Kurt Weill
The Saga of Jenny
[LIZA]
There once was a girl named Jenny
Whose virtues were varied and many
Excepting that she was inclined
Always to make up her mind
And Jenny points a moral
With which you cannot quarrel
As you will find
[ENSEMBLE]
Who's Jenny?
Never heard of Jenny!
Jenny is out of place!
[LIZA]
But I am sure the court'll
Find Jenny is immortal
And has a bearing on this case!
[ENSEMBLE]
As for instance?
[LIZA]
Well, for instance
Jenny made her mind up when she was three
She herself was going to trim the Christmas tree
Christmas Eve she lit the candles, tossed the tapers away
Little Jenny was an orphan on Christmas Day
[ENSEMBLE]
Poor Jenny! Bright as a penny!
Her equal would be hard to find
[LIZA]
She lost her dad and mother
A sister and a brother
But she would make up her mind
Jenny made her mind up when she was twelve
That into foreign languages she would delve
But at seventeen to Vassar it was quite a blow
That in twenty-seven languages she couldn't say no
[ENSEMBLE]
Poor Jenny! Bright as a penny!
Her equal would be hard to find
[LIZA]
To Jenny I'm beholden
Her heart was big and golden
But she would make up her mind
Jenny made her mind up at twenty-two
To get herself a husband was the thing to do
So she got herself all dolled up in her satins and furs
She got herself a husband, but he wasn't hers
[ENSEMBLE]
Poor Jenny! Bright as a penny!
Her equal would be hard to find
[LIZA]
Deserved a bed of roses
But history discloses
That she would make up her mind
Jenny made her mind up at thirty-nine
She would take a trip down to the Argentine
She was only on vacation, but the Latins agree
Jenny was the one who started the Good Neighbor Policy
[ENSEMBLE]
Poor Jenny! Bright as a penny!
Her equal would be hard to find
[LIZA]
Oh, passion doesn't vanish
In Portuguese or Spanish
But she would make up her mind
Jenny made her mind up at fifty-one
She would write her memoirs before she was done
The very day her book was published, history relates
There were wives who shot their husbands in some thirty-three states
[ENSEMBLE]
Poor Jenny! Bright as a penny!
Her equal would be hard to find
[LIZA]
She could give cards and spadies
To many other ladies
But she would make up her mind
Jenny made her mind up at seventy-five
She would get to be the oldest woman alive
But gin and rum and destiny play funny tricks
And poor Jenny kicked the bucket at seventy-six
[ENSEMBLE]
Jenny points a moral
With which you cannot quarrel
Makes a lot of common sense
[LIZA]
Jenny and her saga
Prove that you are gaga
If you don't keep sitting on the fence
[ENSEMBLE]
Jenny and her story
Point the way to glory
To all man- and womankind
[LIZA]
Anyone with vision
Comes to this decision
Don't make up
You shouldn't make up
You mustn't make up
Oh never make up
[ENSEMBLE]
Anyone with vision
Comes to this decision
Don't
[LIZA]
Don't
[ENSEMBLE]
Make
[LIZA]
Make
[ENSEMBLE]
Up
[LIZA]
Up
[ENSEMBLE]
Your
[LIZA]
Your
[LIZA & ENSEMBLE]
Mind!
[CHARLEY, spoken]
A most excellent defense, Miss Elliott. May I ask what you have there?
[LIZA, spoken]
Why, the circus cover.
[CHARLEY, spoken]
May I see it?
[LIZA, spoken]
Of course.
[CHARLEY, spoken]
Thank you. Gentlemen, look at this.
[ENSEMBLE]
Hmm
[LIZA, spoken]
No no! Don't, don't! Don't sing that!
[CHARLEY, spoken]
You see? You're afraid. You're hiding something. You're afraid of that music, aren't you? Just as you're afraid to compete as a woman. Afraid to marry Kendall Nesbitt. Afraid to be the woman you want to be. Afraid! Afraid! Afraid! Afraid!
[ENSEMBLE, spoken]
Ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha
Ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha, ha
Make up your mind! Make up your mind!
Make up your mind! Make up your mind!
Make up your mind! Make up your mind!
Make up your mind! Make up your mind!
Make up your mind! Make up your mind!