Whistle down the wind

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Whistle Down The Wind
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics: Jim Steinman
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ACT ONE

The opening scene is set on the freeway near a Louisiana town. It is a couple
of days before Christmas 1959. Among the congregation are Boone and his three
children. His wife has recently died and he and the kids (Swallow, Brat and
Poor Baby) take comfort from their belief in God. The church plays a huge part
in everybody's life in this small town. The people are relatively poor, but
grateful to God for what they have. There is a large neon sign proclaiming
JESUS LIVES at the side of the road. The minister and cast begins to sing The 

Vaults Of Heaven

[Full congregation]
The Keys to the vaults of heaven
May be buried somewhere in a prayer
The Keys to the vaults of heaven
May be heavy or lighter than air

Open up the vaults
Open up the vaults
We've got to find the keys

The nights have been growing darker
They're darker now than sin
We'll open the vaults of heaven
The treasures are there within

[Solo]
The keys to the vaults of heaven
May be seen in a pure child's eyes
The keys to the vaults of heaven
May be heard in our desperate cries

[Solo & Children]
Open up the vaults
Open up the vaults
We've got to find the keys

The nights have been growing darker
Even darker now than sin
We'll open the vaults of heaven
The glories are there within

[The Children]
One sweet day when the whole worlds ready
We'll awake to a glorious sight

[Swallow & Children]
Our saviour returns to guide us
We'll be gratefully blinded by light

[Full congregation]
We've got to find the keys
We've got to find the keys
To open up the vaults
The nights have been growing darker
So much darker now than sin
We'll open the vaults of heaven
And the answers are there, within.

We've got to find the keys
We've got to find the keys
To open up the vaults
The nights have been growing darker
So much darker now than sin
We'll open the vaults of heaven
And the answers are there, within.


"Our saviour will once again walk amongst us. He will return my friends. We
have his promise. And those who fail to recognise him will burn in a fiery
hell. Those who do see his glory will never be weak, nor sick, nor hungry, nor
lonely again. No more pain, no more loss, no more sorrow"
The words leave a lasting impression in the minds of the three grieving
children, especially Swallow who is on the verge of becoming a woman. A young
woman without a mother to guide her.
The overture (instrumental version) of Whistle down the wind plays, as the
freeway rises to reveal the children playing below.
Swallow, Brat and Poor Baby sing I never get what I pray for...


I never get what I pray for.


[Swallow]
I wanna be baptised and I wanna be saved
I wanna see my saviour face to face
I wanna feel the rapture, feel the fire
I wanna be taken someplace higher
But I never get taken to someplace higher

[Brat]
Swallow!

[Swallow]
Well I don't !
I never get what I pray for
I can pray for less or a whole lot more

[Swallow, Poor Baby & Brat]
It don't ever matter, it's a sure bet
That I never get what I pray for

[Swallow]
An end to the horrors of the atom bomb

[Brat]
And a dance with Ricky Nelson at the homecoming prom
I wanna be beautiful, sexy and smart

[Poor Baby]
I wanna sister that don't hiccup

[Brat]
I want a brother that don't fart

[Poor Baby]
I wanna move like Elvis in every way

[Brat]
I wanna look like Sandra Dee or maybe Doris Day

[Swallow]
They should send us down some angels
We could never have enough

[Brat]
They should send us down some money

[Swallow, Poor Baby & Brat]
So we can buy each other stuff.
I never get what I pray for
I can pray for less or a whole lot more
It don't ever matter, it's a sure bet
That I never get what I pray for

[Brat]
We should all be praying for dad
It's scary how he's been

[Poor Baby]
He was crying in the trailer

[Brat]
No way I was going in

[Poor Baby]
I want a football

[Brat]
and some Lipstick

[Poor Baby]
And some Liquorice

[Brat]
and a kite

[Swallow]
And I just want our mother back, If only for one night
There are things she's gotta tell me
There are things she's gotta know
God had no right to take her, She had no right to go
There are things I didn't tell her
And so much I had to say
So I just want my mother back
If only for one day


The children who have been happily singing of what they pray for suddenly
realise that it is getting dark. There father will be worried and they are
late getting home. On the way they see Earl (a coloured man who I presume
works for their father) carrying a sack. The sack contains some kittens and
Earl says that he is going to send them back to Jesus.
He throws the sack into the sewer and goes on his way. Swallow climbs into
the sewer and retrieves the sack, saving the kittens.
Together they rush home to the trailer singing Home By Now...


Home by now.


[Swallow]
The locusts are singing, the sun is red
It's gotten so late somehow

[Poor Baby & Brat]
There's gonna be trouble
You know what they said

[Swallow, Poor Baby & Brat]
We should have been home by now
We should have been home by now

(Kids Meet strangers), See story)

[Swallow]
The locusts are singing, the sun is red
It's gotten so late somehow

[Poor Baby & Brat]
There's gonna be trouble
You know what Dad said

[Swallow, Poor Baby & Brat]
We should have been home by now
We should have been home by now


The Children bump into Amos, the towns teenage rebel. He is riding his new
(well new headlight and a coat of paint) motorcycle. Amos fancies Swallow but
has a girlfriend called Candy (Earls daughter).
He offers her a ride on his motorcycle, then asks her why she always walks
away when he talks to her. We have to get home and hide the kittens in the
barn she replies, and Dad will kill us if we are late again.
A trailer with one side removed slides onto the stage. Inside is Boone, he is
preparing supper for himself and the kids. The radio is playing Cold by the
Everly Brothers. The children arrive and as he switches off the radio a
warning is given about a killer who has escaped from prison killing two guards
in the process.
Earl arrives with a very small Christmas tree for the kids. Swallow offers him
some supper but he says that he is singing for his supper tonight.
Boone tells the kids that money is tight and there may not be any presents
this Christmas. The younger children argue over what they would like but
swallow says that she wants her mother back for Christmas.
Boone starts to sing Whistle down the wind...


It just doesn't get any better than this / Whistle down the wind


[Boone]
If your mother was here you know what she'd say
Don't complain, life is tough but you survive day to day
And the things that matter surround and embrace us
And the comforting nurses they always will take us
The assurance of God he will never forsake us
So we really don't miss the things that we miss
And it just doesn't get any better than this
It just doesn't get any better than this.

( Boone breaks down in tears and says that your mother always had the words
to put things right again)

Whistle down the wind, let your voices carry
Drown out all the rain, light a patch of darkness
Treacherous and scary

Howl at the stars, whisper when your sleeping
I'll be there to hold you, I'll be there to stop
The chills and all the weeping

Make it clear and strong, so the whole night long
Every signal that you send, until the very end
I will not abandon you my precious friend

[Swallow]
So try and stem the tide, then you'll raise a banner
Send a flare up in the sky, try to burn a torch
And try to build a bonfire
Every signal that you send, until the very end, I'm there

[Boone]
So whistle down the wind, for I have always been right there

Ma sang it better! (spoken by Poor Baby)

[Swallow]
Howl at the stars, whisper when your sleeping
I'll be there to hold you, I'll be there to stop
The chills and all the weeping

Make it clear and strong, So the whole night long
Every signal that you send, until the very end
I will not abandon you my precious friend

So try and stem the tide, then you'll raise a banner
Send a flare up in the sky, try to burn a torch
And try to build a bonfire

Every signal that you send, until the very end, I'm there
So whistle down the wind, for I have always been right there


The trailer moves aside to make way for the barn. Swallow has come to see the
kittens. There is a loud clap of thunder and Swallow sees the man hidden in
the hay. Who are you ? she asks. Jesus Christ replies the man in surprise,
don't tell anyone I'm here before passing out again from his injuries.
The children argue over the man being Jesus after noticing wounds on his hands
and feet. "don't you remember, they tell us every Sunday that one day he will
return and those that fail to recognise him will burn in a fiery hell".
Brat reminds Swallow that Jesus can raise the dead, this could be the chance
to get their Mother back. Together the three children sing The Vow...


The Vow


[Swallow]
I always preyed that you would come to save me
I believe You've returned for us at last

[Swallow, Brat & Poor Baby]
We'll give you shelter from the storms and the world outside
You'll be safe, this vow we make to you
We'll never tell, this vow we make to you


Cold


[Edward]
The flowers have all died, and the sky is going grey
I begged my baby not to leave, I couldn't make her stay

The heat has disappeared, the eternal flame is low
The forecast ain't so good, I'm all messed up no place to go

Cold, like a frozen teardrop
There's a chill in the air, and there's ice in my veins and it won't stop

oh it’s Cold, like an endless winter
The moons on the run and even the sun is cold

[Edward & Townspeople]
I gotta see my girl, I gotta see her eyes
The barometer is falling, only she can make it rise
There's nothing on the trees, there's nothing for me here
I gotta find salvation and some thermal underwear

[All]
It's cold and it's getting colder
They're evacuating Satan who's waiting for hell to freeze over
Oh it's cold, like an endless winter
The stars are all gone and even the sun is cold
The moons on the run and even the sun is cold

I gotta see my girl, I gotta see her eyes
The barometer is falling, only she can make it rise
There's nothing on the trees, there's nothing for me here
I gotta find salvation and some thermal underwear

It's cold and it's getting colder
They're vaccinating Satan who's shaking all over pneumonia
It's cold, like an endless winter
The moons on the run and even the sun is cold
The stars are all gone and even the sun is cold
The world is too old and even the sun is cold


Amos enters the bar to talk to Candy. Candy tells Amos that they must get away
from the town and see the world, Amos promises to take her. The sheriff
arrives and Tells Ed and Candy to leave as the state police are coming and
their kind should not be in a place like this.
He tells the locals in the bar that he found a set of prison clothes a quarter
of a mile away, and they have a real Devil on the loose. He then warns them
that the man is wounded and having already killed at least two people would
not hesitate to kill again.
He forms a gang of vigilantes to hunt down the Devil in their midst.
The stage rises to reveal the children and the man in the barn. He has just
woken up and Swallow tells him about herself, her younger brother and sister.
The man asks if they know who he is and have they told anyone he is there.
The children reply that they only told their friends. He tells them they must
keep it secret as they will kill him if they find him.
Boone and Ed enter the barn after removing the pitchfork that the kid had
placed against the door. The man hides while the kids distract the adults.
They ask Ed if Jesus would have tattoo's if he returned. Swallow says he
better not return to this town as the people are so cruel they would crucify
him before he had a chance to talk to them. Swallow then asks Ed why people
around town are whispering and being secretive. Ed tells her that some foul
corrupt thing has blown in from outside town.
They leave the man alone and he sings Unsettled Scores...


Unsettled Scores


[The Man]
There's a prayer for the living and the dying
There's a prayer to soothe the savage sea
There's a prayer it seems for almost everything
But you, you haven't got a prayer for me
And I, I haven't got a prayer

So many cries in the night that you try to ignore
Why didn't I do this ?, why didn't I do that ?
So many unbroken chains, so many unsettled scores

The old man at the bank that sneers
The teachers and their slaps
The brutal eyes, the uniforms
The lawyers and their traps

The lonely girls who yearn to love
And learn to kiss and dance
The rich and selfish widow
In the market for romance

The soldier with the smell of war
That never fades away
The hero on the playing fields
Forgotten in a day

The priest in the confessional
The trembling hands and whispered sighs
The doctors in the hospital
Unending tests and twisted lies

The betrayers, the betrayed
The abandoned, the afraid
The corrupted and the celebrated
Endlessly humiliated
Gloriously big parade

You can say a prayer for everyone
That there could ever be
Say a prayer for all of these and more
But there's still no prayer for me

Say a prayer for your purest daughter
Toll a bell for your only son
There's no way out and all my prayers
Are fading one by one

The stern and disapproving lips
The friends who just attack
The fathers that they take away
The ones that can't get back

The desperate boy who sleeps alone
Whoever's in his bed
The chosen ones they get a home
The blessed get ahead

The kids out playing softball
In the fading summer night
The teenage lovers at the drive-in
The glow of the dashboard light

An American flyer on a steep incline
The wind blowing through your hair
The trophies and the holidays, they vanished in the air
The betrayers the betrayed, the abandoned the afraid
The glorified the idolised, the big shots and their jealous eyes
An amazingly big parade

You can say a prayer for anyone
You've known or you might see
Say a prayer for all of these and more
But there's still no prayer for me

Say a prayer for every living thing
The unborn and deceased
But I haven't got a prayer I know
That's the nature of the beast

That's the nature of the beast


Swallow enters the barn during the night, the man smashes a bottle to defend
himself. Realising that it is Swallow he is amazed that she has come to see
him in the middle of the night. He asks what her mother would say if she knew
she was there. Swallow tells him that her mother is dead. He tells her that
she looks like an Angel, but what does she want from him? She tells him she
wants her mother back. The man tells her he is too tired to perform a miracle
at the moment but If she takes care of him he will bring her mother back.
Swallow and the man sings If Only...


If only


[Swallow]
If all we lost somehow came back
If all that died again would grow
If only it was so, these are the loneliest words I know

If all our dreams were golden and never black or grey
If all our dreams came true, then we'd never have to say
If only it was so, these are the loneliest words I know

[The Man]
If all we'd lost somehow came back
If all that died again would grow
If only it were so, these are the loneliest words I know


The stage lowers to reveal Candy and Amos on the highway.
Amos has been beaten by his father again for refusing to work at the factory.
They sing Tire tracks and broken hearts:


Tire Tracks And Broken Hearts


[Candy]
Another aimless day

[Amos]
Another useless night

[Candy]
I want peroxide hair

[Amos]
I want neon light

[Candy]
I've got a new life waiting, I can't wait to begin it

[Candy & Amos]
The thing that gets me down with being young in this town
Is there's no future in it

[Candy]
I want a fine perfume,

[Amos]
I want a blue Corvette

[Candy]
If there's a slower death than living here and now

[Amos]
They haven't found it yet

[Candy]
I need a man that knows, what I am really worth

[Amos]
Well I don't give a damn about life after death

[Candy & Amos]
But I gotta get some proof that there's a life after birth

[Candy]
Tire tracks and broken hearts, that's all were leaving behind
It doesn't matter what we're losing
It only matters what we're going to find

[Candy & Amos]
Tire tracks and broken hearts. Lets get away from the past
So many ways to stay hungry baby, so many ways to go fast

[Candy]
I want a push up bra, I want some satin sheets

[Amos]
Oh give me some real rich food, I want some succulent treats

[Candy]
I want you by my side, and you'll be all my own

[Amos]
Well I know what I want, half the time but I know

[Candy & Amos]
That I don't wanna spend another minute alone

Tire tracks and broken hearts, that's all were leaving behind
It doesn't matter what we're losing
It only matters what were going to find

[Candy]
Those good girl never know what they're missing
But us bad girl almost always do

[Amos]
And what were missing most are the real good times

[Candy & Amos]
I want em bad and I want em now
We were born going faster than the limits allow
I want em bad and I want em now
We were born going faster than the limits allow

Tire tracks and broken hearts. Lets get away from the past
So many ways to stay hungry baby, so many ways to go fast

Tire tracks and broken hearts, that's all were leaving behind
It doesn't matter what we're losing
It only matters what were going to find


Amos promises Candy that he will meet her at 6.30 tomorrow and they will
leave town together. Ed arrives and tells Candy that there are laws, which
even if they are wrong must not be broken. She should not be seen in daylight
with a white boy.
The townspeople sing Safe Haven...


Safe haven


[Townspeople]
This was a safe haven,
Now it's gone, dangers on it's way

Evil can spread out,
Like a stain, and darken all the day

Boundaries wont protect you,
Locks and bolts won't work the way they should

For the sake of all the children,
Track it down, boot it out for good

They say he killed and killed,
No mercy, no remorse, no shame

They say he'll strike again,
No fear and no hope and no end

This was a safe haven,
Bring it back make it that again


The children meet Amos and ask if he is going to the revival meeting. He asks
Swallow what her secret is and she replies that she cannot tell him.
The children play and sing Long overdue for a miracle & When children rule
the world...


Long overdue for a miracle


[Vikki]
Can it be true?
[Louise]
Well what do you think
[Vikki]
Does he have those big blue eyes
[Clarence]
Everyone's whispering back in town
[Louis]
I bet it's a pack of lies
[Jackie]
I bet he needs a bath
[Elizabeth]
Do you think that he can drive?
[Charity]
We ought to dress up really nice,
[Clarence]
It's great if he's alive
[Louise]
Does he have a crown of thorns?
[Winston & Curly]
The greatest story ever told
[Clarence]
Jeez he must be hungry
[La Vonne]
Lord he must be old
[Vikki]
He could turn us into angels, he could bless us with a kiss
[Clarence]
Do you think that he likes gumbo?
[Clarence]
Do you think that he likes Elvis?
[All]
Just imagine what would happen if all of this was true
All the other kids would envy us we're long overdue
Long overdue for a miracle, we're long overdue for a miracle
[Clarence]
He could get my dad a job
[La Vonne]
He could get my mum a dress
[Louis]
He could make us all have x-ray eyes
[Clarence]
He'll make us all confess
[Vikki]
Let's throw him a big party, it's Christmas pretty soon
[Curly]
We'll get a clown and a bird that talks,
[Clarence]
And a big birthday balloon
[Louise]
He could walk across Lake Ponchartrain
[Clarence]
Draw water from a stone
[All]
Just think of all the things we'd do with a miracle of our own
[Elizabeth]
I saw him crawling through the bayou
[All]
That's a lie
[Elizabeth]
No it was him!
[Clarence]
Why'd you think he picked that barn?
[Clarence]
where's he going?
[Louise]
where's he been ?
[All]
Wow if we got Jesus on our side, that'll make us awful strong ,
Imagine that if it all came true, we're long overdue,
Long overdue for a miracle, we're long overdue for a miracle
[Vikki]
We gotta go and see him now
[Brat]
No maybe he should rest
[Vikki]
Let's go and get a bible
[Clarence]
We'll make him take a test
[Brat]
I bet that they'll try and hurt him,
[Clarence]
We'll do what ever it takes
[Louise]
He once saved us now we'll save him
[Elizabeth]
We're all he's got for heavens sake
He'd stop the teachers hitting us
[Vikki]
The grownups wouldn't act so bad
[Louise]
We'd get more toys and lots of love
[All]
much more than we'd ever had


When Children Rule The World


We've got to keep this secret, we gotta do this right
If we don't screw up we could save his life
Then this could be the night, When children rule the world
This could be the night, the night, when children rule the world

Doves and kings and shepherds and wisemen came together,
followed the star
They all gathered down in a manger, they came from so very far

Were glad it's clear, our saviour is here
He's gonna guard each boy and girl
No hunger or thirst, the last will be first
The night that children rule the world,
When children rule the world, tonight, when children rule the world

All our greatest wishes are granted, let us sing, let innocence reign
All our prayers are finally answered, blessed and free of all pain

Towers of fire, rise ever higher
Magical flags will be unfurled
To Jesus our god, the young are the strong
The night that children rule the world
When children rule the world, tonight, when children rule the world

Towers of fire, rise ever higher
Magical flags will be unfurled
To Jesus our god, the young are the strong
The night that children rule the world

When children rule the world, tonight, when children rule the world
When children rule the world, tonight, when children rule the world


The children arrive at the barn, they have bought many friends with them. The
Children plead with the man to tell them a story. He finally agrees and sings
Annie Christmas...

Annie Christmas

[The Man]
She lived in these parts, she was a big old girl
Miss Annie, what a wonder
Three hundred pounds and six foot eight, in her bare feet
Annie Christmas

She could drink and she could fight, she had a curly black moustache
She was famous, on the river
She was madly in love with a wild gambling man
That was Charlie and she loved him

But old Charlie never even noticed her at all
Until one day, what a one day

When she wore a very special necklace
Just to prove that she was tough and reckless
With a bead for every ear and nose
She had bitten off, as the story goes

When she bit every man who ever did her wrong
And the necklace was already thirty feet long
And the upshot was, and the upshot was

Old Charlie was impressed and the next thing you know
They were married, what a wedding
And the next year she gave him a dozen sons at once
They were giants!

[Poor Baby]
What a wonder

[The Man]
And before they were six they were seven foot tall
In their bare feet

[Louis]
They were giants!

[The Man]
And they carried miss Annie on their shoulders like a prize
She was beaming like an Angel

[Swallow]
Like an Angel

[Poor Baby]
With a moustache!

[The Man]
And she always wore that special necklace
'Cause it proved that she was tough and reckless
With a bead for every ear and nose
She had bitten off, as the story goes

[The Man & The Children]
And she always wore that special necklace
'Cause it proved that she was tough and reckless
With a bead for every ear and nose
She had bitten off, as the story goes


The children ask the man for the moral of the story and he replies he does
not know. The children sing No matter what...

No matter what

[Charity]
I got a plastic flower, so it will never die
I got my Grandma's hankie, if you ever need to cry

[Vikki]
I got a pretty bracelet

[La Vonne]
I got a mirror too

[La Vonne, Vikki & Charity]
I'm never gonna need em, I'll give them all to you

[La Vonne, Vikki, Charity & Louise]
I'll give you all I got to give, I guess that's my good deed

[Elizabeth]
I just want to stay besides you, you're the only love I need

[Louis]
I got a great big sea shell, you put it to your ear
Then you can hear the ocean, it's like you're really there

[Clarence]
I got a glass of firefly's, they make amazing light

[Winston]
I've got a four leaf clover, I'll bring it here tonight

[Brat]
And I will keep you safe and strong, and follow where you lead

[Swallow]
I'll never leave your side now, were the only love you need

[The Children]
No matter what they tell us, no matter what they do
No matter what they teach us, what we believe is true
I can't deny what I believe, I can't be what I'm not
I know this loves forever, I know no matter what
I can't deny what I believe, I can't be what I'm not
I know this loves forever, that's all that matters now no matter what

[Men]
No matter what the outrage, no matter what the crime
No matter where he's running, he's running out of time

[Women]
This was a safe haven, now it's gone
Dangers on its way

[Men]
No matter where he's hiding no matter how he's hurt

[Women]
Evil can spread out like a stain and darken all the day

[Men]
He's better dead than captured, he's just a speck of dirt

[Adult Chorus]
No matter what he's scheming, no matter what he's got
We'll tear him limb from limb, that's all that matters no matter what

[The Children]
If only tears were laughter, if only night was day
If only prayers were answered, then we would hear god say
No matter what they tell us, no matter what they do
No matter what they teach us, what we believe is true
I can't deny what I believe, I cant be what I'm not
I know this loves forever, that's all that matters now
No matter what!!!

[Adult Chorus]
You gotta wrestle with the devil
Wrestle with the devil in a heartbeat

[The Children]
Midnight is clear, our saviour is here
He's gonna guard each boy and girl
No hunger or thirst, the last will be first
The night that children rule the world,
When children rule the world, tonight, when children rule the world
When children rule the world, tonight, when children rule the world


ACT TWO

While the children sing of their love and faith for the man in the barn,
the townspeople are above on the highway singing of their hatred and
determination to kill him.
"They say he killed and killed, no mercy, no remorse no shame.
This was a safe haven, bring it back, make it that again.
No matter where he's hiding, no matter what he starts,
We'll tear him limb from limb, that's all that matters
No matter what."
Swallow and the man are alone. He asks her to fetch a package that a friend
has left for him in a train tunnel. Swallow promises that she will find a way
to fetch the package, the man asks her not to look inside it. He notices that
she is trembling and she sees that he is too.
Together they sing Try not to be afraid...

Try not to be afraid

[The Man]
Try not to be afraid, so many things can happen
but nothings ever quite as bad as it might appear
I'll give you all I got, You know I can protect you
And try and stop you shedding even one more single tear

[Swallow]
Shelter from the storms

[The Man]
Refuge from the world outside

[Swallow]
Safety from the dangers

[The Man]
Escape from all the disappointments that time has passed

[Swallow & The Man]
Healing of the wounds, the banishing of nightmares

[The Man]
An end to endless tortured nights untroubled sleep at last

[The Man & Swallow]
This is the vow I've made, I'll see it all come true now
And all you have to do for me, Try not to be afraid

[The Man]
I swear I'll be with you, this promise that I've made you

[The Man & Swallow]
You will always be with me

[The Man]
Think of every thing you've got, try not to be afraid

[Swallow]
Try not to be afraid

[The Man & Swallow]
Try not to be afraid


Amos arrives at the barn and the man suggests Swallow uses him to get to the
tunnel. The man hides as Amos enters the barn, Amos says that he has come to
say goodbye as he is leaving town for good. He tells Swallow he can stay a
while if she wants him to.
Amos asks her if she will tell him the big secret if he tells her one of his.
They tell each other secrets about each other and finally Amos tells Swallow
that sometimes he lays awake at night dreaming of her.
They sing A kiss is a terrible thing to waste starting in the barn,
then on the motorcycle on the way to the train tunnel.
A kiss is a terrible thing to waste

[Amos]
Lets make a promise, and then lets take a vow
Times running out, the only time left is now
And you know you deserve more than this
If you trust me at all then just give it a chance
They all want you to crawl but I want you to dance
And if we make a pact then it's only right to seal it with a kiss

If you listen to the night you can hear the darkness call
I can barely stand to wait I can barely stand at all
So come closer to me now like we're sharing the same skin
We gotta get out of this jail we gotta let the future in

So many things in your life that your bound to regret
Why didn't I do this? Why didn't I do that?
So many chances you've lost that you'll never forget
Why didn't I take it? Why didn't I make it come true?
The loneliest words you'll ever know, if only, if only it were so
[Amos & The Man]
The emptiest words that there'll ever be
It could have been me, it could have been me
The loneliest words you'll ever know, if only, if only it were so
The emptiest words that there'll ever be
It could have been me, it could have been me
[Amos]
You'll have to pay for it later if you don't get it when it's going for free
Believe me, Believe me!

So come with me now we can fly away
There's a time to be saved but your damned if you stay
Put your foot on the gas and lets go

Take a chance on a promise and a roll of the dice
We can set a few fires we can melt all the ice
We can have more adventures than you ever even dreamed that you would know
There's a feast waiting for you and you never even gotten a taste
[Swallow]
There's a lot I haven't got
[Amos]
It's later than you think and a kiss is a terrible thing to waste
[The Man]
If you listen in the night you can hear your plans fall through
One more fight you'll never win, one more dream that won't come true
[Amos]
You shouldn't tremble when we touch, let me show you what to do and how
Cause We'll never be as young as we are right now
[Amos, The Man & Swallow]
We'll never be as young as we are right now
[The Man]
So many cries in the night that you try to ignore
[Amos]
Why didn't I do this?
[The Man]
Why didn't I do that?
[Amos & The Man]
So many unanswered prayers, so many unopened doors
[Amos]
Why didn't I take it?
[Amos & The Man]
Why didn't I make it come true?

The loneliest words you'll ever know, if only, if only it were so
The emptiest words that there'll ever be
It could have been me, it could have been me
The loneliest words you'll ever know, if only, if only it were so
The emptiest words that there'll ever be
It could have been me, it could have been me
You'll have to pay for it later
[Amos]
If you don't get it when it's going for free
[Amos & The Man]
Believe me, believe me, believe me
[Amos]
A kiss is a terrible thing to waste
[Amos & The Man]
A kiss is a terrible thing to waste
[Amos]
It's something that's always been so
[Swallow]
How I wish I could let go
[Amos]
A kiss is a terrible thing to waste
[The Man]
You make one mistake and it can't be erased
[Amos]
And one of these nights I'm gonna show you that you already know
[Swallow]
I don't even know what I know
[Amos]
There's a feast waiting for you and you've never even gotten a taste
[The Man]
I'll kill him if he hurts her
[Amos & Swallow]
It's later than you think
[Amos & The Man]
And a kiss is a terrible thing to waste
[Amos]
Now's the time when you got to let go

Amos and Swallow arrive at the train tunnel. Swallow is almost killed by a
train but is pulled clear by Amos. They do not notice someone hiding in the
shadows.
Amos asks Swallow to run away with him. Swallow makes him promise not to tell
but she has Jesus hiding in her barn.
The Sheriff arrives and grabs Amos thinking he is the escaped convict.
Realising who it is he puts Swallow in the car and tells Amos he was risking
Swallows life bringing her to the tunnel. They leave the tunnel and out of
the shadows steps Daryl from the test your faith travellers.
Swallow arrives home and Boone asks her where she has been. He tells her
there is a Devil on the loose and she tells him that Jesus will protect her.
She storms off.
Poor baby's kitten has died, he is upset that Jesus never saved it. Swallow
suggests that they go and ask him why he let it die. Poor baby tells her
"he ain't Jesus, he's just a fella" Swallow sings If only (Reprise)...


If only (Reprise)

[Swallow]
If all we lost somehow came back
If all that died again would grow
[Swallow & Poor Baby]
If only it was so, these are the loneliest words I know
[Swallow]
If only it was so, these are the loneliest words I know

Swallow arrives at the barn and gives the man his package. He asks her what
he can do for her and she tells him to tell Poor Baby why he let his kitten
die. He tells them the story of Annie's husband, Charlie Christmas...

Charlie Christmas


[The Man]
Charlie went out to the gambling hall
And he started to play on the roulette wheel
With a quarter on the red and his head in his hands
As he watched and he waited till the ball came to rest

Old Charlie never moved, he just let his money ride
And the red won again, and again, and again
He won sixteen times before they found out he was dead
For the whole time, what a wonder, he was dead, but still a winner
Imagine the shock and the stunning loss of pride
For the house had been losing to a man who had died
There's gotta come a time when we all gotta go
The start is always fast but the ends always slow
[Swallow]
And the moral is? and the moral is?
And the moral is? and the moral is?
[The Man]
When miss Annie found out she put a gun to her head
It was loaded, sixteen bullets
She was all dressed in black, she had her necklace on
When she fired sixteen bullets

Her sons put her in a coffin then they put it in a hearse
It was drawn by sixteen horses
Then they all got on a barge and they drifted out to sea
To see a fallen angel, whose fall was over
A fallen angel, with a moustache

And there's gotta come a time when we've all gotta go
You start out always fast but the ends always slow
There's gotta come a time when we've all gotta go
You start out always fast but the ends always slow
[Swallow, Brat & Poor Baby]
And the moral is? and the moral is?
And the moral is? and the moral is?
[The Man]
It was their time to go so they went

They ask what the moral of the story was, he replies that it was their time
was up so they went. Poor baby is not satisfied with the mans reason and
again accuses him of just being a fella. He storms out of the barn.
The man explains to swallow that everyone has to die sometime, even her
mother. He tells her that things sometimes just happen. She tells him that is
what happened to you, people don't see how beautiful and sweet you are and
that she loves him.
The man asks her to kiss him goodnight. She tells him that she was almost
killed by a train but she was not scared because she knew he was with her in
her heart and that he loved her.
Swallow leaves and the man contemplates the regrets that he has had in life
while open ing the package that Swallow delivered.
It is a gun.
"You can say a prayer for every one, that there could ever be
Say a prayer for all of these and more, but there's still no prayer for me
Say a prayer for your purest daughter, toll a bell for your only son
There's no way out, and all my prayers are loaded in this gun"
The highway lowers to reveal Candy waiting for Amos to take her away from town.
Candy sings Off ramp exit to paradise...

Off ramp exit to paradise

[Candy]
Somebody told me there's an off ramp exit to paradise
Only time will tell if there's an off ramp exit to paradise
Going anywhere has gotta be heaven, just staying here has got to be hell

I'm getting out of this joint, I'll be strong and alone
No regrets maybe one, maybe two or three
If I had it to do over again, I'd do it to him before he did it to me
If I had it to do over again, I'd do it to them before they did it to me

Somebody told me there's an off ramp exit to paradise

If I had it to do over again, I'd do it to him before he did it to me
Amos arrives and asks her if she has seen Swallow. She tells him she has been
waiting hours for him. She tells him he will never leave the town, that he
will grow old and die there.
He tells her Swallow is danger and she asks him what the big secret is. I
promised I wouldn't tell he replies. Amos leaves and Daryl arrives. He tells
Candy about seeing Amos and Swallow in the train tunnel and that he knows
what the big secret is.
He tells her that the escaped killer is hiding in Swallows barn and that she
thinks he is Jesus. He also tells her that he has a gun.
Candy seizes her chance for revenge on Amos and Swallow.
The townspeople pass, singing Safe Haven (Reprise)...

Safe haven (Reprise)

[Townspeople]
Now the noose is tightening
Closing in, wrapping round our prey
There's thunder and there's lightening
Storms are coming
Wash the sins away

Swallow finds Poor baby and asks if he's Ok. He is still upset that Jesus
never saved his kitten.
" I asked for a Christmas bonfire, didn't get it.
I asked for answers too, didn't get em
No body knows what their talking about, nobody has a clue"
Swallow replies
"Even Jesus wouldn't give me an answer, although he must have known
So I've been thinking the answer is, coming up with answers of our own"
Poor baby says that Jesus said that when peoples times up they go, is that why
he sent Mum away?
Swallow replies
"She was sick for such an awful time, so maybe her time just came
Maybe he thought it was kinder"
Poor Baby asks if it's not Jesus' fault then who do we blame?
The scene switches to the revivalists tent. People are about to test their
faith in Jesus by handling snakes.
They sing Wrestle with the devil ...

Wrestle with the devil

[Earl]
You gotta be prepared to wrestle
Wrestle with the devil in a heartbeat
Before the moment is past
[Townspeople]
You gotta be prepared, you gotta be prepared
To wrestle with the devil in a heartbeat
Or it could be your very last
[Snake Preacher]
(spoken)
And the Lord said "They shall take up serpents", And those who believe will be saved. And those whose faith is weak will perish with the devil. Test your faith! Put your life in the hands of the Lord. Who amongst you will take up serpents?

You all know about the Devil, don't ya, brethren, I bet he's got you scared
Cause you can feel it in your hearts and bones, he's in this very town
And he wants your souls now, you gotta be prepared
[Townspeople]
You gotta be prepared
[Snake Preacher]
You gotta be prepared, to wrestle with the devil in a heartbeat
Before the moment is past
You all know about the Devil, don't ya, don't ya
You don't think that you'll be spared
He's gonna tempt you with a life of sin, tease you with his flashing grin
But we've got the lord here, (oh yes) we've got the truth now (oh yes)
Yes you've got the mighty, (oh yes) you've got to be prepared
[Townspeople]
No matter what you do, he's coming after you
So wrestle with the devil till you break him
Until he's gone from your head
You gotta face the test
[Snake Preacher]
The devil doesn't rest
[Townspeople]
So wrestle with the devil till you take him, until he's finally, cold and dead
[Snake Preacher]
He's there in the reflections on the river skimming by
He's there in the clouds as they blacken the sky
He's there in your bedroom, He can crawl into your dreams
[Person 1]
He's anything he want's to be, but he's never what he seems
[Person 2]
He's there in the foreboding, you feel in your bones
[Person 3]
He's there in the graveyard, chipping names on the stones
[Townspeople]
He's there in your memories, turning good times into bad
He's there in the future, that you wish you never had

No matter what you do, he's coming after you
So wrestle with the devil till you break him
Until he's gone from your head

You gotta be a success, the devil doesn't rest
So wrestle with the devil till you break him
Until he's finally cold and dead
[Snake Preacher]
You'll see him in the movies, brother thinking about sex and guzzling gin
You'll see him in the courthouse sister trying to make legal every horrible sin
You'll see him in the churches brother, acting like he loves the lord above
You'll see him in your families Sister! Better take a look at who you love
[Candy]
You all know about the Devil, don't ya, don't ya
You all know, he's lying in wait
He's lying in more ways than one, every time he uses you
Breaks a promise, and breaks your heart
And that's why love turns to hate
Are you gonna save me Amos? One more chance to save my life
Show me that you care
Don't you think it's time that you grew up, such a gullible, stupid girl
A little Angel? a little tramp
Your secrets out and I don't care
[Amos]
I swear I didn't tell, I'd rather go to hell
I made a vow, you know I'd never break it
I'd never lie at all to you
[Candy]
How many goddam vows, have you taken up to now
Have you kept a single one? oh forget it
Your pathetic, and that's the only truth

How can you be so blind? Didn't anybody know?
The Devils been here all the time, he's waiting
Playing, hide and seek
He's up in Swallow's barn, he's dangerous and armed
He's got a gun, he's not afraid to use it
The killer is strong and you are all so weak
[Sheriff]
It's time that this was over
[A Local]
Nerves are raw
[Townspeople]
Hearts begin to pound
[Sheriff]
Bring him in, hunt him down
[Sheriff & Townspeople]
A little bit of slaughter is justified to bring us back our town


During the Meeting Candy, Amos and Swallow arrive. Candy tells everyone that
the killer is hiding in Swallows barn. Swallow rushes off to warn the man.
Amos promises her that he did not tell Candy.
The townspeople at the meeting sing The Hunt. The sheriff tells Candy to get
on a bus out of town and not to come back.

The hunt

[The Mob]
No matter what the outrage, no matter what the crime
No matter where he's hiding, he's running out of time
No matter what he's seeing, no matter what he starts
We'll tear him limb from limb, that's all that matters
No matter what


On her way to warn the man Swallow meets her father. He tells her not to
disobey him. She tells him that he does not care about her but HE does and he
loves her. She runs off to the barn.
The townspeople head towards the barn to kill the Devil who is hiding there.
The children block the entrance to protect him while Swallow rushes in to warn
him.
The man tells her he has to make a run for it, Swallow tells him that she will
keep him safe. He tells her that she has got him all wrong and that she should
get out of the barn.
Swallow tells him that she knows who he is. He asks what if he had spent 5
years in prison and that the wounds were self inflicted to help him escape.
Swallow tells him she would not believe him. He replies would Jesus lie?
He asks what if he has done something too terrible to imagine, she tells him
she would forgive him.
He tells her he cannot bring her mother back and she says she knows that but
she doesn't want him to leave her, she needs him, she needs him to be who he
is.
The man begins to sing The nature of the beast...

The nature of the beast

[Swallow]
It seems to me you waited till the time came
I believe, you returned for us at last
It seems to me you tested me so many ways
I believe, every test I passed
It seems to me that every test I passed
[The Man]
If you go deep down inside my eye's, do you see a saviour, a prophet or even a priest?
Or do you only see the blackness there, that's the nature of the beast
The one that you should fear the most, may be the ones you fear the least
If you know me then you have to know, the nature of the beast

There are hungry devils everywhere, it's on my heart they feast
Let me rise above the carcass of this all too mortal beast
If I had the chance I'd fly away, I'd see myself released
I'd fly above the carcass of this poor, pathetic beast
[Swallow]
I don't know why you try to make me doubt you
I don't know why when I believe my spirit so
Some day soon, they'll no longer threaten you
Till that day all my prayers are yours
Until then, all my prayers are yours
[The Man]
The things that you despise the most maybe the ones that can stand the least
There are lots of things you've yet to learn about the nature of the beast
There's always wars and plagues and death, the terrors have never ceased
There's nothing you or I can do about the nature of the beast
[Swallow]
I'm not afraid, you taught me that
[The Man]
You fool why can't you see
[Swallow]
I'm not listening to a word you say, It was God sent you to me
[The Man]
What's the only sound left in this world, when every other sound has ceased?
It's the breathing in and the breathing out
It's still, it's still, in me
It's still the nature of the beast

There are hungry devils everywhere, it's on my heart they feast
Let me rise above the carcass of this pitiable beast
If I had the chance I'd fly away, I'd see my soul released
I'd fly above the carcass of the nature of the beast
[Swallow]
There's a prayer for the lost and for the lonely
There's a prayer to make the blind one's see
But if you, you are not what you must be
Then it's true you haven't got a prayer for me
And I, I haven't got a prayer:.. I have nothing
[The Man]
So many things in your life that your bound to regret
Why didn't I do this? Why didn't I do that?
So many chances you've lost that you'll never forget

So many unspoken vows, so many unopened doors
So many unbroken chains, so many unsettled scores
Why didn't I take it? Why didn't I make it come true?
[Swallow]
No one's ever looked at me
[Swallow & The Man]
No one's ever looked at me
The way your looking at me now

The mob arrive outside the barn. The children block the entrance and the man
hears them. Cornered and with no way out the man pulls out the gun and grabs
swallow as his hostage. He changes his mind and pushes her out of the barn,
closing the door behind her. He pours gasoline around the barn and lights a
match.
The barn bursts into flames with the man still inside it.
The scene moves to the barn after the fire has burnt out. Amos finally
catches up with Swallow. Boone tells her that the man in the barn was not
Jesus. Amos tells her he did not tell anyone about the man in her barn.
The sheriff tells them that the man has gone, there was not a trace of him in
the barn.
Poor baby & Brat sing
"The thunder is rolling, the sky is black
It's gotten so dark somehow
He said there'll be trouble, but I know he'll be back
And I hope that he's home by now
He should have been home by now"
Brat asks Swallow "he's free now, isn't he?"
Swallow replies "He'll be back, I just know he will"
Brat tells how he preyed for a Christmas bonfire and got the biggest one of
all.
Swallow, Boone, Brat and Poor Baby stand in the remains of the burnt out barn
and sing Whistle down the wind...


Whistle down the wind


[Swallow]
Whistle down the wind, let your voices carry
Drown out all the rain, light a patch of darkness
Treacherous and scary

Howl at the stars, whisper when your sleeping
I'll be there to hold you, I'll be there to stop
The chills and all the weeping

Make it clear and strong, so the whole night long
Every signal that you send, until the very end
I will not abandon you my precious friend

So try and stem the tide, then you'll raise a banner
Send a flare up in the sky, try to burn a torch
And try to build a bonfire
Every signal that you send, until the very end, I'm there

So whistle down the wind, for I have always been right there


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The lyrics are for the stage version and differ from those on the songs from
Whistle Down The Wind CD. Apologies for any errors which may creep in.
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