The Color Purple Broadway Cast
Our Prayer
[CELIE & NETTIE]
Hey, sista, whacha gon' do
Goin' down by the river
Gonna play with you
Papa don't like no screamin' 'round here
No lip from da woman when they chug that beer

[CELIE, spoken]
You all grown up and pretty now, it's time for you to get married, have one good year before you get big

[NETTIE, spoken]
I can't get married, I'm still in school. Who that man talkin' to Pa?

[CELIE, spoken]
Girl at church say he lookin' for a new wife to take care of his mean chirren

[NETTIE, spoken]
Well I see where they get that mean from. Look at him, holdin' his whip like he got a horse waitin' somewhere. You see any horse?

[CELIE, spoken]
You don't wanna get married?

[NETTIE, sung]
I wanna know how the world goes
How far is the moon?
How the sky changes color?
Hope I find out soon
(spoken)
What you want?

[CELIE]
I wanna sit and do nothin'
Make you a new dress
Hope my babies are happy
Some place God will bless

[PA, spoken]
Celie! Get to work!

[NETTIE]
Ain't no need to discuss

[CELIE]
It ain't worth a big fuss

[NETTIE & CELIE]
Whatever come to us
Is in God's hands

When I lay me down to sleep
I will say my prayer
That God love me so deep
He will promise our souls to keep
Together
I say a prayer
[PA, spoken]
Why you wanna know so much about tobacco?

[MISTER, spoken]
I'm thinkin' 'bout plantin' it

[PA, spoken]
You is not. Now what you doin' here?

[MISTER, sung]
I wanna marry Nettie
She a sweet young girl

[PA, spoken]
She too young

[MISTER]
She's the cutest thing
In this whole world

[PA, spoken]
She gonna be a teacher

[NETTIE]
Picture me in a schoolhouse
With my college degree
I can teach all my children
To spell Tennessee
[PA, spoken]
You can have Celie, though. She too old to be livin' at home

[CELIE]
Maybe I'll have a garden
Where birds come to sing

[MISTER, spoken]
I don't want Celie. She ugly

[CELIE]
Know a finch from a sparrow
Fix a broken wing

[NETTIE]
I wanna hear your birds sing

[CELIE]
Wanna hear your school bell ring

[NETTIE & CELIE]
No matter what life bring
Us in God's hands

[PA, spoken]
Whyn't you quit comin' 'round here and just go marry Shug Avery?

[CHURCH LADIES]
Shug Avery

[NETTIE, spoken]
Who Shug Avery?

[CHURCH LADIES]
Shug Avery!

[CELIE, spoken]
She Mister ol' girlfriend

[Mister] (spoken)
Shug Avery not a child-raisin' woman, you know that. She the Queen Honeybee

[Pa] (spoken)
She a low-down whore, is what everybody say. You lookin' for a new Shug Avery, you better go to Memphis. All we got here is one pretty girl you'll never have, and one ugly girl can work like a man

[MISTER, sung]
I really want that girl

[PA, spoken]
I told you no!

[CELIE & NETTIE, MISTER]
When I I wanna
Lay me down to sleep Marry Nettie
I will say my prayer She a sweet young girl
That God love me so deep She da sweetest thing
He will promise our souls In dis whole world
To keep together I really
I'll say a prayer Want that girl

[CELIE, spoken]
You want any kids?

[NETTIE, spoken]
Someday, I guess. I know you do

[Celie] (spoken)
Doctor say I can't have no more kids. So, I think God just want me to take care of you

[NETTIE]
We'll live in big houses

[CELIE]
Put swings in the trees

[NETTIE]
Braid up your gray hair

[CELIE & NETTIE]
In the cool of the breeze
And one day
Our children will sing

When I lay me down to sleep
I will say my prayer
That God love me so deep
He will promise our souls to keep
Together
I'll say a prayer
I'll say our prayer