Stephen Sondheim
Moments in the Woods
[BAKER'S WIFE, spoken]
What was that?
(sung)
Was that me?
Was that him?
Did a prince really kiss me?
And kiss me?
And kiss me?
And did I kiss him back?
Was it wrong?
Am I mad?
Is that all?
Does he miss me?
Was he suddenly
Getting bored with me?
Wake up! Stop dreaming
Stop prancing about the woods
It's not beseeming
What is it about the woods?
Back to life, back to sense
Back to child, back to husband
No one lives in the woods
There are vows, there are ties
There are needs, there are standards
There are shouldn'ts and shoulds
Why not both instead?
There's the answer, if you're clever
Have a child for warmth
And a baker for bread
And a prince for whatever—
Never!
It's these woods
Face the facts, find the boy
Join the group, stop the giant
Just get out of these woods
Was that him? Yes, it was
Was that me? No, it wasn't
Just a trick of the woods
Just a moment
One peculiar passing moment...
Must it all be either less or more
Either plain or grand?
Is it always "or"?
Is it never "and"?
That's what woods are for
For those moments in the woods
Oh, if life were made of moments
Even now and then a bad one—!
But if life were only moments
Then you'd never know you had one
First a witch, then a child
Then a prince, then a moment—
Who can live in the woods?
And to get what you wish
Only just for a moment—
These are dangerous woods...
Let the moment go
Don't forget it for a moment, though
Just remembering you've had an "and"
When you're back to "or"
Makes the "or" mean more
Than it did before
Now I understand—
And it's time to leave the woods!