A Song by Paul Manchester
(above photo by Jason Brain, act was originally performed with The Invisible Theater)
Mouse enters up center under musical flourish with spotlight.
(spoken)
My home is quite safe in the box where I live.
I dine on small crumbs from the table.
I live life with care so no one knows I’m there –
That big world outside is unstable.
(vamp … mouse sings…)
When the news crashes in that a bomb in Berlin
Has killed twenty-four school kids at lunch,
Or a virulent strain of disease on the brain
Can be caught from bad bacon at brunch,
While the war in Iraq has a brand new setback,
and cancer pours down from the skies,
I think to myself news is bad for my health
Listening to news can’t be wise.
Oh, the world is a mess and I need to confess
That I listen much less with each day.
My heart is not hard, but caring is hard
When what can I do, or say…
For… I’m… a… mouse… just a mouse.
While the world passes by I can sadly decry
I’m a mouse… just a mouse.
It’s terrible! It’s rough! I complain, “That’s enough!”
But what can I say …I’m a mouse… just a mouse.
Someone somewhere should do something!
For clearly there’s much to be done!
Someone much bigger than I must have figgered
Out how this big world should be run.
The world’s gone to hell and it’s starting to smell
Like a putrid old pumpkin in May.
Maybe someone quite large will some someday take charge
And lead us to some better day.
Oh, the world is a mess and I need to confess
That I listen much less with each day.
My heart is not hard, but caring is hard
When what can I do, or say…
For …I’m… a… mouse… just a mouse.
While the world passes by I can sadly decry
I’m a mouse… just a mouse.
It’s terrible! It’s rough! I complain, “That’s enough!”
But don’t look at me… I’m a mouse… just a mouse.
Will the folks up on top ever shed one small drop
Of tears for us here on the bottom.
There’s war and there’s crime- still I won’t have the time
To read up on issues this autumn.
It’s easier to vote when I do it by rote
From a list in a newspaper column.
And I would volunteer if time wasn’t so dear
I am sure it’s a duty quite solemn.
(spoken)
(I would feel quite blue but I’ve too much to do!)
Screen comes in under vamp
(All together now!)
Oh, the world is a mess and we need to confess
That we listen much less with each day.
Our hearts are not hard, but caring is hard
When what can we do, or say…
For… we… are… mice… little mice.
While the world passes by we can sadly decry
we are mice… widdle mice.
It’s terrible! It’s rough! we complain, “That’s enough!”
But … (solo) I’m not a cat or a dog or a flea
I can’t be a lion, I gotta be me!
I do what I can!
But, I’m not a MAN!
I’m a mouse… just a mouse.
I’m a MOUSE!
(spoken)
What a great job of singing! You all make just wonderful mice. We don’t have to bother ourselves about any of those pesky world problems now do we… LOOK AT THE TIME! I’m going to miss my appointment to get my tail waxed. (exit)
July 2004
