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the advantages of floating in the middle of the sea - stephen sondheim lyrics

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[reciter, spoken]
nippon! the floating kingdom! an island empire which for centuries has lived in perfect peace, undisturbed by intruders from across the sea. here in the month of july 1853, there is nothing to threaten the serene and changeless cycle of our days

(sung)
in the middle of the world we float
in the middle of the sea
the realities remain remote
in the middle of the sea
kings are burning somewhere
wheels are turning somewhere
trains are being run
wars are being won
things are being done
somewhere out there
not here
here we paint screens

(spoken)
yes! the arrangement of the screens:

(sung)
we sit inside the screens
and contemplate the view
that’s painted on the screens
more beautiful than true
beyond the screens
that glide aside
are further screens
that open wide
with scenes of screens like the ones that glide
and no one presses in
and no one glances out
and kings are burning somewhere

[all]
not here!

as the hurricanes have come, they’ve p-ssed
in the middle of the sea
the advantages are made to last
in the middle of the sea
gods are crumbling somewhere
machines are rumbling somewhere
ways are being found
watches being wound
prophets being crowned
somewhere out there
not here
here we plant rice

[reciter, spoken]
yes! the arrangement of the rice:

(sung)
the farmer plants the rice
the priest exalts the rice
the lord collects the rice
the merchant buys the rice
the craftsman makes the sword
and sells it to the lord
and buys it at twice the former price
what he counts on his lord to protect with his sword:

[all, spoken]
the rice!

[reciter]
they eat the rice and then
the day begins again

[all]
and kings are burning somewhere
not here!

the advantages go on and on
in the middle of the sea
as the centuries have come, they’ve gone
in the middle of the sea
days arise to be replaced
lines are drawn and lines erased
life and death are but verses in a poem
out there blood flows
who knows?

here we paint screens
plant the rice
arrange the flowers
view the moon
exchange the gifts
plant the rice
arrange tomorrow like today to float
slide the screens
exchange the poems
stir the tea
exchange the bows
plant the rice
arrange tomorrow to be like today
to float

the viewing of the moon
the planting of the rice
the stirring of the tea
the painting of the screens
we float

the viewing of the moon
the stirring of the tea
the planting of the rice
the weaving of the mats
the placing of the stones
we float
the viewing of the moon
the planting of the rice
the catching of the fish
the weaving of the mats
the painting of… the folding of the fans
we float

the painting of the screens
the wrapping of the gifts
the sliding of the screens
we float

the stirring of the tea

we float

[reciter, spoken]
we float

- stephen sondheim lyrics

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