From the musical “Me and Juliet”, 1953 Words by Oscar Hammerstein 2nd Music by Richard Rodgers
Sheet Music
Accompaniment
Lyrics
The water in a river is changed every day
As it flows from the hills to the sea
But to people on the shore, the river is the same
Or at least, it appears to be
The audience in a theatre
Is changed every night
As a show runs along on its way
But to people on the stage
The audience looks the same
Every night, every matinee
A big black giant who looks and listens
With thousands of eyes and ears
A big black mass of love and pity
And troubles and hopes and fears
And every night the mixture’s different
Altho’ it may look the same
To feel his way with every mixture
Is part of the actor’s game
One night it’s a laughing giant
Another night a weeping giant
One night it’s a coughing giant
Another night a sleeping giant
Every night you fight the giant
And maybe if you win
You send him out a nicer giant,
Than he was when he came in…
But if he doesn’t like you
Then all you can do is to pack
Up your make-up and go
For an actor in a flop
There isn’t any choice
But to look for another show
That big black giant who looks
And listens with thousands of eyes and ears
That big black mass of love and pity
And troubles and hopes and fears
Will sit out there and rule your life
For all your living years