Do I still see that blaze in her eyes?

    Am I dreaming, or is she beside me now?

You Are My Home: Reprise

    You are my only brother and my friend

  • What would I do if you were gone?

    Why are your eyes so full of fear?

    I will be here, we will go on

    You are my home

    You make me strong

    And in this world of strangers

    I belong to someone

    You are all I know

    You’re all I have

    I won’t let go

The Creation of Man

    Peacocks!

  • Sink me!

    Think ye, sir,

    how those feathered boys love to flaunt their tails!

    Stallions!

    Zounds, sir!

    Hounds sir! Stags!

    Of the goosie and the gander, sir

    Which gender is the grander, sir

    To render total candor, sir, the spendour is the male’s!

    Be an example to your sex

    Give your boot a dapper strap

    And it’s smarter if your garter has some snap!

    Cravats should be flounced about our necks

    Wear a nightcap when you nap

    Be bewitching with some stitching on your cap!

    Now, drape your cape

    And puff your cuff

    Embroider those lapels!

    Be the king of the beasts in pastels!

    La, but someone has to strike a pose

    And bear the weight of well-tailored clothes

    And that is why the Lord created men

    Strut, sir!

    What, sir?

    Roosters do!

    Give a cock his comb and the hens will pale!

    Bucks! Bulls!

    More, sir!

    Boars, sir! Rams!

    Of the nanny goat and billy, sir

    Whose beard is fully wooly, sir?

    It’s bully for the billy for he’s willy-nilly male!

    Sir, be a lion-hearted prig

    Fill those pantaloons with light!

    I could dangle down a spangle out of sight!

    Oh, yes! Be bold, sir!

    When it’s cold, slap on that wig

    Draw your britches in quite tight

    Even more so, and your torso will ignite

    Now, smock your frock

    Perfume your plume

    I’ll let my waistcoat swing!

    And the jungle will bow to its king!

    La, but someone has to strike a pose

    And bear the weight of well-tailored clothes

    And that is why the Lord created men

    Gentlemen, remember what we’re here for

    Why we must be dressed to kill

    If we have to look like Cleopatra

    Then we will!

    If you’re out to make a splash, cheri,

    Do know your haberdashery!

    Buttons, buckles, ruffles and lace

    Represent the human race!

    La, but someone has to strike a pose

    And bear the weight of well-tailored clothes

    Each species needs a sex that’s fated

    To be highly decorated

    That is why the Lord created men

Madame Guillotine: Reprise

    Stick to your purpose

  • And don’t let the fire burn out

    An eye for an eye

    And to hell with those shadows of doubt

    No one blinds me with tricks and diversion

    No one quickens my heart on the sly

    I am here for one reason

    And all other reasons must die

The Riddle

    See the moon slink down in the sky, darling

  • Let your fantasies fly, darling

    Life is cold, and the game is old

    Just see how virtue repays you

    You turn and someone betrays you

    Betray him first

    And the game’s reversed!

    For we all are caught in the middle

    Of one long treacherous riddle

    Can I trust you? Should you trust me too?

    We shamble on through this hell

    Taking on more secrets to sell

    Till there comes a day when we sell our souls away!

    Through the mist your lover is beckoning

    Comes that moment of reckoning

    Faces change, even smiles grow strange

    And we all have so many faces

    The real self often erases

    Enticing lies flicker through our eyes

    Feel the terror draw ever nearer

    The more you stare in the mirror

    But hold your own

    Face the wind alone

    Reel on, love! Toughen your scars

    Year by year we’re falling like stars

    Till there comes a day when we well our souls away!

    Can I run to you? Are you true to me?

    I’ll do unto you as you do to me!

    And we slowly learn someone has to burn

    Better you than me!

    Oh, every Judas once loved a Jesus

    But finally treason will seize us

    And only fools follow golden rules

    We all are caught in the middle

    Of one long treacherous riddle

    Of who trusts who, maybe I’ll trust you

    But can you trust me?

    Wait and see!

On to Act Two  |   Back to Libretto Index