Willy Russell
Bright New Day (1995 London Cast Version)
[MRS JOHNSTONE]
Oh, bright new day!
We're movin' away
[MICKEY]
Why, mam?
[MRS JOHNSTONE]
We're startin' all over again
Oh, bright new day
We're goin' away
Where nobody's heard of our name
[SAMMY]
Movin' away? From 'ere?
[MRS JOHNSTONE]
Where we can begin again
Feel we can win and then
Live just like living should be
Got a new situation
A new destination
And no reputation is followin' me!
[spoken]
[MICKEY]
'Ey Linda, we're movin'!
[LINDA]
So are we!
[spoken]
[MRS JOHNSTONE]
We're getting out
We're moving house
We're startin' all over again
[CHILDREN]
Yabba dabba doo!
[MRS JOHNSTONE]
We're leaving this mess
For our new address
65 Skelmersdale Lane
[spoken]
[SAMMY]
Is that in the country, mother?
[DONNA MARIE]
What's it like there?
[sung]
[MRS JOHNSTONE]
The air is so pure
You get drunk just by breathing
The washing stays clean on the line
There's room for the kids
'Cause the garden's that big
Would take you a week just to reach the far side
[spoken]
Come on Sammy, Mickey, you've all gorra help
Would you excuse us, please, we've gorra pack
We're movin'
Ta-ra!
[sung]
[MALE NEIGHBOUR]
[???]
[MALE NEIGHBOUR]
Oh, isn't it sad?
[MALE NEIGHBOURS]
Praise the Lord he has delivered us at last!
[MALE NEIGHBOUR]
We mustn't scoff
[MALE NEIGHBOUR]
The Johnstones are off
[MALE NEIGHBOURS]
Clap your hands
Grab your whistle
Give it a blast!
[MALE NEIGHBOUR]
Goodbye to the riff-raff
The trash and the trouble
[MALE NEIGHBOUR]
Goodbye to the scum and the scruff
[MALE NEIGHBOUR]
Wherever you're going
We hope you go knowing
[MALE NEIGHBOURS]
That as far as you're going won't be far enough
Good riddance!
[MRS JOHNSTONE]
Just pack up the bags
We're leaving the rags
The wobbly wardrobe
Chest of drawers that never closed
[DONNA MARRIE]
Mam!
[MRS JOHNSTONE]
The two-legged chair
The carpet so bare
You wouldn't see it if wasn't for the 'oles
[spoken]
Sammy, stop it
[sung]
Now that we're movin'
Now that we're improvin'
Let's just wash our hands of this lot
It's no longer fittin' for me to be sittin'
On a sofa I know for a fact was knocked off
[spoken]
[SAMMY]
Knocked off?
[sung]
[MRS JOHNSTONE]
We might get a car
Be all la-dee-dah
[SAMMY and MICKEY]
Beep beep!
[MRS JOHNSTONE]
And go driving out to the sands
[DONNA MARIE]
We're comin' too!
[MRS JOHNSTONE]
And at the weekend
A gentleman friend
Might take me dancin' to the local bands
We'll have a front room
And then if it should happen
His Holiness flies in from Rome
He can sit here with me
Eating toast, drinking tea
In the sort of surroundings that remind him of home
[spoken]
[MICKEY]
Oh, it's like the country, isn't it, mam?
[MRS JOHNSTONE]
We'll be alright here, son. Away from the muck and the dirt and the bloody trouble. Oh, I feel like I could dance - come 'ere!
[MICKEY]
Get off!
[sung]
[MRS JOHNSTONE]
Oh, bright new day
We're movin' away
We're startin' all over again
[COMPANY]
Oh, bright new day
Ooooooo
[COMPANY]
All over again!
[MRS JOHNSTONE]
Oh, bright new day
We're goin' away
Where nobody's heard of our name
[COMPANY]
Oh, bright new day
Ooooooo
[spoken]
[SAMMY]
Come on, gang, let's go play in that field!
[MRS JOHNSTONE]
Mickey, what're you laughin' at?
[MICKEY]
I'm not laughin', mam, I'm smilin'. I haven't seen you happy like this for ages!
[MRS JOHNSTONE]
Yeah, well, I am happy now, son. Oh Jesus, where are the others?
[MICKEY]
They went into that field over there, mam.
[MRS JOHNSTONE]
Sammy. Sammy, get off that bleedin' cow before I kill ya! Sammy, Sammy, that cow's a bull!
[sung]
Now we can begin again
Feel we can win and then
Live just like living should be
We got a new situation
A new destination
No reputation is followin' me!
[MRS JOHNSTONE and COMPANY]
We're gettin' out
We're movin' house
We're goin' away
Gettin' out today
(Gettin' out today)
We're movin', movin' movin', movin'
Movin' house
We're goin' away
Oh, bright new day!