EVITA: complete film libretto
Thank you very much to Ray Zweidinger for providing the basis for the following text.
EVITA: complete film libretto
Lyrics by TIM RICE
Music by ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
 |
 |
DISC ONE
1. A CINEMA IN BUENOS AIRES, 26 JULY 1952
(An audience is watching a less than distinguished movie [in both the original London and New York productions of EVITA a clip from one of Eva Perón's own movies was used]. The soundtrack dialogue is in Spanish, the music melodramatic. Suddenly the film grinds to a halt. The people in the cinema begin to protest but are silenced by an announcement)
THE SECRETARY OF THE PRESS
It is my sad duty to inform you
That Eva Perón, spiritual leader of the nation, entered immortality at 8.25 this evening.
2. REQUIEM FOR EVITA
(EVA's funeral. CHE is the only non-participant. He moves through the mourners, apparently unseen.)
CROWD
Requiem aeternum dona Evita.
Requiem Evita,
Evita,
Evita.
3. OH WHAT A CIRCUS
CHE
Oh what a circus! Oh what a show!
Argentina has gone to town
Over the death of an actress called Eva Perón.
We've all gone crazy,
Mourning all day and mourning all night,
Falling over ourselves to get all
Of the misery right.
Oh what an exit! That's how to go!
When they're ringing your curtain down,
Demand to be buried like Eva Perón.
It's quite a sunset
And good for the country in a roundabout way.
We've made the front page of all the world's papers today.
But who is this Santa Evita?
Why all this howling hysterical sorrow?
What kind of goddess
Has lived among us?
How will we ever
Get by without her?
She had her moments—she had some style.
The best show in town was the crowd.
Outside the Casa Rosada crying, "Eva Perón!"
But that's all gone now.
As soon as the smoke from the funeral clears,
We're all going to see—and how—
She did nothing for years!
CROWD
Salve regina mater misericordiae,
Vita dulcedo et spes nostra.
Salve, salve regina.
Ad te clamamus exules filii Eva.
Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes.
O clemens! O pia!
CHE
You let down your people, Evita
You were supposed to have been immortal.
That's all they wanted,
Not much to ask for,
But in the end you
Could not deliver
Sing you fools! But you got it wrong.
Enjoy your prayers because you haven't got long.
Your queen is dead. Your king is through.
She's not coming back to you.
Show business kept us all alive
Since 17 October 1945,
But the star has gone. The glamour's worn thin.
That's a pretty bad state for a state to be in.
Instead of government, we had a stage.
Instead of ideas, a prima donna's rage.
Instead of help, we were given a crowd.
She didn't say much but she said it loud.
Sing you fools? But you got it wrong.
Enjoy your prayers because you haven't got long.
Your queen is dead. Your king is through.
She's not coming back to you.
CROWD
Salve regina mater misericordiae,
Vita dulcedo et spes nostra.
Salve, salve regina Perón.
Ad te clamamus exules filii Eva.
Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes.
O clemens! O pia!
(Through the pageantry of the funeral, our gaze rests upon the face of the dead Evita.)
VOICE OF EVA
Don't cry for me, Argentina,
For I am ordinary, unimportant
And undeserving
Of such attention,
Unless we all are—
I think we all are,
So share my glory,
So share my coffin,
So share my glory,
So share my coffin.
CHE
It's our funeral too.
4. ON THIS NIGHT OF A THOUSAND STARS
(Flashback to 1934 and to a nightclub in Junín, EVA's home town. EVA DUARTE is fifteen. The cabaret is nearly over. MAGALDI is singing with great gusto.)
CHE
Now Eva Perón
Had every disadvantage
You need if you're going to succeed.
No money, no class,
No father, no bright lights—
There was nowhere she'd been
At the age of fifteen,
As this tango singer found out,
Agustín Magaldi—who has the distinction
Of being the first man to be of use
To Eva Duarte.
MAGALDI (The final song of his act)
On this night of a thousand stars,
Let me take you to heaven's door,
Where the music of love's guitars
Plays for evermore!
In the glow of those twinkling lights,
We shall love through eternity.
On this night in a million nights,
Fly away with me!
I never dreamed that a kiss could be as sweet as this—
Now I know that it can.
I used to wander alone without a love of my own.
I was a desperate man,
But all my grief disappeared and all the sorrow I feared
Wasn't there anymore
On that magical day when you first came my way—Mi Amor!
On this night . . .
On this night . . .
On this night of a thousand stars,
Let me take you to heaven's door,
Where the music of love's guitars
Plays for evermore!
5. EVA AND MAGALDI / EVA BEWARE OF THE CITY
(MAGALDI joins EVA and her family—mother, 3 sisters, brother—at their table. CHE is loitering nearby at the bar.)
EVA
To think that a man,
As famous as you are,
Could love a poor little nothing like me!
I want to be a part of B.A.—
Buenos Aires—Big Apple!
EVA and FAMILY
She wants to be a part of B.A.—
Buenos Aires—Big Apple!
CHE
Just listen to that!
They're onto you Magaldi!
I'd get out while you can.
EVA
It's happened at last—
I'm starting to get started—
I'm moving out with my man.
MAGALDI
Now Eva don't get carried away—
EVA
Monotony past—
Suburbia departed—
Who could ever be fond
Of the back of beyond?
MAGALDI
Don't hear words that I didn't say.
EVA's FAMILY
What's that? You'd desert the girl you love?
MAGALDI
The girl I love? What are you talking about?
EVA's FAMILY
She really brightened up your out of town engagement.
She gave you all she had—she wasn't in your contract—
You must be quite relieved that no-one's told the papers—
So far—
EVA
I want to be a part of B.A.—
Buenos Aires—Big Apple!
Would I have done what I did
If I hadn't thought,
If I hadn't known,
We would stay together?
CHE
Seems to me there's no point in resisting.
She's made up her mind, you've no choice.
Why don't you be the man who discovered her?
You'll never be remembered for your voice.
MAGALDI
The city can be paradise for those who have the cash,
The class and the connections—what you need to make a splash.
The likes of you get swept up in the morning with the trash—
If you were rich or middle class—
EVA
Screw the middle classes!
I will never accept them!
My father's other family were middle class
And we were kept out of sight, hidden from view, at his funeral!
CHE
Do all your one night stands give you this trouble?
MAGALDI
Eva, beware of the city.
It's hungry and cold, can't be controlled—it is mad.
Those who are fools are swallowed up whole,
And those who are not become
What they should not become,
Changed—in short they go bad
EVA
Bad is good for me—I'm bored, so clean and so ignored.
I've only been predictable—respectable!
Birds fly out of here so why
Oh why oh why the hell can't I?
I only want variety—of society!
I want to be a part of B.A.—
Buenos Aires—Big Apple!
EVA and FAMILY
She wants to be a part of B.A.—
Buenos Aires—Big Apple!
MAGALDI
Five years from now I shall come back
And finally say, you have your way—come to town,
But you'll look at me with a foreigner's eyes,
The magical city, a
Younger girl's city, a
Fantasy long since put down.
EVA
All you've done to me—was that a young girl's fantasy?
I played your city games alright—didn't I?
I already know what cooks, how the dirty city feels and looks.
I tasted it last night, didn't I?
I'm going to be a part of B.A.—
Buenos Aires—Big Apple!
EVA and FAMILY
She's going to be a part of B.A.—
Buenos Aires—Big Apple!
MAGALDI
Eva beware your ambition.
It's hungry and cold—can't be controlled, will run wild.
This in a man is danger enough,
But you are a woman, not
Even a woman, not
Very much more than a child
And, whatever you say,
I'll not steal you away!
6. BUENOS AIRES
(EVA and MAGALDI arrive in Buenos Aires.)
EVA
What's new Buenos Aires?
I'm new—I want to say I'm just a little stuck on you.
You'll be on me too!
I get out here, Buenos Aires.
Stand back—you oughta know what'cha gonna get in me,
Just a little touch of star quality!
Fill me up with your heat,
With your noise, with your dirt,
Overdo me.
Let me dance to your beat,
Make it loud. Let it hurt.
Run it through me.
Don't hold back. You are certain to impress.
Tell the driver this is where I'm staying
Hello Buenos Aires!
Get this—just look at me, dressed up somewhere to go,
We'll put on a show!
Take me in at your flood.
Give me speed. Give me lights.
Set me humming.
Shoot me up with your blood.
Wine me up with your nights.
Watch me coming.
All I want is a whole lot of excess.
Tell the singer this is where I'm playing.
Stand back Buenos Aires!
Because you oughta know what'cha gonna get in me,
Just a little touch of star quality!
|
And if ever I go too far, It's because of the things you are, Beautiful town—I love you, And if I need a moment's rest, Give your lover the very best, Real eiderdown—and silence.
You're a tramp, you're a treat. |  |
Rio de la Plata!
Florida! Corrientes! Nueve de Julio!
All I want to know!
Stand back, Buenos Aires!
Because you oughta know what'cha gonna get in me,
Just a little touch of,
Just a little touch of,
Just a little touch of star quality!
7. ANOTHER SUITCASE IN ANOTHER HALL
EVA
I don't expect my love affairs to last for long,
Never fool myself that my dreams will come true.
Being used to trouble, I anticipate it,
But all the same I hate it—wouldn't you?
So what happens now?
CHE
Another suitcase in another hall.
EVA
So what happens now?
CHE
Take your picture off another wall.
EVA
Where am I going to?
CHE
You'll get by. You always have before.
EVA
Where am I going to?
Time and time again I've said that I don't care,
That I'm immune to gloom, that I'm hard through and through,
But every time it matters, all my words desert me,
So anyone can hurt me—and they do.
So what happens now?
CHE
Another suitcase in another hall.
EVA
So what happens now?
CHE
Take your picture off another wall.
EVA
Where am I going to?
CHE
You'll get by you always have before.
EVA
Where am I going go?
Call in three months' time and I'll be fine I know,
Well maybe not that fine, but I'll survive anyhow.
I won't recall the names and places of each sad occasion,
But that's no consolation—here and now.
So what happens now?
CHE
Another suitcase in another hall.
EVA
So what happens now?
CHE
Take your picture off another wall.
EVA
Where am I going to?
CHE
You'll get by, you always have before.
EVA
Where am I going to?
CHE
Don't ask anymore.
8. GOODNIGHT AND THANK YOU
CHE (to EVA's FIRST LOVER)
Goodnight and thank you, whoever.
She's in every magazine, been photographed, seen.
She is known.
We don't like to rush but your case has been packed.
If she's missed anything,
You could give her a ring,
But she won't always answer the phone.
EVA
Oh, but it's sad when a love affair dies,
But we have pretended enough,
It's best that we part, stop fooling ourselves.
CHE
Which means . . .
CHE and EVA
There is no-one, no-one at all,
Never has been and never will be a lover,
Male or female,
Who hasn't an eye on,
In fact they rely on,
Tricks they can try on
Their partner.
They're hoping their lover will help them or keep them,
Support them, promote them.
Don't blame them.
You're the same.
CHE
Goodnight and thank you, Emilio.
You've completed your task. What more can we ask
Of you now?
Please sign the book on your way out the door.
That will be all.
If she needs you she'll call,
But I don't think that's likely somehow.
EVA
Oh, but it's sad when a love affair dies,
But when we were hot, we were hot.
I know you'll look back on the good times we've shared.
CHE
Which means . . .
CHE and EVA
There is no-one, no-one at all,
Never has been and never will be a lover,
Male or female,
Who hasn't an eye on,
In fact they rely on,
Tricks they can try on
Their partner.
They're hoping their lover will help them or keep them,
Support them, promote them.
Don't blame her.
You're the same.
EVA
There is no soap, no soap like Zazz,
No detergent, lotion or oil with such power
In the shower.
It's the mother and father of luxury lather,
The talk of the bath,
The great ointment.
One little frolic
With new Zazz carbolic,
Your scented.
You'll be sent.
CHE
Goodnight and thank you Señor Jabón.
We are grateful you found her a spot on the sound radio.
We'll think of you every time she's on the air.
We'd love you to stay,
But you'd be in the way,
So do up your trousers and go.
EVA
Oh, but it's sad when a love affair dies,
The decline into silence and doubt.
Our passion was just too intense to survive.
CHE
Which means . . .
(By now a fairly long line of EVA's rejected LOVERS
has formed)
LOVERS
This is a club I should never have joined.
Someone has made us look fools.
Argentine men call the sexual shots.
Someone has altered the rules.
EVA
Fame on the wireless as far as it goes
Is all very well, but every girl knows
CHE
She needs a man she can monopolize,
With fingers in dozens of different pies—
LOVERS
Oh, but it's sad when a love affair dies.
9. THE LADY'S GOT POTENTIAL
(Five members of the G.O.U., a right-wing grouping of officers within the military government that seized power in Argentina in 1943, including Colonel Juan PERÓN, come to power in turn. By the end of the song just one man is left, PERÓN.)
CHE
In June of 43 there was a military coup.
Behind it was a gang called the G.O.U.
Who did not feel the need to be elected.
They had themselves a party at the point of a gun.
They were slightly to the right of Attila the Hun.
A bomb or two and very few objected.
Just one shell and governments fall like flies
Ka-pow! Die!
They stumble and fall.
Bye-bye!
Backs to the wall,
Aim high.
We're having a ball.
The tank and bullet ruled as democracy dies.
The lady's got potential. She was setting her sights
On making it in movies with her name in lights,
The greatest social climber since Cinderella,
Okay, she couldn't act, but she had the right friends,
And we all know a career depends
On knowing the right fella to be stellar.
Just one shell and governments lose their nerve.
Ka-pow! Die!
They stumble and fall.
Bye-bye!
Backs to the wall,
Aim high.
We're having a ball.
That's how we get the government we deserve.
Now the man behind the president, calling the shots,
Involved so discreetly in a lot of their plots,
Was Colonel Juan Perón, would-be dictator.
He began in the army out in Italy, so
Saw Mussolini's rise from the very front row.
I reckon he'd do likewise sooner or later.
Just one blast and the tear gas falls like rain.
Ka-pow! Die!
They haven't a chance.
Bye-bye!
The terrorists advance,
But one guy
Doesn't dirty his hands.
Perón was biding time out in the slow lane.
Suddenly a earthquake hit the town of San Juan.
Ka-pow! Die!
They stumble and fall.
Bye-bye!
Keep away from the wall.
But one guy
Was having a ball,
The tragedy a golden chance for Perón.
He organized a concert with incredible flair.
He named off all the victims, such a grand affair,
Politicians, actors, stars of every flavor.
It was January 22, 1944,
A night to remember, yeah, that's for sure,
For that's the night that Perón first met Eva,
For that's the night that Perón first met Eva.
10. CHARITY CONCERT/THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE
(Backstage at the Luna Park Stadium. EVA by now a successful actress, and PERÓN, by now one of the most powerful men in the military government, are both present. EVA's old friend MAGALDI is finishing his act on stage.
MAGALDI
On this night . . .
On this night . . .
On this night of a thousand stars,
Let me take you to heaven's door,
Where the music of love's guitars
Plays for evermore!
(MAGALDI comes off stage and runs into EVA)
EVA
Magaldi?
MAGALDI
Eva Duarte?
EVA
You're act hasn't changed much.
MAGALDI
Neither has yours.
CROWD
Perón! Perón! Perón!
(MAGALDI leaves. The crowd begins to call for PERÓN.
PERÓN pushes his way onto the stage.)
PERÓN
I stand here as a servant of the people.
As we come together for a marvelous cause,
You've shown by your presence, your deeds and applause
What the people can do true power is yours,
Not the government unless it represents the people.
CHE
Juan always picks the easy fight.
Juan praises fools.
Juan smothers light.
Juan shifts from left to right,
Politics, the art of the possible.
11. I'D BE SURPRISINGLY GOOD FOR YOU
(PERÓN leaves the stage and finds himself face to face with EVA.)
EVA
Colonel Perón?
PERÓN
Eva Duarte?
EVA and PERÓN
I've heard so much about you!
| EVA I'm amazed! For I'm only an actress, Nothing to shout about, Only a girl on the air, | PERÓN I'm amazed! For I'm only a soldier, One of the thousands Defending the country he loves, |
EVA
But when you act, the things you do affect us all.
PERÓN
But when you act,
You take us away from the squalor of the real world—
Are you here on your own?
EVA
Yes. Oh yes.
PERÓN
So am I—what a fortunate coincidence.
Maybe you're my reward
For my efforts here tonight.
EVA
It seems crazy. but you must believe
There's nothing calculated, nothing planned.
Please forgive me if I seem naïve.
I would never want to force your hand,
But please understand
I'd be good for you.
I don't always rush in like this,
Twenty seconds after saying hello,
Telling strangers I'm too good to miss.
If I'm wrong I hope you'll tell me so,
But you really should know
I'd be good for you.
I'd be surprisingly good for you.
I won't go on if I'm boring you,
But do you understand my point of view?
Do you like what you hear, what you see, and would you be
Good for me too?
I'm not talking of a hurried night,
A frantic tumble then a shy goodbye,
Creeping home before it gets too light.
That's not the reason that I caught your eye,
Which has to imply
I'd be good for you.
I'd be surprisingly good for you.
PERÓN
Please go on—you enthrall me!
I can understand you perfectly
And I like what I hear, what I see and, knowing me,
I would be good for you too
|
EVA I'm not talking of a hurried night, A frantic tumble then a shy goodbye, Creeping home before it gets too light. That's not the reason that I caught your eye, Which has to imply I'd be good for you. I'd be surprisingly good for you. |  |
(EVA and PERÓN arrive at PERÓN's apartment. PERÓN's 16 year-old MISTRESS is in bed.)
12. HELLO AND GOODBYE
EVA (almost affectionately)
Hello and goodbye!
I've just unemployed you.
You can go back to school—
You had a good run.
I'm sure he enjoyed you.
Don't act sad or surprised,
Let's be friends, civilized.
Come on little one!
Don't sit there like a dummy!
The day you knew would arrive
Is here—you'll survive,
So move, funny face!
I like your conversation—you've a catchy turn of phrase.
You're obviously going through some adolescent phase.
(EVA has by now bustled the MISTRESS out.)
MISTRESS
So what happens now?
So what happens now?
Where am I going to?
CHE
You'll get by. You always have before.
MISTRESS
Where am I going to?
EVA
Don't ask anymore.
(EVA turns PERÓN's MISTRESS out into the hall.)
13. PERÓN'S LATEST FLAME
|
CHE At the watering-holes of the well-to-do I detect a resistance to . . .
ARISTOCRATS
CHE
ARISTOCRATS
CHE
ARISTOCRATS
CHE
ARISTOCRATS |  |
Such a shame she wandered into our enclosure.
How unfortunate this person has forced us to be blunt.
No, we wouldn't mind seeing her at Harrods,
But behind the jewelry counter—not in front.
|
CHE Could there be in our fighting corps A lack of enthusiasm for . . .
ARMY
CHE
ARMY
CHE
ARMY |  |
Perón is a fool—breaking every taboo,
Installing the girl in the army H.Q.
And she's an actress! The last straw!
Her only good parts are between her thighs.
She should stare at the ceiling, not reach for the skies,
Or she could be his last whore.
The evidence suggests
She has other interests.
If it's her who's using him,
He's exceptionally dim.
Bitch!
Dangerous Jade!
ARISTOCRATS
We have allowed ourselves to slip.
We have completely lost our grip.
We have declined to an all-time low.
Tarts have become the set to know.
EVA (on the air)
I'm only a radio star with just one weekly show,
But speaking as one of the people, I want you to know
We are tired of the decline of
Argentina, with no sign of
A government able to give us the things we deserve.
ARMY
It's no crime for officers to do as they please.
As long as they're discreet and keep clear of disease,
We ignore, we disregard,
But once they allow a bit on the side
To move to the center where she's not qualified,
We are forced be on our guard.
She should get into her head
She should not get out of bed.
She should know that she's not paid
To be loud but to be laid.
Slut!
Dangerous Jade!
(EVA, the glamorous movie star, enters, flanked by HEAVIES.)
CHE (in the guise of a reporter)
This has really been your year, Miss Duarte.
Tell us where you go from here, Miss Duarte.
Which are the roles that you yearn to play?
Whom did you sleep—dine with yesterday?
EVA
Acting is limiting. The line's not mine.
That's no help to the Argentine.
CHE
Can we assume then that you'll quit?
Is this because of your involvement with Colonel Perón?
HEAVIES
Goodnight and thank you.
(They push CHE aside and EVA out)
ARMY
She won't be kept happy by her nights on the tiles.
She says it's his body but she's after his files,
So get back onto the street!
She should get into her head
She should not get out of bed.
She should know that she's not paid
To be loud but to be laid.
The evidence suggests
She has other interests.
If it's her who's using him,
He's exceptionally dim.
ARISTOCRATS
Things have reached a pretty pass,
When someone pretty lower class,
Graceless and vulgar, uninspired,
Can be accepted and admired.
14. A NEW ARGENTINA
PERÓN
Dice are rolling. The knives are out.
Would be presidents are all around.
I don't say they mean harm, but they'd each give an arm
To see us six feet under ground.
EVA
It doesn't matter what those morons say.
Our nation's leaders are a feeble crew.
There's only twenty of them anyway.
What is twenty next to millions who
Are looking to you?
All you have to do is sit and wait,
Keeping out of everybody's way.
We'll—
You'll be handed power on a plate
When the ones who matter have their say,
And with chaos installed,
You can reluctantly agree to be called.
PERÓN
There again, we could be foolish
Not to quit while we're ahead,
For distance lends enchantment,
And that is why
All exiles are distinguished,
More important, they're not dead.
I could find job satisfaction
In Paraguay.
EVA
This is crazy defeatist talk.
Why commit political suicide?
There's no risk. There's no call
For any action at all,
When you have unions on your side.
MOB
A new Argentina!
The chains of the masses untied!
A new Argentina!
The voice of the people
Cannot be denied!
|
EVA There is only one man who can lead any workers' regime. He lives for your problems. He shares your ideals and your dreams. He supports you, for he loves you, understands you, is one of you. If not—how could he love me?
MOB |  |
|
EVA Now I am a worker I've suffered the way that you do. I've been unemployed and I've starved and I've hated it too, But I found my salvation in Perón—may the nation Let him save them as he saved me.
MOB AND EVA |  |
PERÓN
There again, we could be foolish
Not to quit while were ahead . . .
I can see us many miles away,
Inactive,
Sipping cocktails on a terrace,
Taking breakfast in bed, sleeping easy,
Doing nothing,
It's attractive.
EVA
Don't think I don't think like you. I often get those nightmares too.
They always take some swallowing.
Sometimes it's very difficult to keep momentum,
If it's you that you are following.
Don't close doors.
Keep an escape clause,
Because we might lose
The Big Apple,
But—
Would I have done what I did,
If I hadn't thought,
If I hadn't known,
We would take the country?
|
EVA Perón has resigned from the army, and this we avow. The descamisados are those he is marching with now! He supports you, for he loves you, understands you, is one of you. If not—how could he love me?
ALL |  |
CHE
How annoying that they have to fight elections for their cause,
The inconvenience—having to get a majority.
If normal methods of persuasion fail to win them applause,
There are other ways of establishing authority.
ALL
A new Argentina!
The chains of the masses untied!
A new Argentina!
The voice of the people cannot be,
And will not be,
And must not be,
Denied!
END OF DISC ONE
|
|
|
DISC TWO
1. ON THE BALCONY OF THE CASA ROSADA
(PERÓN has just won a sweeping victory in the 1946 Presidential Election. This is the first public appearance by PERÓN and EVA since that triumph. Action takes place both inside and outside on the balcony of the Casa Rosada—the pink Presidential Palace in Buenos Aires.)
CHE
People of Argentina! Your newly elected President—Juan Perón!
(The CROWD begins to chant "Perón! Perón!")
PERÓN
Argentinos! Argentinos! We are all workers now!
Fighting against our common enemies—
- Poverty,
Social injustice,
Foreign domination of our industries!
- Our independence,
Our dignity,
Our pride!
And that its heart
Beats in the humble bodies
Of Juan Perón—and
His wife, the first lady of Argentina,
Eva Duarte de Perón!
(The CROWD by now are beginning to chant "Evita!
Evita!")
2. DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA
EVA
It won't be easy. You'll think it strange
When I try to explain how I feel,
That I still need your love after all that I've done.
You won't believe me.
All you will see is a girl you once knew,
Although she's dressed up to the nines,
At sixes and sevens with you.
I had to let it happen; I had to change,
Couldn't stay all my life down at heel,
Looking out of the window, staying out of the sun,
So I chose freedom,
Running around, trying everything new,
But nothing impressed me at all.
I never expected it to.
|
Don't cry for me, Argentina. The truth is, I never left you. All through my wild days, My mad existence, I kept my promise. Don't keep your distance |  |
And as for fortune, and as for fame,
I never invited them in,
Though it seemed to the world they were all I desired.
They are illusions.
They're not the solutions they promised to be.
The answer was here all the time.
I love you and hope you love me.
Don't cry for me Argentina . . .
Don't cry for me Argentina.
The truth is, I never left you.
All through my wild days,
My mad existence,
I kept my promise.
Don't keep your distance.
Have I said too much? There's nothing more I can think of to say to you,
But all you have to do is look at me to know that every word is true.
(The CROWD is ecstatically enthusiastic; EVA
goes inside from the balcony)
|
Just listen to that! The voice of Argentina! We are adored! We are loved!
OFFICER
EVA's MOTHER |  |
CROWD
Evita Perón! La Santa Peronista! (Repeated)
(EVA goes back onto the balcony.)
3. ON THE BALCONY OF THE CASA ROSADA 2
EVA
I am only a simple woman who lives to serve Perón in his noble crusade to rescue his people!
I was once as you are now!
And I promise you this:
We will take the riches from the oligarchs only for you—for all of you!
And one day you will inherit these treasures!
Descamisados! Mis compañeros! When they fire those cannons, when the crowds sing of glory, it is not just for Perón, but for all of us! All of us!
ARISTOCRATS
Things have reached a pretty pass,
When someone pretty lower class
Can be respected and admired—
ARISTOCRAT
But our privileged class is dead!
Look who they are calling for now!
4. HIGH FLYING, ADORED
CHE
High flying, adored, so young, the instant queen, a
Rich beautiful thing of all the talents, a cross between a
Fantasy of the bedroom and a saint,
You were just a back street girl,
Hustling and fighting,
Scratching and biting.
High flying, adored, did you believe in your wildest moments
All this would be yours, that you'd become the lady of them all?
Were there stars in your eyes when you crawled in at night
From the bars, from the sidewalks,
From the gutter theatrical?
Don't look down, it's a long, long way to fall.
High flying, adored, what happens now, where do you go from here?
For someone on top of the world, the view is not exactly clear.
A shame you did it all at twenty-six,
There are no mysteries now.
Nothing can thrill you,
No-one fulfill you.
High flying, adored, I hope you come to terms with boredom.
So famous, so easily, so soon, is not the wisest thing to be.
You won't care if they love you. It's been done before.
You'll despair if they hate you.
You'll be drained of all energy.
All the young who've made it would agree.
EVA
High flying, adored, that's good to hear, but unimportant.
My story's quite usual—local girl makes good, weds famous man.
I was slap in the right place at the perfect time,
Filled a gap—I was lucky,
But one thing I'll say for me:
No-one else can fill it like I can.
5. RAINBOW HIGH
EVA
There again I've more to do
Then simply get the message through—
I haven't started!
Let's get this show on the road.
Let's make it obvious
Perón is off and rolling.
EVA's DRESSERS
Eyes! Hair! Mouth! Figure! Dress! Voice! Style! Movement!
Hands! Magic! Rings! Glamour! Face! Diamonds! Excitement! Image!
EVA
I came from the people.
They need to adore me,
So Christian Dior me
From my head to my toes.
I need to be dazzling.
I want to be Rainbow High!
They must have excitement,
And so must I.
EVA's DRESSERS
Eyes! Hair! Mouth! Figure! Dress! Voice! Style! Movement!
EVA
I'm their product.
It's vital you sell me,
So Machiavell-me.
Make an Argentine Rose!
I need to be thrilling.
I want to be Rainbow High!
They need their escape,
And so do I.
EVA's DRESSERS
Eyes! Hair! Mouth! Figure! Dress! Voice! Style! Movement!
Hands! Magic! Rings! Glamour! Face! Diamonds! Excitement! Image!
EVA
All my descamisados expect me to outshine the enemy—
I won't disappoint them!
I'm their savior!
That's what they call me,
So Lauren Bacall me.
Anything goes
To make me fantastic.
I have to be Rainbow High!
In magical colors—
You're not decorating a girl for a night on the town!
And I'm not a second-rate queen getting kicks with a crown!
Next stop will be Europe!
The Rainbow's gonna tour.
Dressed up, somewhere to go—
We'll put on a show!
Look out, mighty Europe!
Because—you oughta know what'cha gonna get in me:
Just a little touch of,
Just a little touch of,
Argentina's brand of
Star quality!
6. RAINBOW TOUR
(PERÓN and some of his OFFICERS reflect on EVA's European progress. CHE takes over many of the OFFICERS' lines during this sequence and also adds various comments of his own.)
PERÓN
People of Europe! I send you the Rainbow of Argentina!
CHE
Spain has fallen to the charms of Evita.
She can do what she likes—it doesn't matter much.
She's our Lady of the New World with the golden touch..
She filled a bull-ring—forty-five thousand seater,
But if you're prettier than General Franco,
That's not hard.
Franco's reign in Spain should see out the forties,
So you've just acquired an ally who
Looks as secure in his job as you,
But more important, current political thought is
Your wife's a phenomenal asset,
Your trump card.
PERÓN and OFFICERS
Let's hear it for the Rainbow Tour.
It's been an incredible success.
We weren't quite sure. We had a few doubts . . .
CHE
Will Evita win through?
PERÓN and OFFICERS
But the answer is yes!
PERÓN
There you are. I told you so.
Makes no difference where she goes,
The whole world over—just the same.
Just listen to them call her name,
And who would underestimate the actress now?
CHE
Now I don't like to spoil a wonderful story,
But the news from Rome isn't quite as good.
She hasn't gone down like we thought she would.
Italy's unconvinced by Argentine glory
They equate Perón with Mussolini.
Can't think why.
EVA (in Italy)
Did you hear that?
They called me a whore!
They actually called me a whore!
AN ITALIAN ADMIRAL
But Signora Perón—
It's an easy mistake.
I'm still called an admiral,
Yet I gave up the sea long ago.
CHE / OFFICERS
More bad news from Rome, she met with the Pope.
She only got a rosary, a kindly word.
I wouldn't say the Holy Father gave her the bird,
But Papal decorations never a hope.
She still looked the part at St. Peter's,
Caught the eye.
PERÓN and OFFICERS
Let's hear it for the Rainbow Tour.
It's been an incredible success.
We weren't quite sure. We had a few doubts.
CHE
Would Evita win through?
PERÓN and OFFICERS
But the answer is—
CHE
A qualified—
PERÓN and OFFICERS
Yes!
CHE
Eva started well, no question, in France,
Shining like the sun through the post-war haze,
A beautiful reminder of the carefree days.
She nearly captured the French. She sure had the chance,
But she suddenly seemed to lose interest.
She looked tired.
CHE
Face the facts. The Rainbow's starting to fade.
I don't think she'll make it to England now
PERÓN
It wasn't on the schedule anyhow.
CHE
You'd better get out the flags and fix a parade.
Some kind of coming home in triumph
Is required.
PERÓN and OFFICERS
Let's hear it for the Rainbow Tour.
It's been an incredible success.
We weren't quite sure. We had a few doubts.
Would Evita win through?
CHE
And the answer is—
PERÓN and OFFICERS
Yes.
CHE
And no
PERÓN and OFFICERS
And yes.
CHE
And no.
PERÓN and OFFICERS
And yes . . . No.
Let's hear it for the Rainbow Tour.
It's been an incredible success . . .
We weren't quite sure.
We had a few doubts.
Would Evita win through?
But the answer is . . . yes.
Yes.
7. THE ACTRESS HASN'T LEARNED (THE LINES YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR)
ARISTOCRACY
Thus all fairy stories end.
Only an actress would pretend
Affairs of state are her latest play,
Eight shows a week—two matinees.
My, how the worm begins to turn.
When will the chorus girl ever learn?
My, how the worm begins to turn.
When will the chorus girl ever learn?
EVA
The chorus girl hasn't learned the lines you'd like to hear.
She won't go scrambling over the backs of the poor to be accepted
By making donations—just large enough—to the correct charity.
She won't be president of your wonderful societies of philanthropy,
Even if you asked her to be,
As you should have asked her to be.
|
The actress hasn't learned the lines you'd like to hear. She won't join your clubs. She won't dance in your halls. She won't help the hungry once a month at your tombolas. She'll simply take control as you disappear. |  |
CHE
Forgive my intrusion but, fine as those sentiments sound,
Little has changed for us peasants down here on the ground.
I hate to sound childish, ungrateful. I don't like to moan,
But do you now represent anyone's cause but your own?
EVA
Everything done will be justified by my Foundation.
8. AND THE MONEY KEPT ROLLING IN (AND OUT)
CHE (and WORKERS on choruses)
And the money kept rolling in from every side
Eva's pretty hands reached out and they reached wide.
Now you may feel it should have been a voluntary cause,
But that's not the point my friends.
When the money keeps rolling in, you don't ask how.
Think of all the people guaranteed a good time now.
Eva's called the hungry to her—opened up the doors!
Never been a fund like the Foundation Eva Perón!
Rolling, rolling, rolling, (repeat)
Rolling on in.
Would you like to try a college education?
Own your landlord's house, take the family on vacation?
Eva and her blessed Fund can make your dreams come true.
Here's all you have to do, my friends.
Write your name and your dream on a card or a pad or a ticket.
Throw it high in the air and, should our lady pick it,
She will change your way of life for a week or even two.
Name me anyone who cares as much as Eva Perón!
Rolling, rolling, rolling. (repeat)
Rolling on out.
And the money kept rolling out in all directions,
To the poor, to the weak, to the destitute of all complexions.
Now cynics claim a little of the cash has gone astray,
But that's not the point my friends.
When the money keeps rolling out, you don't keep books.
You can tell you've done well by the happy grateful looks.
Accountants only slow things down. Figures get in the way.
Never been a lady loved as much as Eva Perón!
Rolling, rolling, rolling, (repeat)
Rolling on out
Eva!!!!!!!!!!!!
When the money keeps rolling out, you don't keep books.
You can tell you've done well by the happy grateful looks.
Accountants only slow things down. Figures get in the way.
Never been a lady loved as much as Eva Perón!
Rolling, rolling, rolling,
Rolling in and out.
9. PARTIDO FEMINISTA
CROWD
Evita Perón! Partido Feminista! (Repeated)
EVA
Perón is everything! He's the soul, the nerve, the hope and the
Reality of the Argentine people. We all know that there is only
One man in our movement with his own source of light. We all feed
From his light and that is Perón.
CROWD
Evita Perón! Partido Feminista! (Repeated)
CHE
And now she wants to be Vice-president.
ARMY
That was the over-the-top unacceptable suggestion.
We didn't approve but we couldn't prevent the games
Of the wife of the president,
But to give her intentions encouragement!
She's out of her depth and out of the question.
10. SHE IS A DIAMOND
PERÓN (to OFFICERS)
But on the other hand—she's all they have.
She's a diamond in their dull gray lives—and that's the
Hardest kind of stone—it usually survives
And, when you think about it, can you recall
The last time they loved anyone at all?
She's not a bauble you can brush aside.
She's been out doing what we just talked about—example:
Gave us back our businesses, got the English out,
And when you think about it—well, why not do
One or two of the things we promised to?
But on the other hand, she's slowing down
She's lost a little of that magic drive—but I would
Not advise those critics present to derive
Any satisfaction from her fading star.
She's the one who's kept us where we are.
OFFICERS
She's the one who's kept you where you are.
11. SANTA EVITA
CHILDREN
Please, gentle Eva,
Will you bless a little child?
For I love you—
Tell Heaven I'm doing my best.
I'm praying for you,
Even though you're already blessed.
Please, mother Eva,
Will you look upon me as your own?
Make me special.
Be my angel,
Be my everything, wonderful, perfect, and true,
And I'll try to be exactly like you.
|
Please, holy Eva, Will you feed a hungry child? For I love you— Tell Heaven I'm doing my best. I'm praying for you, Even though you're already blessed.
Please, mother Eva, |  |
CHE
Turn a blind eye, Evita.
Turn a blind eye.
WORKERS
Santa, Santa Evita,
Madre de todos los ninos
De los tiranizados,
De los descamisados,
De los trabajadores,
De la Argentina.
Santa, Santa Evita,
Madre de todos los ninos,
De los tiranizados,
De los descamisados,
De los trabajadores,
De la Argentina.
(Repeats)
12. WALTZ FOR EVA AND CHE
|
CHE Tell me before I waltz out of your life Before turning my back on the past Forgive my impertinent behavior But how long do you think this pantomime can last? Tell me before I ride off in the sunset There's one thing I never got clear How can you claim you're our savior When those who oppose you Are stepped on, or cut up, or simply disappear? |  |
EVA
Tell me, before you get onto your bus,
Before joining the forgotten brigade,
How can one person like me, say,
Alter the time-honored way the game is played?
Tell me, before you get onto your high horse,
Just what you expect me to do.
I don't care what the bourgeoisie say.
I'm not in business for them, but to give all my descamisados
A magical moment or two
CHE and EVA
There is evil, ever around, fundamental,
System of government quite incidental,
|
EVA So what are my chances Of honest advances? I'd say low. Better to win By admitting my sin, Than to lose with a halo. |  |
CHE
Tell me, before I seek worthier pastures,
And thereby restore self-esteem,
How can you be so short-sighted
To look never further than this week or next week,
To have no impossible dream?
EVA
Allow me to help you slink off to the sidelines.
I'll mark your adieu with three cheers,
But first tell me who'd be delighted,
If I said I'd take on the
The world's greatest problems
From war to pollution,
No hope of solution,
Even if I lived for one hundred years?
CHE and EVA
There is evil, ever around, fundamental,
System of government quite incidental,
|
EVA So go, if you're able, To somewhere unstable And stay there. Whip up your hate In some tottering state, But not here, dear Is that clear, dear? |  |
Oh what I'd give for a hundred years!
But the physical interferes
Every day more—O my Creator!
What is the good of the strongest heart
In a body that's falling apart?
A serious flaw—I hope You know that . . .
13. YOUR LITTLE BODY'S SLOWLY BREAKING DOWN
PERÓN
Your little body's slowly breaking down.
You're losing speed. You're losing strength—not style—that goes on
Flourishing forever, but your eyes, your smile,
Do not have the sparkle of your fantastic past.
If you climb one more mountain it could be your last.
EVA
I'm not that ill—
Bad moments come, but they go.
Some days are fine, some a little bit harder,
But that doesn't mean
We should give up our dream.
Have you ever seen
Me defeated?
Don't you forget what I've been through, and yet
I'm still standing.
PERÓN
Eva, you are dying.
EVA
So what happens now?
Where am I going to?
PERÓN
Don't ask anymore.
14. YOU MUST LOVE ME
EVA
Where do we go from here?
This isn't where we intended to be.
We had it all.
You believed in me.
I believed in you.
Certainties disappear.
What do we do for our dream to survive?
How do we keep all our passions alive,
As we used to do?
Deep in my heart I'm concealing
Things that I'm longing to say,
Scared to confess what I'm feeling,
Frightened you'll slip away.
You must love me.
You must love me.
Why are you at my side?
How can I be any use to now?
Give me a chance and I'll let you see how
Nothing has changed.
Deep in my heart I'm concealing
Things that I'm longing to say,
Scared to confess what I'm feeling,
Frightened you'll slip away.
You must love me. (repeat three times)
15. EVA'S FINAL BROADCAST
EVA
The actress hasn't learned the lines you'd like to hear.
She's sad for her country,
Sad to be defeated by her own weak body.
(A microphone is switched on—she is now on the air.)
CROWD
Evita! Evita! Evita!
EVA
I want to tell the people of Argentina
I've decided I should decline
All the honors and titles you've pressed me to take,
For I'm contented—
Let me simply go on
As the woman who brings her people to the heart of Perón!
Don't cry for me Argentina.
The truth is I shall not leave you,
Though it may get harder
For you to see me.
I'm Argentina
And always will be.
Have I said too much? There's nothing more I can think of to say to you,
But all you have to do is look at me to know that every word is true.
16. LATIN CHANT
CHE
She had her moments—she had some style.
The best show in town was the crowd
Outside the Casa Rosada crying, "Eva Perón!"
But that's all gone now—
17. LAMENT
(In her last hours, images, people and events from EVA's life flow through her mind, while the grief of the nation knows no bounds)
EVA
The choice was mine and mine completely.
I could have any prize that I desired.
I could burn with the splendor of the brightest fire,
Or else—or else I could choose time.
Remember I was very young then,
And a year was forever and a day,
So what use could fifty, sixty, seventy be?
I saw the lights and I was on my way.
And how I lived! How they shone!
But how soon the lights were gone!
(The moment EVA dies, EMBALMERS move in to preserve her fragile body)
CHE
The choice was yours and no one else's.
You can cry for a body in despair.
Hang your head because she is no longer there
To shine, or dazzle, or betray.
How she lived! How she shone!
But how soon the lights were gone!
EMBALMERS
Eyes, hair, face, image,
All must be preserved,
Still life displayed forever,
No less than she deserved.
END OF DISC TWO
|
|
|
