What You Want Wid Bess?

Lyrics

[Boat whistle sounds.] [SERENA, spoken] You best hurry up You gonna miss that boat [MARIA, spoken] Hey there! Hold your holt I's a-comin! Hurry up, Bess! That boat's gettin' the whooping cough [CROWN, spoken] Psst—Hey, Bess! [BESS, spoken] Crown! [CROWN] You know very well this Crown I see you land and I been waitin' all day for to see you I 'most dead on this damn island [BESS] You ain't looks 'most dead, you bigger than ever [CROWN] Oh, I got plenty to eat Bird egg, oyster, and such But I 'most dead of the lonesome With not one God person to swap a word with Lord, I's glad you come [BESS] I can't stay, Crown, or the boat'll go without me [CROWN, spoken] Damn that boat! Got any happy dust with you? [BESS] No, Crown, no more happy dust I done give up dope, and besides, Crown I got something to tell you [CROWN] You just listen to what I gots to tell you I waitin' here 'til the cotton bеgin comin' in Then livin'll be easy Johnny'll hidе you and me on the riverboat far as Savannah Who you livin' with now? [BESS] I livin' with the cripple Porgy [CROWN, spoken] Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha [CROWN] You sure got funny taste in men, but that's your business I ain't care who you takes up with while I's away But 'member what I told you He's temporary I reckon it'll just be a couple of weeks now 'fore I comes for you [BESS] Crown, I got something to tell you [CROWN] What that? [BESS] I, I livin' with Porgy now, and I livin' decent [CROWN] I hear what I tell you I say in a couple of weeks I's comin' for you And you is goin' tote fair, less'n you wants to meet your God [CROWN, spoken] You gets that? [Boat whistle sounds.] [BESS, spoken] Take your hands off me, I'm gonna miss that boat [CROWN] You tellin' me that you'd rather have that cripple than Crown? [BESS] It's like this, Crown I's the only woman Porgy ever had And I's thinkin' now, how it'll be tonight When all them other peoples go back to Catfish Row He'll be sittin' and watchin' the big front gate A-countin' 'em off, waitin' for Bess And when the last woman goes home to her man And I ain't there— [CROWN, spoken] Ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha [BESS, spoken] Lemme go, Crown! You can get plenty other women [CROWN] What I wants with other woman? [CROWN, spoken] I gots a woman and that's you, see! [BESS] Oh, what you want with Bess? She's gettin' old now Takes a fine young gal For to satisfy Crown Look at this chest And look at these arms you got You know how it always been with me These five years I been your woman You could kick me in the street And when you wanted me back You could whistle and there I was Back again, lickin' your hand There's plenty better lookin' gal than Bess [BESS & CROWN] Can't you see (What I wants with other woman?) I'm with Porgy, now and forever (I's got a woman, yes) I am his woman (And that is you, yes) He would die without me (That is you, yes) Oh, Crown, won't you let me go (I need you now and you're mine) To my man (Just as long as I want you) To my man? (No cripple's gonna take my woman from me) He is a cripple (You got your man tonight) And needs my love, all my love (And that is Crown) What you want with Bess? (You're my woman, Bess) Oh, let me go to my man (I'm tellin' you, now I'm your man) [BESS] What you want with Bess? [Boat whistle sounds.] [BESS, spoken] Lemme go Hear that boat? It's goin' without me [CROWN] You ain't goin' nowhere! [BESS] Take your hands off me, I say Your hands, your hands, your hands [CROWN] I knows you ain't change With you and me it always be the same Get in that thicket