Stephen Sondheim
Old Friends (Part I) / Like It Was
[MARY]
Hey, old friend
What do you say, old friend?
Make it okay, old friend
Give the old friendship a break
Why so grim?
We’re going on forever
You, me, him
Too many lives are at stake
Friends this long
Has to mean something’s strong
So if our old friend’s wrong
Shouldn’t an old friend come through?
It’s us, old friend—
What’s to discuss, old friend?
Here’s to us
Who’s like us—?
[CHARLEY]
Damn few
[MARY]
Charley
Why can’t it be like it was?
I liked it the way that it was
Charley
You and me, we were nicer then
We were nice
Kids and cities and trees were nice
Everything…
I don’t know who we are anymore
And I’m starting not to care
Look at us, Charley
Nothing’s the way that it was
I want it the way that it was
Help me stop remembering then
Don’t you remember?
It was good, it was really good
Help me out, Charley
Make it like it was
(spoken)
Come on. We both know it, it was better, Charley. The three of us.
[CHARLEY, spoken]
And you come on—we’re not the three of us any more, Mary. Now we’re one and one and one.
[MARY]
Charley
Nothing’s the way that it was
I want it the way that it was
God knows, things were easier then
Trouble is, Charley
That’s what everyone does:
Blames the way it is
On the way it was
On the way it never ever was...