The Deal (No Deal)

Lyrics

[THE ARBITER] Isn't it strange the complications People attach to situations Almost as if they want to miss the wood for the trees? Nothing will change my basic feeling When they have done all their wheeler-dealing Those in the strongest situations do as they please [THE ARBITER, spoken] You might see all kinds of human emotion here Passion and pain, love and hate [THE ARBITER] I see nothing other than a simple board game! [THE ARBITER, spoken] At the Dusit Thani hotel, Bangkok Alexander Molokov makes his move [MOLOKOV, spoken] We did not bring you to Bangkok for a holiday, my dear You must tell your husband he has to lose the match and come home Talk to Anatoly [MOLOKOV] You can have the life you want And anywhere you want it [MOLOKOV, spoken] But if Anatoly wins Life is going to be very tough for you and your children Tell Anatoly that [MOLOKOV] Make him think of you Not narcissistic dreams of glory [MOLOKOV, spoken] How many times does he want to be champion, anyway? [THE ARBITER, spoken] Two days later, the wife, Svetlana Sergievsky, makes her move [SVETLANA, spoken] How many times do you want to be champion, anyway? Come home, Anatoly [SVETLANA] Who needs a dream? Who needs ambition? Who'd be the fool In my position? Once I had dreams— [ANATOLY] Now they're obsessions Hopes became needs Lovers possessions [SVETLANA] Now you're where you wanna be and who you wanna be And doing what you always said you would And yet you know you haven't won at all Running for your life and never looking back In case there's someone right behind to shoot you down And say he always knew you'd fall When that crazy wheel slows down Where will you be? Back where you started [THE ARBITER, spoken] And at the Oriental Hotel Walter de Courcy from Global Television plays his opening gambit [WALTER, spoken] Your father is alive [FLORENCE, spoken] My father? Alive? [WALTER, spoken] Alive in Russia—thirty years in prison [FLORENCE, spoken] And you think I would believe you? [WALTER, spoken] Well, the evidence is conclusive And if you don't believe me, Anatoly will Now, you get him to lose against Viigand And Molokov assures me he can get your father out And not only him [WALTER] We have some people to recover I know that you would simply love a Chance to make sure your father's name was high on our list We want him back, which is to say a Gesture is needed from your player We wouldn't mind if he got beaten, in fact we insist [FLORENCE] There must be a lie you wouldn't tell me A limit to your devious ambition But what it could be, I can't imagine Is there no one here who's not a politician? [FLORENCE, spoken] There's no deal [FLORENCE] When I was young I learned that memories Shouldn't be built to last Luxuries such as father, mother Jettisoned in the past How can a half-remembered figure From a past so remote that it's hardly real Alter the way I feel? Pity the child, who twenty-five years on Finds her confidence gone! [THE ARBITER, spoken] While in subterranean marble surroundings Two of the world's most powerful players make a mid-game assessment [WALTER] You should have seen how she reacted I couldn't leave 'til she'd extracted Promises she would see her father, simple I said Told her the way she could achieve this Even though you might not believe this She said that I was not to worry, go right ahead! [MOLOKOV] You don't know her well She could have fooled you She could despite herself try to resist us [WALTER] Yes, I may be wrong, but to be certain There are others we can call in to assist us [THE ARBITER, spoken] And who better than a dethroned king? [WALTER, spoken] Now remember who's been paying for you to be here, Freddie, in Bangkok We have a deal with the Soviets to get some people out Including Florence's father Provided Anatoly loses and gets on back to Moscow You'd like that, wouldn't you, huh? [FREDDIE] Communist, democrat An intriguing collusion Fair exchange, tit for tat Comradeship in profusion [FREDDIE, FREDDIE, WALTER & MOLOKOV, WALTER & MOLOKOV] And the appeal, partner (Partner) Of this deal, partner (Partner) Is we both stand to win You and me, the lady also Don't break her heart, partner (Partner) Just be smart, partner (Partner) Throw the match, show your love Is as pure as snow in Moscow [FREDDIE] Thank God we're so civilized And our word can be our bond We can turn this into friendship for life And beyond [ANATOLY] Refugee, total shit That's how I've always seen us Not a help, you'll admit To agreement between us [ANATOLY, ANATOLY, WALTER & MOLOKOV, WALTER & MOLOKOV] There's no deal, partner (Partner) Who's your real partner? (Partner) Could there be just a chance That you've got some heavy clients? [FREDDIE & WALTER, FREDDIE, WALTER & ENSEMBLE, ENSEMBLE] That's not true, partner (Partner) How could you, partner (Partner) Think I'd want to pursue any deal but our alliance? How can you only think Of your selfish ambition And not of her position? Or you'd rather perhaps See her world collapse [FREDDIE, spoken] For a tinpot competition! [ANATOLY, spoken] Who put you up to this? There's no deal [THE ARBITER, spoken] So Frederick makes a desperate final play For the woman he hasn't seen in a year [FREDDIE] Silly boy, woman who I should not have let walk out There's no hitch that we two Can't untangle or talk out [FREDDIE, FREDDIE, WALTER & MOLOKOV, WALTER & MOLOKOV] And the appeal, partner (Partner) Of this deal, partner (Partner) Is we both stand to win We will bring back the golden era Stick with me, honey (Honey) Leave him be, honey (Honey) You don't know what they've planned for you Long ago in Moscow [FLORENCE] Can't you see we've moved on? [FLORENCE, spoken] Chess has nothing to do with this Chess isn't life [FREDDIE, spoken] But I've changed He won't help you with your father Anatoly would never throw any match I'm telling you the truth, Florence Come back to me [ANATOLY & FLORENCE] Who'd ever think it? Such a squalid little ending Watching him descending just as low as he can go I'm learning things I didn't want to know [ANATOLY, FLORENCE & FREDDIE] Who'd ever guess it? This would be the situation One more complication should be neither here nor there I wish I had it in me not to care [ANATOLY] Let him spill out his hate 'Til he knows he's deserted There's no point wasting time Preaching to the perverted [ANATOLY, FREDDIE, FLORENCE, WALTER, MOLOKOV, THE ARBITER & ENSEMBLE] Who'd ever think it? No one makes the moves intended 'Til the game has ended Then they say I told you so I'm learning things I didn't want to know [FREDDIE, spoken] It can all be different now, Florence I love you Come back to me! [THE ARBITER] Everybody's playing the game But nobody's rules are the same [ANATOLY, FLORENCE, WALTER, MOLOKOV, THE ARBITER & ENSEMBLE] Nobody's on nobody's side [FLORENCE] Never be the first [ANATOLY, WALTER, MOLOKOV, THE ARBITER & ENSEMBLE, FLORENCE] Everybody's playing the game But nobody's rules are the same (Never be the last to deceive) Nobody's on nobody's side!