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Elizabeth Alexander
Elizabeth Alexander (Seafarer Press)
No One Gets A Program
A sassy take on a wise old saying.
1 or 2 medium voices, piano
This song may start out as a straightfordward blues riff but it quickly goes off the rails! Gleefully expanding on the Dutch proverb “In the concert of life no one gets a program,” a wild ride ensues, with touches of whimsy, philosophy, and joie de vivre. Performers may take liberties with any aspect of performance, from small vocal nuances all the way to improvised riffs and unabashed cadenzas.
Composer’s Notes
No one gets a program for this song — and that includes the composer herself! Performers may take liberties with any aspect of performance, from small vocal nuances all the way to improvised riffs and unabashed cadenzas. Although it’s scored for 1 or 2 voices, it can easily be performed by a small collection of confident singers. Similarly, instrumentation possibilities include anything from a solo pianist to any assortment of warm-bodied players.
-Elizabeth Alexander
Text
“In the concert hall of life, no one gets a program.”
-Dutch proverb
The world was making music long before I joined the show,
I still have lots to learn, but there is one thing that I know:
No one gets a program in the concert hall of life.
You never see the music, you never see the text,
You know you’re on when someone hollers: Honey, you’re up next!
No one gets a program in the concert hall of life.
Sometimes you’ll find your courage, sometimes you’ll lose your nerve,
Sometimes you won’t be ready when life pitches you a curve:
No one gets a program in the concert hall of life.
In all my years of living, there’s one thing that I’ve learned:
You never know when you’re gonna get burned!
No one gets a program in the concert hall of life.
No one has the brains or intuition
To predict the Spanish Inquisition.
No one, no one, no one!
Sometimes you’re suddenly dancing a waltz,
Then when you’re just getting used to it, out of the blue comes a
Polka! Grab a partner! Enjoy it while you can,
for it won’t last forever.
There will be days when you sing songs of praise,
There will be elegies, there will be lullabies.
So tap your feet, and take it in, and sing along, my friend,
Enjoy it while you can — ’cause you don’t know when it will end —
No one gets a program in this concert hall,
There is no dress rehearsal or a crystal ball,
But everyone who sings their heart out gets a curtain call.
There’s an opening in the chorus,
Come and join us in the concert hall of life!
-Dutch Proverb
Additional lyrics by Elizabeth Alexander
© 2010 by Elizabeth Alexander
$7.00 per licensed PDF
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