William Finn
Canceling the Bar Mitzvah
[TRINA]
Jason, if you want a Bar Mitzvah
God knows, you can have a Bar Mitzvah
But I have to know
And I have to know now
Just what it is you want
I've addressed the invitations
Here's your chance to give me Hell
If you think it's bust
Then it's probably just as well
[JASON]
Can't we wait 'til Whizzer gets better?
Can't we wait 'til he's out?
That's what bar mitzvahs should be all about!
Good friends close at hand
Don't you understand?
[MENDEL]
We can't be sure when he'll get better
When, or if, he'll ever get better
But the hall is booked
And the band's been retained
So, Jason, please
What we'll do is your decision
There's no right and there's no wrong
Just say yes or no
And we promise to go along
[JASON]
Finally, now, it's all my decision
Like it's my bar mitzvah
Just like nothing happened
Hell, let's have a party
Just like nothing happened
Why don't you make this dumb decision yourselves, okay?
Why don't you make this dumb decision yourselves?
[MENDEL]
We'll have the bar mitzvah?
[JASON, spoken]
No.
[TRINA]
Then, we'll cancel the bar mitzvah?
[JASON, spoken]
No!
[TRINA & MENDEL]
We'll wait until you make a decision
[Trina sighs.]
[TRINA, spoken]
Now what do we do?
[MENDEL]
Why don't we tell him
That we don't have the answers?
And that life can be grim
Life's not all about him
And things rarely go according to plan
Tell him things happen
For no damned good reason
And his lack of control
Kills what's best in his soul
And this is the start
To his becoming a man
[TRINA]
Holding to the ground
As the ground keeps shifting
[MENDEL]
Trying to keep sane
As the rules keep changing
[TRINA, MENDEL]
Keeping up my head (Keeping up my head)
As my heart
Falls out of sight (As my heart falls out of sight)
[TRINA & MENDEL]
Everything will be alright