The Glamorous Life

Lyrics

[STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken] Orchestra comes in, and Fredrika sings... [FREDRIKA] Ordinary mothers lead ordinary lives Keep the house and sweep the parlor Cook the meals and look exhausted Ordinary mothers, like ordinary wives Fry the eggs and dry the sheets and Try to deal with facts Mine acts [STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken] Desiree comes on [DESIREE] Darling, you're looking divine And, Mother is dying to chat But, Mother is getting a plaque From the Halsingborg Arts Council Amateur Theatre Group Darling, I'll drop you a line—wait What do you think of the hat? No? Darling, the minute I'm back From the Halsingborg Arts Council Etcetera I'll write and I miss you Unpack the luggagе, la la la Pack up the luggage, la la la Unpack the luggagе, la la la Hi-ho, the glamorous life! Ice in the basin, la la la Cracks in the plaster, la la la [STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken] She even hits wrong notes and they work into the song [DESIREE] Mice in the hallway, la la la Hi-ho, the glamorous life! Run for the carriage, la la la Gobble the sandwich, la la la [STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken] Fredrika's joining her now [DESIREE & FREDRIKA] Which town is this one? la la la Hi-ho, the glamorous—oops! [STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken] And she goes off. And Fredrika, Fredrika goes back to her scales. I forgot to mention that Fredrika had once been on the road with her mother. And the old lady starts to sing.  [MADAME ARMFELDT] Ordinary daughters ameliorate their lot Use their charms and choose their futures Breed their children, heed their mothers Ordinary daughters, which mine I fear, is not Tend each asset, spend it wisely While it still endures Mine tours [DESIREE] Mother, your timing is off I'm feeling decidedly mild No, Mother, I really must run I'm performing in Rottvik And don't ask where is it, please Tell me though, how is your cough? And are you corrupting the child? Don't Mother, the minute I'm done With performing in Rottvik I'll come for a visit And argue Unpack the luggage, la la la Pack up the luggage, la la la Unpack the luggage, la la la Hi-ho, the glamorous life! [STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken] And Fredrika joins her and they take a couple of lines [DESIREE & FREDRIKA] Mayors with speeches, la la la Children with posies, la la la [STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken] The old lady... [MADAME ARMFELDT] Half-empty houses, la la la Hi-ho, the glamorous life! [STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken] Fredrika... [FREDRIKA] Mother's romantic, la la la [STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken] The old lady... [MADAME ARMFELDT] Mother's misguided, la la la [STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken] Desiree... [DESIREE] Mother's surviving, la la la Leading the glamorous life [STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken] Now at the word "life", the old lady sings: [MADAME ARMFELDT] Ordinary daughters learn even while they're tots That if a woman takes care of herself No one takes care of her [STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken] And when she says "her", Desiree says: [DESIREE] Ordinary mothers are really [?] [STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken] "Kept" says the old lady [DESIREE] And there's nothing as unfair As a woman who once [STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken] The old lady says [MADAME ARMFELDT] As you were (spoken) Truce? Truce [STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken] Fredrika says [FREDRIKA, spoken] Good [STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken] And then they all sing: [DESIREE, FREDRIKA & MADAME ARMFELDT] Cultural lunches, la la la Dead floral tributes. la la la Ancient admirers, la la la Hi-ho, the glamorous life Always the trouper, la la la Home before Christmas, la la la Darlings, I miss you, la la la Hi-ho [STEPHEN SONDHEIM, spoken] And Liebeslieder people have joined in and they also take a chord [QUINTET] Hi-ho [ALL] For the glamorous life!