Porgy and Bess 1993 George Gershwin

CLARA
Summertime and the livin' is easy,

Fish are jumpin', and the cotton is high.
Oh your daddy's rich, and your ma is good lookin',

So hush, little baby, don' yo' cry.

One of these mornin's you goin' to rise up singin',
Then you'll spread yo' wings an' you'll take the sky.

But till that mornin', there's a-nothin' can harm you
With Daddy and Mammy standin' by.

MINGO
Oh, nobody knows when the Lawd is goin' to call.

MEN
Roll dem bones, roll.

SPORTING LIFE
It may be in the summertime and maybe in the fall.

MEN
Roll dem bones, roll.

SPORTING LIFE
But you got to leave yo' baby and yo' home an' all,

So --

SPORTING LIFE AND MEN
Roll dem bones, oh, my brudder, oh my brudder,

Oh my brudder,
Roll dem bones, roll dem bones, roll, roll.

Seems like these bones don give me nothin'
but boxcars tonight. It was the same two

weeks ago, an' the game broke me;
I don't likes that kind o' luck!

SPORTING LIFE
Damn you, give me dem bones!

MINGO
What do you say to these, Jake?

JAKE
Them's the same cock-eyed bones

what clean the game out last Saturday night;
If they rolls in this game, I rolls out.

SERENA
Honey boy!

JAKE Come on down,
Robbins, we're waiting for you.

SERENA
Honey, don't play tonight. Do like I say.

ROBBINS
I been sweatin' all day.

Night time is man's time. He got a
right to forget his troubles. He got a right to play.

SERENA
If you hadn't been drinkin' you wouldn't talk to me that way.

You ain't nebber hear Lord Jesus
say nuttin' 'bout got to play.

ROBBINS
There you go again. Lissen what I say.;

I works all the week; Sunday got to pray.
But Saturday night a man's got a right to play.

GROUP
A man's got a right to play.

That ole lady of mine is hell on
savin' money to join the buryin' lodge.

I says spend it while you
is still alive and kickin'

JIM
Lord, I is tired this night. I'm done with cotton.

JAKE
Better come along with me on the Sea Gull.

I got room for another fisherman.

JIM
That suit me.

This cotton hook done swing its las'
bale of cotton.

Here, who wants a cotton hook?

CLARA
Summertime and the livin' is easy.

CRAP SHOOTERS
Seven come, seven come to pappy!

Fish are jumping

Throw that beautiful
number! Come seven to me! Yeah, man!

I'll bet yo' wrong.
I'll bet he's right! Gettin' hot!

CLARA
...Oh, yo' daddy's rich

CRAP SHOOTERS
Come, seven! Shoot! Made it! He made it!

CLARA
So hush, little baby, don't yo' cry!

CRAP SHOOTERS
Ol' man seven come down from heaven!

JAKE
What, that chile ain't asleep yet?

Give him to me.
I'll fix him for you.

Lissen to yo' daddy warn you,
'Fore you start a-travelling,

Woman may born you, love you and mourn you,
But a woman is a sometime thing,

Yes, a woman is a sometime thing.

MINGO
Oh, a woman is a sometime thing.

JAKE
Yo' mammy is the first to name you,

Then she'll tie you to her apron string,
Then she'll shame you and she'll blame you

Till yo' woman comes to claim you,
'Cause a woman is a sometime thing,

Yes, a woman is a sometime thing.

SPORTING LIFE
Oh, a woman is a sometime thing.

JAKE
Don't you never let a woman grieve you

Jus' cause she got yo' weddin' ring.
She'll love you and deceive you,

Take yo' clothes and leave you
'Cause a woman is a sometime thing.

ALL
Yes, a woman is a sometime thing.

JAKE
There now, what I tells you; he's asleep already.

CLARA
He got better sense than to listen to that nonsense.

ROBBINS
Come back, Jake, you make a better crap shooter.

PETER
Here come de honey man.

Yes man, dis de honey man.
You got honey in de comb?

Yes man, I got honey in de comb.
An' is yo honey cheap?

Yes mam, my honey very cheap.
Here come de honey man.

ALL
Hello, Peter.

LILY
Well, here come my ol' man.

Now gimme the money! Now go sit and rest.

MARIA
You Scipio! Here come Porgy.

Open the gate for him.

JAKE
Here's the ol' crap shark!

MINGO
Now we'll have a game!

PORGY
Evenin' ladies, hello, boys!

Luck been ridin' high with Porgy
today.

I got a pocket full of the Buckra money,

and it's goin' to any man what
got the guts to shoot it off me.

MINGO
Get on down, son we'll take it.

SPORTING LIFE
Lay it down.

ROBBINS
All right, mens, roll 'em. We done wait long enough.

JIM
You bes' wait for Crown.

I see him comin', takin'
the whole sidewalk,

And he looks like he ain't
gonna stand no foolin'.

PORGY
Is Bess with him?

JAKE
Lissen to Porgy.

I think he's sof' on Crown's Bess.

PORGY
I ain't nebber swap two words with Bess.

MARIA
Porgy got too good sense

to look twice at that
liquor guzzlin' slut.

SERENA
That gal Bess ain't fit for Gawd fearin'

ladies to 'sociate with.

PORGY
Can't you keep yo' mouth off Bess.

Between Gawd fearin' ladies and the Gawd
damnin' men that gal ain't got a chance.

JAKE
Ain' I tells you Porgy sof' on her?

PORGY
No, no, brudder, Porgy ain't sof' on no woman;

They pass by singin', they pass by cryin',
always lookin'.

They look in my do'
an' they keep on movin'.

When Gawd make cripple,
He mean him to be lonely.

Night time, day time,
He got to trabble dat lonesome road.

Night time, day time,
He got to trabble dat lonesome road.

MINGO
Here comes Big Boy!

All right, Sporting Life, give us
a pint and make it damn quick.

CROWN
Pay him, Bess.

JAKE
Drunk again!

PORGY
He sure love his liquor,

but some day
she's gonna throw him down.

CROWN
That damn whiskey'-jus' as weak as water.

SERENA
See that hussy drinkin' like any man!

BESS
Here, Robbins,

have one to the Gawd fearin' ladies.

There's nothin' like 'em, thank Gawd.

CROWN
Oh, no, you don't.

Nobody ain't drinkin' none of my licker.
All right, mens, I'm talkin' to you.

Anybody answerin' me?

ROBBINS
Boxcars again.

MINGO
Cover 'em, brother, cover 'em.

ROBBINS
Cover hell!

I goin' to pass 'em along and see
if I can break my luck.

MINGO
Robbins' lady ain't allow him but fifty cent

and he can't
take no chances with bad luck.

BESS
That's all right, honey boy,

I'll stake you when yo' four
bits done gone.

SERENA
Go ahead an' play.

You don't need no charity
off no she-devils.

BESS
See what I gets for you.

Yo' woman is easy
when you know the way.

JAKE
Crapped out!

PORGY
Don't you ever let a woman grieve you

PORGY and ALL
She'll love you and deceive you,

take yo' clothes and leave you
'Cause--

PORGY
A woman is a sometime thing.

ALL
Yes, a woman is a sometime thing.

MINGO
Yo' mammy's gone and yo' daddy's happy

Come home little bones,
come home to pappy.

Four to make. Come four!

PORGY
Crapped out!

SPORTING LIFE
Crapped out, come to your pappy

ROBBINS
Crown too cock-eyed drunk to read 'em.

What the dice say, Bess?

BESS
Seven.

CROWN
I ain't drunk enough to read 'em.

That is the trouble.
Ha ha, ha ha, ha ha!

Licker ain't strong enough.

Give me a pinch of happy dust,
Sportin' Life.

BESS
Don't give him that stuff, Sportin' Life.

He's ugly drunk already.

CROWN
Pay him an' shut up.

SPORTING LIFE
Huh, seven! Huh, seven! Huh, seven!

'leven

CROWN
God damn it, I ain't read 'em yet.

CROWN
Shut up!

SPORTING LIFE
Six to make!

JIM
Seven!

PORGY
Oh, little stars, little stars,

Roll, roll, roll me some light,
Leven little stars, come home, come home,

Roll dis poor beggar a sun an' a moon,
A sun an' a moon.

MINGO
Li'l Joe.

JIM
Little Joe,

PORGY
Oh, no, my brother, that ain't little Joe.

They is the monin' and the evenin' stars.

An' just you watch 'em rise
and shine for this poor beggar.

Turn me loose.

JIM
Made 'em!

CROWN
Roll up that bastard's sleeve.

Well, you got them damn dice, conjer them.

PORGY
Boy, boy, boy, I'm a crap shootin' idiot.

SPORTING LIFE and JAKE
Crapped out!

ROBBINS
Nine to make, come nine!

Read 'em. Nine spot! Nine right!

CROWN
Touch that money an' meet yo' Gawd!

ROBBINS
Take yo' hand off me, you lousy houn'.

Han' me that brick
behin' you.

MINGO
Jesus, he killed him!

BESS
Wake up an' hit it out.

You ain't got no time to lose.

CROWN
What the matter?

BESS
You done kill Robbins

and the police will be comin'.

CROWN
Where you goin' hide?

They know you an' I pulls together.

BESS
Some man always willin' to take care of Bess.

CROWN
Well, get this: whoever he is,

he's temporary. I'm comin'
back when the hell dies down.

BESS
All right, only get out now.

Here, take this.
That you, Sportin' Life?

SPORTING LIFE
Sure, and I's the only friend you got left.

BESS
For Gawd's sake,

give me a touch of happy dust.
I shakin' so I can hardly stand.

SPORTING LIFE
Listen, I'll be goin' to New York soon.

I'll hide you out and take you with me.
Why you an' me will make a swell team.

BESS
I ain't come to that yet.

SPORTING LIFE
Well, the cops ain't goin'

find me here for no woman.

MARIA
You done bring trouble enough,

get out before
the police come.

BESS
You wouldn't have a heart and let me in?

MARIA
Not till hell freeze!

BESS
Who live over there?

MARIA
That's Porgy,

he ain't no use to your kind,
he's a cripple and a beggar.

WOMAN
Where is brudder Robbins?

ALL
He's a-gone, gone, gone,

gone, gone, gone, gone.

WOMAN
I seen him in de mornin' wid his work clo'es on

ALL
But he's gone, gone, gone

gone, gone, gone, gone.

MAN
An' I seen him in the noontime

straight and tall, but death
acome awalkin' in the evenin' fall

ALL
An' he's gone, gone, gone

gone, gone, gone, gone.

WOMAN
An' death touched Robbins wid a silver knife

ALL
An' he's gone, gone, gone

gone, gone, gone, gone.

MAN
An' he's sittin' in de garden by de tree of life.

ALL
An' he's gone, gone, gone

gone, gone, gone, gone.
Robbins is gone, gone, gone,

SERENA
Who's dat acomin' climbin' up my steps?

MARIA
It's Porgy, an' Bess is ahelpin' him.

SERENA
What's dat woman comin' here for?

SERENA
I don't need yo' money for to bury my man.

BESS
Dis ain't Crown's money.

Porgy give me my money now.

SERENA
All right, then.

You can put it in the saucer.

WOMAN
Come on, sister, come on, brudder,

Fill up the saucer till it overflow,

GROUP
Overflow, overflow.

Fill up de saucer till it overflow.

JAKE
Yes, my Jesus, overflow.

FIRST WOMAN
'Cause de Lawd will meet you,

Yes, de Lawd will meet you
at the court-house do'-

ALL
Court-house do', court-house do',

De Lawd will meet you at
the court-house do'.

JAKE
Yes, my Jesus, court-house do'.

PETER
How de saucer stand now, my sister?

CHORUS
Oh, he's gone, gone, gone,

SERENA
Fourteen dollars an' fifty cent.

MARIA
Dat's a-comin' on, sister, you can bury him soon.

SERENA
What am I goin' to do if I ain' got the money?

PORGY
Gawd got plenty of money for de saucer.

SERENA
Bless de Lord!

PORGY
An' he goin' to soffen dese people heart

for to fill de saucer
till he spill all over.

ALL
Amen, my Jesus!

PORGY
De Lawd will provide a grave for his chillen,

CLARA
Bless the Lord!

PORGY
An' he got comfort for de widder.

ALL
Oh, my Jesus!

PORGY
An' he goin' feed his fadderless chillen.

ALL
Yes Lawd, Truth Lawd!

PORGY
An' he goin' raise dis poor sinner

up out of de grave.

JAKE
Allelujah!

PORGY
An' set him in de shinin' seat ob de righteous.

SERENA
Amen, my Jesus!

ALL
Overflow, overflow,

Oh fill up de saucer till it overflow,
Everybody helpin' now

sendin' our brudder to heaven,
Lawd, Oh Lawd,

send down your angels!
Robbins is rising to heaven!

PORGY
Oh, sufferin' Jesus!

You knows right from wrong.
You knows Robbins was a good man

an' now he's weary
an' he's goin' home.

Reach down yo' lovin' han' an' take our
brudder to yo' bosom.

Thank you, Lawd, Bless you Lawd.
Lawd will fill de saucer, over, overflow, Oh!

ALL
Overflow, overflow,

Oh Lawd will fill de saucer,
Ev'rybody helpin' now

Robbins is risin' to heaven!
-till it overflow, Oh!

DETECTIVE
Um! A saucer-burial setup, I see.

You're his widow?

SERENA
Yes, suh.

DETECTIVE
He did not leave any burial insurance?

SERENA
No, boss, he didn't leave nuttin'.

DETECTIVE
Well, see to it he's buried tomorrow.

You killed Robbins an' I'm
going to hang you for it!

LILY
He ain't don um!

PETER
What he say?

LILY
He say you kill Robbins.

DETECTIVE
Come along now!

PETER
'Fore Gawd, boss, I ain't never done um!

DETECTIVE
Who did it, then? You heard me, who did it?

PETER
Crown done it, boss. I done see him do it.

DETECTIVE
You're sure you saw him?

PETER
I swear to Gawd, boss, I was right there beside him.

DETECTIVE
That's easy. I thought as much.

You. You saw it too. I don't
want to have to put the law on you.

Look at me, you damn dummy!

PORGY
I don't know nuttin' 'bout it, boss.

DETECTIVE
That's your room in the corner, ain't it?

PORGY
Yes, boss, dat's my room.

DETECTIVE
The door opens on the court, don't it?

PORGY
Yes, boss, my door opens on the court.

DETECTIVE
An' yet you didn't see or hear anything?

PORGY
I don't know nuttin' 'bout it, boss.

I been asleep
inside, and my door been closed.

DETECTIVE
You're a damn liar.

He saw the killing; take him along
and lock him up as a material witness.

POLICEMAN
Come along, uncle.

PETER
I ain't done it, boss.

MARIA
How long you goin' lock him up for?

POLICEMAN
Till we catch Crown.

PORGY
I reckon Crown done loose now in de palmetto thickets

an'
dere ain' no rope long enough to hang him.

DETECTIVE
Then the old man's out of luck

Remember, you've got to
bury that body tomorrow

or the board of health will take him
an' turn him over to the medical students.

Come on, get
the old man in the wagon.

PETER
I ain't never done nuttin', boss.

I swear to Gawd I ain' never done nuttin'.

PORGY
And there go Peter to be lock up like a thief.

JAKE
Like a thief.

PORGY
An' here be Robbins with his wife

and his fadderless chillen,
an' Crown done gone his ways drinkin'

gamblin', swearin', to do same thing
over and over somewheres else.

ALL
Gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone.

SERENA
My man's gone now,

Ain't no use alistenin'
For his tired foot-steps

Climbin' up de stairs. Ah!
Ole Man Sorrow

Come to keep me comp'ny,
Whisperin' beside me

When I say my prayers. Ah-
Ain't dat I min' workin'路

Work an' me is travellers
Journeyin' togedder

To de promise land.
But Ole Man Sorrow's

Marchin' all de way wid me
Tellin' me I'm ole now

Since I lose my man.

Ole Man Sorrow sittin' by de fireplace,
Lyin' all night long by me in de bed.

Tellin' me de same thing mornin',
noon an' eb'nin'

That I'm all alone now since my man is
dead, Since my man is dead

ALL
Ah -

SERENA
Ah -

Since my man is dead

UNDERTAKER
How de saucer stan' now, my sister?

SERENA
There ain't but fifteen dollar.

UNDERTAKER
Hum! Can't bury him for fifteen dollar.

JAKE
He got to be buried tomorrow

or the board of health will take him
and give him to the medical students

UNDERTAKER
Life is hard, brudder,

but we all got to live.
It cos' money for to bury a grown man.

SERENA
Oh, for Gawd sake, bury him in the grave yard

Don't let the students
take him to cut up an' scatter.

I goin' to work on Monday, an' I swear
to Gawd, I goin' pay you ev'ry cent.

UNDERTAKER
All right, sister,

wit the box an' one carriage, it'll cos' me
more'n twenty-five, but I'll see you through.

UNDERTAKER
You can all be ready tomorrow mornin'.

It's a long trip to
the cemetery.

GROUP
Oh, he's gone, gone, gone,

gone, gone, gone, gone

BESS
Oh, the train is at the station

An' you better get on board
'Cause it's leavin' today,

ALL
Leavin' today, leavin' today.

BESS
Oh, the train is at the station

An' you better get on board,
'Cause it's leavin' today,

'An it's headin' for The Promise Lan'.

ALL
Headin' for the Promise' Lan'.

BESS
Oh, we're leavin' for the Promise Lan'

Leavin' for the Promise' Lan'.

BESS AND ALL
Keep that drivin' wheel arollin', rollin'

Let it roll. . . Until we meet
our brudder in the Promise' Lan'.

ALL
Oh, we're leavin' for the Promise' Lan'

an' you better get on board
all you sinners,

oh, you better get on board.
'Cause we're leavin' etc..

'Cause we're leavin' for the Lan', Oh!
Keep that drivin' wheel arollin', rollin'

'til we meet our brudder
in the Promise' Lan'.

JAKE
Oh, I'm agoin' out to the Blackfish banks

No matter what de wedder say,
An' when I say I'm goin' I means goin'

An' I'm leavin' at de break o' day.

JAKE AND MEN
It take a long pull to get there, huh!

But I'll anchor in the Promise' Lan'
In de Promise' Lan'.

JAKE AND MEN
It take a long pull to get there, huh!

But I'll anchor in the Promise' Lan'.
In de Promise' Lan'.

CLARA
Jake, you ain't plannin' to take de Seagull

to de Blackfish banks, is you?
It's time for de September storms.

JAKE
How you think dat boy goin' get de college

education, if I
don' work hard an' make money?

PORGY
Oh, I got plenty o' nuttin',

An' nuttin's plenty fo' me.
I got no car, got no mule, I got no misery.

De folks wid plenty o' plenty
Got a lock on dey door.

'Fraid somebody's agoin' to rob 'em
While dey's out amakin' more.

What for?
I got no lock on de door,

Dey can steal de rug from de floor..
Dat's okeh wid me,

'Cause de things dat I prize
Like de stars in de skies

All are free.
Oh, I got plenty o' nuttin',

An' nuttin's plenty fo' me,
I got my gal, got my song,

Got Hebben de whole day long!
No use complainin'!

Got my gal, got my Lawd, got my song.

WOMEN
Porgy change since dat woman come to live with he.

ALL
He ain't cross with chillen no more,

an' ain't you hear how he an' Bess
all de time singin' in their room?

MARIA
I tells you dat cripple's happy now.

CHORUS
Happy.

PORGY
I got plenty o'nuttin',

An' nuttin's plenty fo' me.
I got de sun, got de moon,

got de deep blue sea.
De folks wid plenty o' plenty,

Got to pray all de day.
Seems wid plenty

you sure got to worry
How to keep de debble away, away.

I ain't afrettin' 'bout hell
Till de time arrive

Never worry long as I'm well,
Never one to strive to be good,

to be bad,
What de hell, I is glad I's alive.

Oh, I got plenty o' nuttin'
An' nuttin's plenty fo' me.

I got my gal, got my song,
Got Hebben de whole day long.

No use complainin',
Got my gal, got my Lawd, got my song!

CHORUS
Got his gal, got his Lawd.

Listen dear, what I tells you

Come on you, that woman aint the kind for
to make a cripple happy

It take a killer like Crown
to hold her down

What do you think you're doing?
That stuff costs money

MARIA
Lissen here, I ain' say nuttin',

no matter how drunk you get dese boys
roun' here on rotgut whiskey,

but nobody ain' goin peddle
happy dust 'roun' my shop.

Does you hear what I say?

SPORTING LIFE
Oh, come on now, ole lady,

le's you an' me be fren'.

MARIA
Frien' wid you low-life, hell, no!

I hates yo' struttin' style,
Yes sir,

and yo' god damn silly smile
an' yo' ten cent di'mons

an' yo' fi'cent butts.
Oh, I hates yo' guts.

Somebody's got to carve you up
to set these people free

An' de writin' on the wall
says it's a goin' to be me.

Some night when you is full of
gin an'don't know I's about,

I'm go?n' to take you by
de tail an' turn you inside out.

Frien wid you, low-life! hell, no!

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
I's figgerin to break yo' bones

Yes sir, one by one.

An' then I's goin' to carve you
up an' hang you in de sun.

I'll feed yo' meat to buzzards
an' give'em belly aches.

An' take yo' bones to
Kittiwah to pizen rattlesnakes,

Frien's wid you, low-life?
I fears I mus' decline!

I sooner cuts mah own throat 'fore
I calls you a frien' of mine!

MARIA
Oh Lawyer, lookin for somebody?

LAWYER
Porgy live here, don't he?

MARIA
He sure do, right over there's his room

MARIA
Porgy, here's lawyer Fraiser come to see you

LAWYER Mornin' Porgy
PORGY Mornin' Lawyer

LAWYER Ain't that Crown's Bess
in your room?

PORGY No sir, she ain't
She's Porgy's Bess

LAWYER Uhuh-Uhuh, Progy's Bess eh?
I guess you'll be wanting divorce

PORGY
Huh?

LAWYER If the woman livin' with you now
She got to have divorce from Crown

Or it's technically illegal

PORGY
How much that thing cost?

LAWYER 1 Dollar, dat is if there ain't
no complications

PORGY
Miss, you likes to have divorce?

BESS
What you think Porgy?

PORGY
Imma gon' buy you a divorce

LAWYER Wait a minute, it ain;t legal yet
Your name?

CHORUS
BESS!!

LAWYER
Your age?

BESS
20 years

LAWYER Do you desire to be divorced
from that man, Crown

I'm askin' you

BESS
Yes Boss, that's true

LAWYER
Address the court as Your Honor

CHORUS
Yes, your honor (X3)

LAWYER
When was you and Crown married?

BESS
I don't rightly remember, Your Honor

LAWYER
5 year? 10 year? What?

Dat gal ain't never married!

LAWYER
oh that's a complication

PORGY
You set her divorce, gimmeback my dollar

LAWYER
Course I said divorce

You got no right to laugh

But it take expert to divorce woman
what ain't married

And it cost you
Dollar and a half

BESS
Don't pay him Porgy

Don't let him take it in

LAWYER
Alright, go on livin' in sin

Good day to you, Mrs. Porgy

Only dollar and a half to change
from woman to lady

CHORUS
Woman to lady (X3)

Mr. ARCHDALE Boy, come here boy
I'm looking for a man named Porgy

Which is his room?
Come, don't you know Porgy?

BOY
No, Sir.

ARCHDALE I'm looking for a man name Porgy
Can you direct me to his room?

MARIA
Anybody here know a man named Porgy?

Come, I'm a friend of his
Mr. Archdale, I have good news for him

Oh you mean, Porgy!
I ain't understand what name you said

That's him boss, that's him boss

ARCHDALE Good morning, I've come to
tell you about your friend Peter

Who got locked up for the Robin's murder

PORGY
How you come to care for him?

ARCHDALE His folks used to belong to my family
and I just heard he was in trouble.

PORGY
He sure got plenty of trouble

ARCHDALE
Well, you can tell all of Pete's friends

I'll get his bond
He'll soon be home again

PORGY Thank you, Boss
God bless you, Boss

Bless you, bless you

FRAZIER
Good mornign Mr. Archdale

ARCHDALE
Good Morning Frazier

ARCHDALE
Hope you're not selling anymore divorces

PORGY
He just made a lady out of Bess

For a dollar and a half

ARCHDALE
"I, Simon Frazier hereby divorce

Bess and Crown for the charge of
1 dollar and 50 cents cash "

Signed, Simon Frazier

Now look here, Frazier,
This Divorce mill must close

Or I'll have to put you in jail

I won't report you this time.

Good morning.

SPORTING LIFE
'Lo, Bess, goin' to picnic?

BESS
No, guess I'll stay home.

SPORTING LIFE
Picnics is all right for these small town suckers,

but we is use
to the high life, you know.

You an' me, we understands each
other. I can't see for the life of me

what you is hangin' roun'
this place for; why, with your looks, Bess,

an' your way with the boys, there's big
money for you, an' me in New York.

BESS
I can't remember ever meetin' a nothin'

what I likes less than
I does you.

SPORTING LIFE
Oh, come on, now,

how about a little touch of happy dus'
for old time sake?

BESS
I's through with that stuff!

SPORTING LIFE
Come on, give me yo' han'.

BESS
I tells you, I's through!

SPORTING LIFE
Just a pinch, not enough to hurt a flea.

BESS
No, no, I done give up dope.

SPORTING LIFE
Tell that to somebody else,

nobody ever gave up happy dus'.

Leggo, you dam' cripple! Gawd,
what a grip for a piece of a man!

PORGY
Sportin' Life, you keep away from my woman,

or I'll break
yo' damn neck!

SPORTING LIFE
I'd like to see a lousy cripple,

like you, break my neck.

PORGY
If I get my hands on you once more,

you'll see quick enough.

BESS
Go 'long now.

SPORTING LIFE
All right, yo' men frien's come an' they go,

but remember ole Sportin' Life
an' de happy dus' here all along.

JAKE
Honey, we sure goin' strut our stuff today

Be sure to come 'long to de picnic, Bess.

PORGY
Bess, you is my woman now, you is, you is!

An' you mus' laugh an' sing
an' dance for two instead of one.

Want no wrinkle on yo' brow, no-how.
Because de sorrow of de past is all done done.

Oh, Bess, my Bess,
De real happiness is jes' begun.

BESS
Porgy, I's yo' woman now, I is, I is!

An' I ain' never goin' nowhere
'less you shares de fun.

Dere's no wrinkle on my brow, no how,
But I ain' goin'! You hear me sayin',

If you ain' goin', wid you I'm stayin'.
Porgy, I's yo' woman now, I's yours forever

Mornin' time an' evenin time
an summer time an' winter time.

PORGY
Mornin' time an' evenin' time

an summer time
an' winter time, Bess, you got yo' man.

PORGY
Bess, you is my woman now an' forever.

Dis life is jes' begun.
Bess, we two is one now an' forever.

Oh, Bess, don' min' dose women.
You got yo' Porgy, you loves yo' Porgy

I knows you means it,
I seen it in yo' eyes, Bess.

We'll go swingin' through de years a-singin'
Hmmm...Mornin' time an' evenin' time

an' summer time
an' winter time.

My Bess, my Bess, from dis minute
I'm telling' you, I keep dis vow;

Oh, my Bessie, we's happy now,
We is one now.

ALL
Oh, I can't sit down.

Got to keep agoin' like de flowin' of
a song. Oh, I can't sit down

Guess I'll take my honey an'
her sunny smile along.

Today I is gay an' I's free
Jes' abubblin', nothin'troublin' me.

Oh, I's gwine to town
I can't sit down.

Happy feelin', in my bones astealin'
No concealin' dat it's picnic day.

Sho's is dandy, got de licker handy.
Me an' Mandy, we is on de way

'Cause dis is picnic day.
Oh I can't sit down

Got to keep ajumpin' to
de thumpin' of de drum!

Oh, I can't sit down. Full of
locomotion like an ocean full of rum!

Today I is gay an' I's free.
Jes' abubblin', nothin' troublin' me!

Oh, I's gwine to town
I can't, jes' can't, sit down!

MARIA
What's de matter wid you, sister?

Ain't you know you goin'
be late for de picnic?

BESS
I stayin' with porgy.

MARIA
Sho' you goin'. Ev'rybody goin'.

You got to help me wid my
basket. Come now, where's yo' hat?

What's dis talk about stayin' home
when ev'rybody goin' to de picnic?

BESS
Porgy, I hates to go an' leave you all alone.

PORGY
Bess, my honey, I so glad to have you go,

I been wantin'
you to be so happy here in Catfish Row.

BESS
Yes, Porgy, I know.

PORGY
Go, chile, go.

MARIA
Come on, chile! Get into dese clo'es.

You stay roun' here
an' you'll die of de lonesome blues.

Come on now, hurry up.
We'll be late for dat boat.

BESS
Goodbye, Porgy.

PORGY
Goodbye, honey.

BESS
Goodbye, Porgy goodbye.

PORGY
Oh, I got plenty o' nuttin',

An' nuttin's plenty fo' me,
I got my gal, got my Lawd,

got Hebben de whole day long.
Got my gal, got my Lawd, got my song!

ALL
I ain' got no shame doin' what I like to do!

I ain' got no shame doin' what I like to do!
Sun ain' got no shame; moon ain' got no shame.

So I ain' got no shame, doin' what I like to do!!
So I ain' got no shame, doin' what I like to do!!

SPORTING LIFE
It ain't necessarily so,

SPORTING LIFE AND CHORUS
It ain't necessarily so.

SPORTING LIFE
De t'ings dat yo' li'ble

To read in de Bible,
It ain't necessarily so.

Li'l David was small, but oh my!

SPORTING LIFE AND CHORUS
Li'I David was small, but oh my!

SPORTING LIFE
He fought big Goliath

Who lay down an' dieth,
Li'l David was small, but oh my!

SPORTING LIFE AND CHORUS
Wadoo-Zim bam boodle-oo,

Hoodle ah da wa da - Scatty wah.

SPORTING LIFE
Yeah! Oh, Jonah, he lived in de whale,

SPORTING LIFE AND CHORUS
Oh, Jonah, he lived in de whale

SPORTING LIFE
Fo' he made his home in

Dat fish's abdomen.
Oh, Jonah, he lived in de whale.

Li'l Moses was found in a stream.

SPORTING LIFE AND CHORUS
Li'l Moses was found in a stream

SPORTING LIFE
He floated on water

Till Ole Pharaoh's daughter
She fished him, she says, from dat stream.

SPORTING LIFE AND CHORUS
Wa-dooZim bam boodle-oo,

Hoodle ah da wa - Scatty wah.

SPORTING LIFE
Yeah! It ain't necessarily so,

SPORTING LIFE AND CHORUS
It ain't necessarily so,

SPORTING LIFE
Dey tell all you chillun

De debble's a villun
But 'tain't necessarily so.

To get into Hebben,
Don' snap for a sebben!

Live clean. Look at me!
Don' have no fault.

Oh, I takes dat gospel
Whenever it's pos'ble,

But wid a grain of salt.
Methus'lah lived nine hundred years,

SPORTING LIFE AND CHORUS
Methus'lah lived nine hundred years,

SPORTING LIFE
Say, but who calls dat livin'

When no gal'll give in
To no man what's nine hundred years?

I'm preachin' dis sermon to show
It ain't nessa, ain't nessa,

ain't nessa, ain't nessa

SPORTING LIFE AND CHORUS
Ain't necessarily so.

SERENA
Shame on all you sinners.

You call yourselves Church-members,
you goes on a decent picnic of

The Sons an' Daughters
of Repent Ye Saith the Lord.

An' when the Christians turn their back
you start behavin' like Sodom an' Gomorrah.

It's a Gawd's wonder de Lord
don't sen' His livin' fire

to burn you offen de face of de earth.
An you, Jake,

always so loudmouth at church-meeting,
Tell me when did you start

workin' for de devil?
Take them baskets an' get on de boat.

all you wicked chillen of de devil!
Hear what I tell you,

It's high time you was goin'.
You bes' hurry up, you goin' miss dat boat

MARIA
If dat boat go without me,

there's gonna be some blue lightning
in Catfish Row when I gets home.

Hey there! Hold yo' holt. I's acomin!

Hurry up, Bess!
Dat boat's gettin' de whoopin' cough.

BESS
Crown!

CROWN
You know very well dis Crown.

I seen you lan' an' I been
waitin' all day for see you.

I mos' dead on this damn island.

BESS
You ain' looks mos' dead, you bigger'n ever.

CROWN
Oh, I got plenty to eat, bird egg,

oyster an' such.
But I mos' dead of the lonesome

wid not one Gawd'person to swap a word
wid. Lord! I's glad you come.

BESS
I can't stay, Crown,

or de boat'll go without me.

CROWN
Damn dat boat! Got any happy dus' wid you?

BESS
No, Crown, no mo' happy dus'.

I done give up dope, an' besides, Crown,
I got something for to tell you.

CROWN
You bes'lissen to what I gots to tell you.

I waitin' here till de cotton begin comin'
in. Den libbin 'll be easy.

Johnny'll hide you an me on de ribber boat
fur as Savannah. Who you libbin' w?d now?

BESS
I livin' wid de cripple Porgy.

CROWN
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

You sho'got funny tas' in men,
but dat's yo' business.

I ain' care who you takes up wid while I's away.
But membuh, what I tol' you. He's temporary.

I reckon it'll be just a couple ob weeks
now 'fore I comes for you.

BESS
Crown, I got something to tell you.

CROWN
What dat?

BESS
I...I livin' wid Porgy now, an' I livin' decent.

CROWN
You hear what I tol' you,

I say in a couple ob weeks
I's comin' for you,

an' you is goin' tote fair, lessen you
wants to meet yo' Crowd

you gets dat?

BESS
Take yo' han's off me, I goin' miss dat boat.

CROWN
You tellin' me

dat you'd rather have
dat cripple dan Crown?

BESS
It's like dis, Crown,

I's the only woman Porgy ever had,
an' I's thinkin' now,

how it will be tonight
when all these others gets 'em

go back to Catfish Row.
He'll be sittin' an' watchin'

the big front gate,
acountin' 'em off, waitin' for Bess.

An' when the las' woman goes home to her
man an' I ain' there. . .

Lemme go, Crown!
You can get plenty other women.

CROWN
What I wants wid other woman?

I gots a woman an' dat's you, see!

BESS
Oh... What you want wid Bess?

She's gettin' ole now;
Take a fine young gal

For to satisfy Crown.
Look at this chest

An' look at these arms you got.
You know how it always been with me,

These five years I been yo' woman,
You could kick me in the street,

Then when you wanted me back,
You could whistle, an' there I was

Back again, lickin' yo' hand. There's
plenty better lookin' gal than Bess.

Can' you see, I'm with Porgy,
Now and forever

I am his woman, he would die without me.
Oh, Crown, won't you let me go

to my man, to my man.
He is a cripple an' needs my love,

all my love. What you want wid Bess?
Oh, let me go to my man. . .

CROWN
What I wants wid other woman,

I gots a woman, yes,
An' dat is you, yes, dat is you, yes,

I need you now an' you're mine
jus' as long as I want you.

No cripple goin' take my woman from me.
You got a man tonight an' that is Crown,

yes, Crown, yes Crown.
You're my woman, Bess,

I'm tellin' you, now I'm your man.

BESS
What you want with Bess?

Lemme go, Crown dat boat,
it's goin' wiout me!

CROWN
You ain't goin nowhere

BESS
Take yo' hands off me,

I say, yo' hands, yo' hands, yo hands.

CROWN
I knows you' ain' change

wid you and me it always be the
same. Git in dat thicket.

JAKE
Honey, dat's all de breakfast I got time for.

It's gettin' late,
the weather's fine. I'm on my way.

Come on, you fishermens,
it's time to trabble.

NELSON
All right, Jake.

JIM
All ready, Jake, we bes' be off.

MARIA
Goodbye, boys.

JAKE
Goodbye, Maria.

NELSON
It looks to me like it goin' storm today.

JAKE
Don't you know dat ain' de way to talk

'fore my woman
So long, Clara, gangway for de Sea Gull.

JAKE AND MEN
It take a long pull to get there, huh!

It take a long pull to get there, huh!
It take a long pull to get there, but

I'll anchor in de Promise' Lan'
In de Promise' Lan'.

BESS
Take yo' han's off me, I say.

Yo' han's, yo' han's, yo' han's!

BESS
Eighteen mile to Kittiwah,

eighteen mile to trabble,
Lord, what a long road,

ain' nobody to help me.
Ain' nobody to help me!

MARIA
Well, if it ain' ole Peter!

How come they let you out of jail?

PETER
De white folks put me in

an' de white folks take me out
an' I ain' know yet what I done,

what I done, done, done. . .

BESS
Oh, there's a rattlesnake in dem bushes

Oh, Lord, ain' nobody to help me.

PETER
What's de matter?

MARIA
Porgy woman very sick more'n a week now;

she gone to the picnic ain' get los' in
de jungle She ain' come home for two day.

PORGY
I think dat maybe she goin' to sleep now;

a whole week gone
now an' she ain' no better.

Hello, Peter, welcome back home,
ole frien'.

PETER
I advise you to send her to de white folks hospital.

PORGY
Oh, Gawd, don' let 'em take Bess to the hospital!

SERENA
Hospital! Mus' be you is all forget

how I pray Clara' baby
out of the convulsions.

There ain' never been a sick person
or corpse in Catfish Row

dat I has refused my prayers.

PORGY
Dat's right, sistuh, you pray over her.

SERENA
Oh, doctor Jesus,

who done trouble de water
in de Sea of Gallerie.

PORGY
Amen!

SERENA
An' likewise who done cas'

de devil out of de afflicted time
an' time again.

PORGY
Time an' time again.

PETER
Oh, my Jesus!

SERENA
Oh, doctor Jesus,

what make you ain' lay yo' han' on dis po'
sister head?

LILY
Oh, my father!

SERENA
An' chase de devil out of her down

a steep place into de sea
like you used to do time an' time again.

PORGY
Time an' time again. Oh, my Jesus!

PETER
Here come de honey man,

Yes mam, this de honey man.

WOMAN
Oh, honey man, honey man!

PETER
You got honey in the comb.

Yes mam, I got honey in the comb.

WOMAN
Hey there! I wants some honey!

PETER
An' is yo' honey cheap?

ANNIE
Peter, honey man!

PETER
Yes mam, my honey very cheap,

ANNIE
Gawd amighty, I's jus' wasting my

breath on you, 'Cause you ain' never
goin' to hear no how.

CRAB MAN
I'm talkin' about devil crabs

1'm talkin' about devil crabs
I'm talkin' about de food I sells

She crab, she crab.

PORGY
On yo' way, brother.

CRAB MAN
Devil crab!

MARIA
Hey, crab man!

CRAB MAN
I'm talkin' about de food I sells

When I done talkin' about de food I sells
Talkin' about devil crab.

Now I's talkin' about yo' pocketbook I'm
talkin' about devil crabs, she crab, she crab

Devil crab, I'm talkin'
about de food I sells.

PORGY
Now de time, oh Gawd, now de time.

BESS
Porgy, Porgy, dat you there, ain' it?

PORGY
Thank Gawd, thank Gawd!

BESS
I lonesome here all by myself,

it's hot in there, let me sit
here with you in the cool.

PORGY
Oh, Bess! Bess!

BESS
I been sick, ain't I?

PORGY
You been very sick.

But now I got you back, Bess.

BESS
How long I been sick?

PORGY
Over a week now.

You come back from Kittiwah with eye
like fireball, an' Maria

get you into bed, an' you ain' know me.

What de matter, Bess?

BESS
I guess I ain' know nuttin' wid de fever,

or I ain' come back
at all.

PORGY
Dat's all right Honey, don't you worry,

Honey, I know you
been with Crown.

BESS
How you know?

PORGY
Gawd give cripple to understan'

many things he ain' give
strong men.

BESS
You ain' want me to go 'way?

PORGY
No, no, I ain' want you to go.

How things stan' between
you an' Crown?

BESS
He's comin' for me when de cotton come to town.

PORGY
You goin'?

BESS
I tell 'im, yes.

Porgy, Gawd, man!
Why yo' muscle pull up like that?

It make me afraid.

PORGY
You ain' got nuttin' to be afraid of;

I ain' try to keep no woman
what don't want to stay.

If you wants to go to Crown,
Dat's for you to say.

BESS
I wants to stay here,

But I ain't worthy.
You is too decent to understan'.

For when I see him he hypnotize me.
When he take hold of me with his hot hand.

Someday I know he's coming back to call me
He's goin' to handle me an' hold me so.

It's goin' to be like dyin',
Porgy, deep inside me -

But when he calls, I know I have to go.

PORGY
If dere warn't no Crown, Bess,

if dere was only jus' you an'
Porgy, what den?

BESS
I loves you, Porgy,

Don' let him take me,
Don' let him handle me an' drive me mad.

If you kin keep me,
I wants to stay here wid you forever,

An' I'd be glad.

PORGY
There, there, Bess,

Bess, you don' need to be afraid no mo',
You's picked up happiness

and laid yo' worries down.
You goin' to live easy,

you goin' to live high.
You goin' to outshine every woman in dis town

An' remember, when Crown
come that's my business, Bess!

BESS
I loves you, Porgy,

Don' let him take me
Don' let him handle me

With his hot han'
If you kin keep me

I wants to stay here wid you forever.
I got my man.

PORGY
What you think I is, anyway,

To let dat dirty houn' dog steal my woman?
If you wants to stay wid Porgy,

you goin' stay.
You got a home now, Honey,

an' you got love.
So no mo' cryin', can't you understan'?

You goin' to go about yo' business, singin'
cause You got Porgy, you got a man.

MARIA
Why you been out on that wharf so long,

Clara? You got no cause to worry
'bout yo' man.

Dis goin' be a fine day.

CLARA
I never see de water look so black.

It sits there waitin', holdin' its breath,
list'nin' for dat hurricane bell.

MARIA
Hurricane bell! Lawd chile,

dere ain' goin' be no hurricane.
I's gettin' ole now an'

I ain' hear dat bell
but fo' time in my life.

Go 'long to de baby now an' quiet down.

SECOND SOPRANO SOL
On, Doctor Jesus,

look down on me wit' pity.
Put Yo' lovin' arms thru

de roof of dis house
an' lif' me to

CHORUS
Lawd, hab mercy.

ALL
Oh, de Lawd shake de Heavens an' de

Land rock de groun'
Ah - An' where you goin' stand,

my brudder an' my sister,
When de sky come atumblin' down.

Oh, de sun goin' to rise in de wes'

ALL
An' de moon goin' to set in de sea -

ALL
An' de stars goin' to bow befo' my Lawd,

bow down befo'
My Lawd Who died on Calvarie.

Oh, de Lawd raise de water an de hypocrite
drown An' where you goin' stand,

[Inaudible]

CLARA
One of dese mornings you goin'

to rise up singin',
Den you'll spread yo wings

an' you'll take de sky,
But till dat morning dere's

a nothin' can harm you
Wid Daddy an' Mammy standin' by.

CHORUS
Lawd hab mercy on our soul.

Oh, de sun goin' to rise in de wes'

PORGY
What make you so still, Bess,

You ain' sayin' nuttin'
You ain' afraid, is you Honey?

BESS
I jus' thinkin',

an' you know what I's thinkin' about?

PORGY
You's thinkin' what dis storm mus' be like

atramplin' over de sea islands, dese waves
mus' be runnin' clean across Kittiwah.

Ain' nobody could live on dat damn island
in a storm like dis

BESS
I guess you got me for keeps, Porgy.

PORGY
Ain'I tell you dat all along?

ALL
Oh, dere's somebody knockin' at de do',

Oh, dere's somebody knockin' at de do',
Oh, Mary, Oh, Marta,

dere's somebody knockin' at de do'.
Oh, dere's somebody

PETER
I hear Death knockin' at de do'.

LILY
What you say, Daddy Peter?

PETER
I hear Death knockin' at de do'.

LILY
It mus' be death or Peter can't hear 'im.

LILY
It mus' be death or Peter can't hear 'im.

He can't hear no
livin' pusson.

MINGO
He ain't hear nuttin', ain' nobody knock.

PETER
Death knockin' at de do'.

MARIA
Open de do', Mingo, an' show Peter dere

ain' nobody dere.

MINGO
Open um up yo'self.

MARIA
All right, I'll show you.

WOMAN
Dat ain' no use, if he's Death, he comin anyway.

MARIA
Oh, Gawd, Gawd, don't let 'im in.

CROWN
You is a nice parcel of Christians!

Shut a friend out in a
storm like dis!

SERENA
Who' frien' is you?

CROWN
I's yo' frien', Sister.

Oh, here's de woman I's lookin' fo'.
Why you ain' come an'

say hello to yo' man?

BESS
You ain't my man!

CROWN
It's sho' time I was comin' back for you,

sweet Bess! You ain't done much
much for yo'self while I been gone.

Ain' dere
no whole ones left?

BESS
You keep yo' mouth off Porgy.

CROWN
Woman, do you want to meet yo' Gawd? Come here!

BESS
Porgy my man now!

CROWN
Well, for Gawd sake, does you call dat a man?

Well don' you min', I got de forgin'
nature an' I goin' take you back.

BESS
Keep yo' han' off me.

SERENA
You bes' behave yo'self in dis sturm!

Don' you know, Gawd
might strike you dead!

CROWN
If Gawd want to kill me,

He had plenty of chance 'tween here
an' Kittiwah Island.

Me an' Him havin' it out all de way from
Kittiwah, firs' Him on top, den me on top.

There ain' nothin' he likes better den
a scrap wid a man. Gawd an' me is frien'!

Hear dat? Gawd's laughin' at you!

WOMAN
Oh, de Lawd shake de Heavens an' de

Lawd ruck de groun'

ALL
Ah, ah, ah,

An' where you goin' stan', my brudder an'
my sister, when de sky come tumblin' down,

Dem dat is in such a hurry to meet
de Judgement,

All dey gots to do is kiss
dereselves goodbye

an' step out dat door.
Daddy Peter, here's yo' chance.

De Jim-crow's leavin'
an' you don' need no ticket.

How about you, ole lady?
What, dere ain'no travellers?

Don you hear Gawd a'mighty laughin at you?
Dat's right Gawd laugh an Crown laugh back

Ha, ha, ha, ha Dat s right, drown em out,
don let em sing. Ha, ha, ha, ha!

How 'bout dis one, Big Frien'?

A red-headed woman
makes a cho-choo jump its track.

A red-headed woman she
can make it jump right back.

Oh, she's jus' nature's child,
She's got somethin' dat drives men wild.

A red-headed woman's gonna take you wedder
you're white, yellow or black.

ALL
Lawd, Lawd, save us,

don t listen to dat Crown, Lawd,
Jesus, oh, pay no min' to dat Crown

Oh, Lawd, strike him down, strike him down
Oh, Lawd, don't listen to dat Crown.

BESS
Jake's boat in de river, upside down!

CLARA
Jake! Jake!

Bess, keep my baby for me till I get back!

BESS
Clara oughtn't to be out dere all by herself.

Won't somebody go to Clara?
Ain't dere no man here?

CROWN
Yeah, where is a man?

Porgy, what you sittin' dere for?
Ain't you hear yo woman callin' for a man?

Looks to me
like dere ain' only one man 'roun' here!

All right, I'm goin' out to get Clara,
then I'm comin' back to get you.

PORGY
No, you don't!

CROWN
All right, Big Frien', we's on for another bout!

CHORUS
Clara, Clara, don't you be downhearted,

Clara, Clara, don't you be sad an'
lonesome. Jesus is walkin' on de water.

Rise up an' follow Him home.
Oh, Lawd, oh my Jesus,

rise up an' follow Him home.

Jake, Jake, don't you be downhearted,

Jake, Jake on't you be sad an'
lonesome. Jesus is walkin' on de water.

rise up an' follow Him home.

Rise up an' follow Him home.
Oh, Lawd, oh my Jesus,

rise up an' follow Him home.

SPORTING LIFE
Ha, ha, ha, ha,

MARIA
You low-lived skunk, ain' you got no shame

laughin' at
those po' womens whaf's singin'

for their mens los' in the
storm!

SPORTING LIFE
I ain't see no sense in makin' such a fuss

over a man when
he's dead; when a gal loses her man

dere's plenty o' men
still livin' what likes good lookin' gals.

MARIA
I know it ain' dem gals you is after,

ain' you see, Bess got no
use for you, ain' you see she got a man?

SPORTING LIFE
I see more'n dat, Auntie,

I see she got two men.

MARIA
What you mean by dat?

Bess got two men. Crown dead
ain' he?

SPORTING LIFE
I ain' tellin' you nothin',

but a woman who got jus' one man,
maybe she got him for keeps,

but when she got two mens,
there's mighty apt to be a carvin',

den de cops comes in an takes de leavin's
An' pretty soon she ain't got none.

BESS
Summertime an' the livin' is easy,

Fish are jumpin' an'the cotton is high. Oh
yo' daddy's rich an yo' ma's good lookin'

so hush, little baby, don' you cry, Ah.

PORGY
Bess, Bess, you got a man now, you got Porgy!

DETECTIVE
Wait for us at the corner, Al.

We'll put the widow through first

Come on down, Serena Robbins!
And make it damn quick

Serena been very sick in her bed
3 days

Tell her if she don't come out
I'll get the wagon and run her in

Where were you last night Serena Robbins?

I been sick in my bed
three day and three night

And we been nursing her
all de time

And dats the God truth

Would you swear to that?

Yes Boss we swear to that

There you are,
an air tight alibi

Yeah, just two months ago,
Crown killed your husband here

Didn't he?

Answer me,

You'll either talk here or in jail

Did Crown kill your husband
Yes or No?

We swear to that boss

And last night, Crown
got his right here, didn't he?

Ain't that gentleman say we is alibi?

Was Crown killed here,
Yes or No?

We ain't seen nothing boss
We been in dis room 3 day and nite

And the window been close

Look at me, Serena Robbins

Do you mean to tell me that
the man who killed your husband

Was bumped off under your window

And you didn't see nothing?

We ain't seen nothing boss

We been in this room
3 days and nite

You needn't do that one again!

Oh Hell!

You might as well argue with a
parrot.

But you never break their story

But I'll get me a witness

for this inquest.

I'll run that cripple through.

Out here both of ya
Step lively now

Now this dead one, Crown,
you knew him by sight, didn't

you? You'd know him if you saw him again?

PORGY
Yes, boss, seems like I remember him,

when he used to come 'round' here long time ago.
But I ain' care none' bout seein' him.

DETECTIVE
Well, you've got to see him anyway.

Come along.

CORONER
Oh cheer up.

I reckon you've seen a dead body before.
It'll all be over in a few minutes.

PORGY
There ain' goin' be nobody in dat room 'cept me?

DETECTIVE
Just you an' Crown, if you can still call him one.

PORGY
Boss, I couldn't jus' bring

a woman with me?
I...I couldn't even carry my woman?

DETECTIVE
No! You can't bring anyone.

I'll send an officer to help you
out.

PORGY
Boss, boss...

DETECTIVE
Now get this...

I have summoned you an' you have to go.
or you'll go to jail for contempt of court

PORGY
Oh, Lawd what I goin' do?

BESS
You've got to go Porgy,

maybe you can jus' make like to look at him
an' keep yo' eye shut;

You goin' be alright, Porgy.
You only goin' be a witness.

SPORTING LIFE
I ain' so sure of that.

All I know is that when the
man that killed Crown go in that room

an' look at him
Crown' wound begin to bleed!

PORGY
Oh, my Jesus!

SPORTING LIFE
That's one way the cops

got of tellin' who killed him.

PORGY
I can't look at Crown's face

Oh Gawd, what I goin' do?

POLICEMAN
Hey, you there, come along!

PORGY
I ain' goin' look on his face!

POLICEMAN
Oh, you'll look all right.

BESS
Oh, Gawd!

They goin' make him look on Crowns's face!

SPORTING LIFE
Sister, that Porgy ain' goin'

be no witness now. They goin'
lock him up in jail

BESS
Lock him up? Not for long, Sportin' Life!

SPORTING LIFE
Not for long.

Maybe one year, maybe two year, maybe--
just like I tol' you

ain' nobody home now but Bess and ole
Sportin' Life.

But cheer up, sistuh, Ole Spurtin' Life
givin' you de stuff for scare away,

dem lonesome blues.

BESS
Happy dus'! I ain' want none of dat stuff,

I tells you. Take
dat stuff away, Buzzard!

SPORTING LIFE
That's the thing, ain' it?

An' membuh there's plenty more
where that come from.

Listen: There's a boat dat's
leavin' soon for New York.

Come wid me, dat's where
we belong, sister.

You an' me kin live dat high life in New York.
Come wid me, dere you can't go wrong, sister.

I'll buy you de swellest mansion
Up on upper Fi'th Avenue

An' through Harlem we'll go struttin',
We'll go astruttin',

An' dere'll be nuttin'
Too good for you.

I'll dress you in silks and satins
In de latest Paris styles.

And de blues you'll be forgettin',
You'll be forgettin',

There'll be no frettin'
Jes nothin' but smiles.

Come along wid me, Hey dat's de place,
Don't be a fool, come along, come along.'

There's a boat dat's leavin' soon
for New York come wid me,

dat's where we belong, sister,
Dat's where we belong! Come on, Bess!

BESS
You low, crawlin' hound!

Get away from my door, I tells
you, leave it, you rattlesnake.

Dat's what you is,
a rattlesnake!

All right, I'll leave it
here. Maybe you'll change yo' mind.

MINGO
It's Porgy comin' home.

PORGY
Thank Gawd I's home again!

CHORUS
Welcome home, Porgy.

We're all so glad you is back again.

PORGY
Dem white folks sure ain' put nuthin'

over on this baby.
Ain' I tell you, I ain' goin'

look on Crown's face.

LILY
You ain' look on um Porgy?

PORGY
No, no, no, no, I keep dese eyes shut

in dat room 'til they
done put me in jail for contemp' of court

Sh...Don' anybody let on I's home again.
I got a surprise for Bess. Sweet Bess,

an' I ain' wants her to know,
'til I get ev'rything ready.

Bring dem bundles here, Scipio!

Here, boy, look what I brought for you.

Throw away that ole mouth organ you got
an' start on this one.

See, it got a picture of a brass band on it
Work on that an' the firs' thing you know

you'll be playin' wid de orphans.

Lily Holmes, Lily Holmes!
Here gal, hol' up yo' head.

Dat's right.
I never did like dat ole funeral bonnet

Peter buy for you... Get down, sistuh;

Dere now, get underneath dat, an' make
all de redbird an' de bluejay jealous.

Now dat's de style for my Bess.
She's one gal what always look good in red

Listen to this, ev'rybody;
I reckon I's de firs' fella

roun' here what go to jail po'
and leave there rich;

All de time I got my lucky bones
hid in my mout',

see,...An' I jus' got t'ru dem other
crap-shootin' polecats

Bess, oh, Bess, here Porgy come home!

Jus' you wait till dat gal see me.
Oh, Bess!

Here Mingo, What's de matter wid you all?
Where you goin'? What kind of a welcome

is dis for a man what's just been in jail
for contemp' of court?

Here, hol' on, let me see dat chile
dat's Bess' baby ain'it,

I counted de days dat I was gone
Till I got home to see her face.

Won't somebody tell me where's my Bess?
I want her so, my gal, my Bess,

Maria, Maria, Where's Bess?
Tell me quick, Where's Bess?

Tell me quick, Where's Bess?
Tell me quick, Where's Bess?

Where is Bess?
Oh Bess!

MARIA Lemme tell, you wanna know, Porgy
That woman aint fit for you!

PORGY
I ain' axin' yo' opinion.

Oh, Bess, oh where's my Bess,
Won't somebody tell me where?

I ain' care what she say,
I ain' care what she done,

Won't somebody tell me where's my Bess?
Bess, Oh, Lawd,

My Bess! I want her now,
Widout her I can't go on.

I counted de days dat I was gone
Till I got home to see her face.

Won't somebody tell me where's my Bess?
I want her so, my gal, my Bess, where is she?

Oh Gawd, in yo' big Heav'n
please show me where I mus' go,

Oh give me de strength, show me de way!
Tell me de truth, where is

she, where is my gal, where is my Bess!

LILY
Bess is gone. An' Serena take dis chile

to give 'im a Christian raisin'.

PORGY
You ain' mean Bess dead?

SERENA
She worse than dead, Porgy,

She gave herself to de debbil, but
she still livin', an' she gone far away.

PORGY
Alive, Bess is alive!

Where Bess gone?

MINGO
Noo York.

PORGY
I hear you say Noo York. Where dat?

MINGO
A thousand mile from here.

PORGY
Which way Noo York?

MARIA
It's way up North pas' de custom house.

PORGY
I must go!

MARIA
Why you wants to go, Porgy?

You bes' not go any place.

PORGY
I must go!

SERENA
You better stay wid yo' frien', Porgy,

You'll be happy here.

PORGY
Won't nobody lets me go?

MARIA
Ain't we tell you, you can't find her, Porgy?

SERENA
For Gawd sake, Porgy, where you goin'?

ALL
Where yau goin' Porgy? ;

PORGY
Ain't you say Bess gone to Noo York?

Dat's where I goin',
I got to be wid Bess.

Gawd help me to fin' her.

I'm on my way.
Oh Lawd, I'm on my way.

PORGY AND ALL
I'm on my way to a Heav'nly Lan',

I'll ride dat long, long road.
If You are there to guide my han'.

Oh Lawd, I'm on my way.
I'm on my way to a Heav'nly Lan'-

Oh Lawd. It's a long, long way, but
You'll be there to take my han'.