A lyric you probably don't know...

This is the opening number from the woefully unrecorded Broadway disaster 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, as I posted earlier one of the few shattered remains of the original theatrical concept of a show-within-a-show... (they went through several tries with this slot before arriving on this one for NY). Now just imagine it with a syncopated, distinctively Bernsteinian sound (the melody was recycled as the second theme for Bernstein's "Slava: A Political Overture").

Seriously, I obsess so much about this one, I should write a book about it... or maybe just unearth press photos of Patricia Routledge mid "Duet for One."

"Rehearse!" - 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Alan Jay Lerner (m. Leonard Bernstein)
Let’s start looking alive
When we arrive
It’s gonna be great.
Keep that fervor ablaze
And one of these days
It’s gonna be great.

In the course of human events,
There’s only one event that makes sense
Rehearse and rehearse
Rehearse and don’t stop
And if we do and if we don’t drop,
It’s gonna be great.

Grindstone under your nose
Up on your toes,
It’s gonna be great.
Keep that fervor ablaze
And one of these days
It’s gonna be great.

If we all have plenty of grit
And if we don’t fall into the pit
Of gloom and
Rehearse, rehearse and don’t stop
And if we do and if we don’t drop
It’s gonna be great.

Don’t let go of the thread
Way up ahead
It’s gonna be great.
Stitch wipe stitch
And you’ll see eventually
It’s gonna be great.

Pray to God as much as you please
He’ll only say,
“Get off of your knees.”
Rise up and rehearse
Rehearse and don’t stop
And if we do and if we don’t drop
It’s gonna be great!

Let’s start knockin’ them dead
Looking ahead
It’s gonna be great.
Let’s make everything pop
For up at the top
It’s gonna be great.

Pray to God as much as you please
He’ll only say,
“Get off of your knees.”
Rise up and rehearse,
Rehearse and don’t stop
And if we do and if we don’t drop
It’s gonna be great!

Let’s start looking alive
When we arrive
It’s gonna be great
Keep that fervor ablaze
And one of these days
It’s gonna be great.

In the course of human events
There’s only one event that makes sense
Rise up and rehearse,
Rehearse and don’t stop
And if we do and if we don’t drop
It’s gonna be great.
Gonna be great!
Gonna be great!
If we rehearse!
If we rehearse!
Rehearse!
Rehearse!
It’s gonna be great!