Stephen Schwartz
All for the Best
[JESUS]
When you feel sad, or under a curse
Your life is bad, your prospects are worse
Your wife is sighing, crying
And your olive tree is dying
Temples are graying, and teeth are decaying
And creditors weighing your purse…
Your mood and your robe
Are both a deep blue
You'd bet that Job
Had nothin' on you
Don't forget that when you get to
Heaven you'll be blessed
Yes, it's all for the best!
[JUDAS]
Some men are born to live at ease, doing what they please
Richer than the bees are in honey
Never growing old, never feeling cold
Pulling pots of gold from thin air
The best in every town, best at shaking down
Best at making mountains of money
They can't take it with them, but what do they care?
They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat
Houses on the street where it's sunny
Summers at the sea, winters warm and free
All of this and we get the rest
But who is the land for? The sun and the sand for?
You guessed! It's all for the best!
[sung in counterpoint]
[JESUS:] When you feel sad
[JUDAS:] Some men are born to live at ease, doing what they please
[JESUS:] Or under a curse
[JUDAS:] Richer than the bees are in honey
[JESUS:] Your life is bad
[JUDAS:] Never growing old, never feeling cold
[JESUS:] Your prospects are worse
[JUDAS:] Pulling pots of gold from thin air
[JESUS:] Your wife is crying, sighing
[JUDAS:] The best in every town, best at shaking down
[JESUS:] And your olive tree is dying
[JUDAS:] Best at making mountains of money
[JESUS:] Temples are graying, and teeth are decaying
[JUDAS:] They can't take it with them
[JESUS:] And creditors weighing your purse
[JUDAS:] But what do they care?
[JESUS:] Your mood and your robe
[JUDAS:] They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat
[JESUS:] Are both a deep blue
[JUDAS:] Houses on the street where it's sunny...
[JESUS:] You'd bet that Job
[JUDAS:] Summers at the sea, winters warm and free
[JESUS:] Had nothin' on you
[JUDAS:] All of this and we get the rest...
[JESUS:] Don't forget that when you get
[JUDAS:] But who is the land for?
[JESUS:] To Heaven you'll be blessed
[JUDAS:] The sun and the sand for?
[JESUS:] Yes, it's all for the best!
[JUDAS:] You guessed! It's all for the best!
[JESUS & ENSEMBLE:] When you feel sad
[JUDAS & ENSEMBLE:] Some men are born to live at ease, doing what they please
[JESUS & ENSEMBLE:] Or under a curse
[JUDAS & ENSEMBLE:] Richer than the bees are in honey
[JESUS & ENSEMBLE:] Your life is bad
[JUDAS & ENSEMBLE:] Never growing old, never feeling cold
[JESUS & ENSEMBLE:] Your prospects are worse
[JUDAS & ENSEMBLE:] Pulling pots of gold from thin air
[JESUS & ENSEMBLE:] Your wife is crying, sighing
[JUDAS & ENSEMBLE:] The best in every town, best at shaking down
[JESUS & ENSEMBLE:] And your olive tree is dying
[JUDAS & ENSEMBLE:] Best at making mountains of money
[JESUS & ENSEMBLE:] Temples are graying, and teeth are decaying
[JUDAS & ENSEMBLE:] They can't take it with them
[JESUS & ENSEMBLE:] And creditors weighing your purse
[JUDAS & ENSEMBLE:] But what do they care?
[JESUS & ENSEMBLE:] Your mood and your robe
[JUDAS & ENSEMBLE:] They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat
[JESUS & ENSEMBLE:] Are both a deep blue
[JUDAS & ENSEMBLE:] Houses on the street where it's sunny...
[JESUS & ENSEMBLE:] You'd bet that Job
[JUDAS & ENSEMBLE:] Summers at the sea, winters warm and free
[JESUS & ENSEMBLE:] Had nothin' on you
[JUDAS & ENSEMBLE:] All of this and we get the rest...
[JESUS & ENSEMBLE:] Don't forget that when you get
[JUDAS & ENSEMBLE:] But who is the land for?
[JESUS & ENSEMBLE:] To Heaven you'll be blessed
[JUDAS & ENSEMBLE:] The sun and the sand for?
[JESUS & ENSEMBLE:] Yes, it's all for the—
[JUDAS & ENSEMBLE:] You guessed! It's all for the—
[JESUS]
You must never be distressed!
[ENSEMBLE]
Yes, it's all for the—
[JESUS]
All your wrongs will be redressed!
[ENSEMBLE]
Yes, it's all for the....
[JUDAS]
Someone's got to be oppressed!
[ALL]
Yes, it's all for the best!!!