Stephen Sondheim
It’s Only a Play
[DIONYSOS]
Pluto, you should know something. I don't want to just meet Shaw -- I want to take him back to earth with me. You see, the world is in such a mess. And I just think that if Shaw were to write again, he could show us the truth about ourselves and how we live

[PLUTO]
Really? I admire your idealism, even though it's incredibly naïve

[DIONYSOS]
Better naïve than blind or dead

[PLUTO]
This isn't a good place to speak ill of the dead

[Chorus]
Good fellow...
Good man, Dionysos
Don't worry
Relax
He'll do it for you
Besides...
No cause for alarm
It's only a play

[DIONYSOS]
Look, I'm no hero. I made my way here through a river of frogs. It wasn't easy. They tried to stop me. The frogs like things the way they are. "Earth is well enough," they say. "Let well enough alone." And I'm afraid more and more people are beginning to think the same way

[Chorus]
It really doesn't matter
Don't worry, relax
What can one person do?
After all, you're only human
And it's all been said before
And you've got enough to think about
Besides...
It's only a play
And there's time
There's plenty of time
There always is time
You've got all the time in the world
You know, time has a way of healing all things
Things fix themselves
Don't worry, relax
Why not wait and see what happens?
It's only a play

[DIONYSOS]
Our leaders won't tell us the truth. Not the whole truth -- just half-truths and big fat lies told to supposedly protect us

[PLUTO]
Forgive me, but I think the truth is terribly overrated

[DIONYSOS]
Not if you're the one being lied to. And if we start to question things -- merely question -- we're accused of being disloyal. Well, I've had enough. Basically we have two kinds of leaders -- ineffectual and corrupt

[PLUTO]
Funny, isn't it? How we always seem to get the leaders we deserve

[Chorus]
Let the leaders raise your voices for you
Let the critics make your choices for you
Somewhere somebody rejoices for you:
The dead
And a leader's useful to curse
And the state of things could be worse
And besides...
It's only a play
[DIONYSOS]
The great god Chaos, father of darkness, once ruled the earth. He was overthrown. But he could return

[PLUTO]
The question is -- what if he already has?

[Chorus]
Well, words are merely chatter
And easy to say
It doesn't really matter
It's only a play
It's only so much natter
That somebody wrote
And the world's still afloat
So it's hardly a note for today
Anyway...
The earth's a little fatter
But still pretty green
And life's a little flatter
But what does that mean?
It really doesn't matter
What somebody writes
You can turn off the lights
And on alternate nights
You can pray
Don't worry
Relax
On with the play