Hush Hush

Lyrics

[ROOSEVELT] When you first come to session For making of the laws You live on the salary only But you don't make no impression And you don't get no applause And the guilders, they look so lonely So you maybe ask a question of a fellow standing by And he never gives an answer, and he never makes reply But he slips a little silver and he looks you in the eye And he says, "Hush hush," to you [COUNCIL] Hush hush, hush hush Hush hush hush hush, hush hush Hush hush, hush hush to you! We wouldn't say it's lying and we wouldn't say it's true But we said hush hush Hush hush hush hush, hush hush We said hush hush to you [ROOSEVELT] When you first make inquiry Concerning of the laws You really truly want some information You look pretty fiery And you make a little pause And you wait for an explanation Now it's no good expecting anybody makes reply But it's anyway an income every time you're asking why So you're asking, so they're giving, so you're living pretty high So they're saying, "Hush hush," to you [COUNCIL] Hush hush, hush hush Hush hush hush hush, hush hush Hush hush, hush hush to you! We wouldn't say it's lying and we wouldn't say it's true But we said hush hush Hush hush hush hush, hush hush We said hush hush to you [SCHERMERHORN, spoken] Wait, wait! I wish to speak private with the president of the council [TIENHOVEN, spoken] Speak it out loud This is a holiday [SCHERMERHORN, spoken] Well then, there is nobody to hang [COUNCIL, spoken] Ooh! [TIENHOVEN, spoken] Why not? [SCHERMERHORN, spoken] There is nobody in the jail [COUNCIL, spoken] Ooh! [TIENHOVEN, spoken] Why not? There was plenty yesterday [SCHERMERHORN, spoken] They went out through the hole [COUNCIL, spoken] Ooh [TIENHOVEN, spoken] What hole? [SCHERMERHORN, spoken] The hole in the jail! Once I had a prisoner used to cut a notch every day So when I want to know what day it was I used to go over and look at his notches Each day he cut the notch bigger and bigger and bi— Until one day he cut right through and out he went through the hole [DE VRIES, spoken] There is nobody to hang? [SCHERMERHORN, spoken] Nobody! [VAN CORTLANDT, spoken] That's awful [VAN RENNSELAER, spoken] Terrible [TIENHOVEN, spoken] We got to find somebody to hang! Because the Governor comes, and anyway we made a law! [DE PEYSTER, spoken] We got to find somebody! [VANDERBILT, spoken] Maybe the criminals didn't run far yet Maybe we could catch one! [COUNCIL, spoken] Ja! [TIENHOVEN] Only look like you wasn't looking Whistle! [COUNCIL exits whistling.] [IRVING, spoken] And now I must have a hero, of course Preferably from the lower classes— Rather bedraggled, if possible, and fairly ordinary at first glance But as you get to know him better you find that he's not ordinary at all No, he has a definite peculiarity for getting into insoluble difficulties In spite of the best of intentions