Lyricist : Stephen Sondheim

Composer : Stephen Sondheim

CZOLGOSZ

I did it because it is wrong for one man to have so much service when other men have none...

BOOTH

I did it do bring down the government of Abraham Lincoln and 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 one 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'd 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 ****ing 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(entering, to Assassins)

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 your 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

**** 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 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 gonna even care if we're alive,

Are they?...

Never...

Spread the word...

We're alive...

Someone's gonna listen...

Listen!

BYCK

Listen...

There's another 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 inTo 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 regretting,

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 may not want to hear it,

But they listen,

Once they think 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(to the Assassins)

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 Claus!

ASSASSINS

Where's my prize?

BALLADEER

And you forgot --

ASSASSINS

Where'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 begun

In the ball park.

Listen hard...

Like the other national anthem

Says 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!

(variously)

Like they say,

You've got to keep on trying

Every day

Until you get a prize...

Until you get a prize ...

Until you're heard...

Mustn'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...