Finale Ultimo

Lyrics

[LANSDALE, spoken] Bigby Denby, M.D.! Physician, scientist, humanitarian! And better than all these, an executive! To use a phrase of his own, he has been "a good soldier" Bigby Denby has for years— [ENSEMBLE] Broccoli, hogwash, balderdash Phony baloney, tripe and trash No one knows where his youth has gone No one knows where his heart has gone But the talk, talk, talk Goes on and on And on and on and on [ENSEMBLE, spoken, continuing under DENBY's speech] Ya-ta-ta ya-ta-ta ya-ta-ta ya-ta-ta... [DENBY, spoken] Mr. Chairman, trustees, friends The cup of my happiness runneth over My heart is so full, words fail me! And yet— [ENSEMBLE, spoken] The prattle and the tattle The gab and thе gush The chatter and the pattеr And the twaddle and the tush Go on and on and on and on Ya-ta-ta ya-ta-ta ya-ta-ta ya-ta-ta... [DENBY, spoken] My co-worker, my young but very talented friend, Joseph Taylor, Jr.  The youngest man ever to receive this appointment! [ENSEMBLE, spoken] Joseph Taylor, Junior [JOE, spoken] Ladies and gentlemen, I look upon this appointment as a challenge One must approach with deep humility The task of succeeding so illustrious a predecessor as Dr. Bigby Denby He has been an ornament to medicine An ornament to his city An ornament— [JOE & COMPANY freeze.] [MAN & ENSEMBLE, spoken] "Ornament" [MAN, spoken] A man's brain is sometimes cleared by the sudden light of one word In the flash of a split second he sees a signpost, pointing down a new road And he may take a new turning that will affect the rest of his life [MAN & ENSEMBLE, spoken] The split second is over [JOE & COMPANY relax from frozen tableau.] [JOE, spoken] It takes a special talent to be an ornament I am not blessed with this talent [GRANDMA, spoken] Marjorie, look! [JOE & ENSEMBLE, spoken] I must therefore, respectfully— (One foot, other foot) I decline the appointment! (One foot, other foot) As a matter of fact (One foot, other foot) I have another offer in a smaller hospital (One foot, other foot) Where my father is physician-in-chief (One foot, other foot) I'll be his assistant (One foot, other foot) I want to practice medicine again (One foot, other foot) Among people I understand (One foot, other foot) I'm going home (One foot, other foot) [ENSEMBLE & ENSEMBLE, spoken] Come home, come home (One foot, other foot, one foot) Where the brown birds fly (Other foot, one foot, other foot, one foot) Through a pale blue sky (Other foot, one foot, other foot, one foot) To a tall, green (Other foot, one foot, other foot) Tree (One foot, other foot, one foot) There is no finer sight (Other foot, one foot, other foot, one foot) For a man to see (Other foot, one foot, other foot) [DENBY, spoken, ENSEMBLE, spoken & ENSEMBLE] You can't do this! (One foot, other foot) What'll I tell the papers? (Come home) (One foot, other foot) [LANSDALE, spoken, ENSEMBLE, spoken & ENSEMBLE] Tell the papers he's just (Joe) (One foot, other foot) A small-town doctor (Come home) (One foot, other foot) [JOE, spoken] Okay, tell 'em that! [ENSEMBLE, spoken, continuing] One foot, other foot [ENSEMBLE] Now you can do Whatever you want Whatever you want to do [EMILY, spoken] Dr. Taylor! Can you use a nurse back there? [JOE turns and holds out his hand to welcome EMILY.] [ENSEMBLE] Here you are in a wonderful world Especially made for you [CHARLIE, spoken] Hey! What about me? [DENBY, spoken] Charlie? [JOE, spoken] Come on! [EMILY, JOE, CHARLIE & ENSEMBLE] One foot, other foot One foot, other foot One foot, other foot One foot, other foot Now you can do Whatever you want Whatever you want to do One foot out and the other foot out One foot out and the other foot out One foot out and the other foot out And the world belongs to you! [JOE walks away, out into the sunlight. EMILY & CHARLIE follow.]