Stephen Sondheim
Lyric guide

City On Fire!

Read City On Fire! lyrics by Stephen Sondheim on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

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Page type: lyric reference Artist: Stephen Sondheim Canonical path: /sondheim-stephen/city-on-fire Related lyric paths: 6
Lyrics

City On Fire!

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Company (variously):

The engine roared, the motor hissed,

And who could see how the road would twist?

In sweeney's ledger the entries matched:

A beadle arrived, and a beadle dispatched

To satisfy the hungry god

Of sweeney todd,

All:

The demon barber of fleet...

Street.

Sweeney! Sweeney!

Sweeney! Sweeney! sweeney!

Sweeney!

Sweeeeeneeeeey!

Inmates

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeneeeeeeeeeeeeey...

Sweeneysweeneysweeneysweeney...

Lunatics (in three contrapuntal groups):

City on fire!

Rats in the grass

And the lunatics yelling in the streets!

It's the end of the world! Yes!

City on fire!

Hunchbacks dancing!

Stirrings in the ground

And the whirring of giant wings!

Watch out!

Look!

Blotting out the moonlight,

Thick black rain falling on the

City on fire!

City on fire!

City on fire!

Johanna:

Will we be married on sunday?

That's what you promised,

Married on sunday!

That was last august...

Kiss me!

Lunatics:

City on fire!

Rats in the streets

And the lunatics yelling at the moon!

It's the end of the world! Yes!

City on fire!

Hunchbacks kissing!

Stirrings in the graves

And the screaming of giant winds!

Watch out! Look!

Crawling on the chimneys,

Great black crows screeching at the

City on fire!

City on fire!

City on fire!

Mrs. Lovett:

Toby!

Where are you, love?

Todd:

Toby!

Where are you, lad?

Mrs. Lovett:

Nothing's gonna harm you...

Todd:

Toby!

Mrs. Lovett:

Not while I'm around...

Todd:

Toby!

Mrs. Lovett:

Where are you hiding?

Nothing's gonna harm you,

Darling...

Todd:

Nothing to be afraid of, boy...

Mrs. Lovett:

Not while I'm around.

Todd:

Toby...

Mrs. Lovett:

Demons are prowling everywhere

Nowadays...

Todd:

Toby...

Lunatics:

City on fire!

Rats in the streets

And the lunatics yelling at the moon!

It's the end of the world! Yes!

Beggar woman:

Beadle!... Beadle!...

No good hiding, I saw you!

Are you in there still,

Beadle?... Beadle?...

Get her, but watch it!

She's a wicked one, she'll deceive you

With her fancy gowns

And her fancy airs

And her —

Mischief! Mischief!

Devil's work!

Where are you, beadle?

Beadle...

Lunatics:

City on fire!

Rats in the streets

And the lunatics yelling at the moon!

It's the end of the world! Good!

City on fire!

Hunchbacks kissing!

Stirrings in the graves

And the screaming of giant winds!

Watch out! Look!

Crawling on the chimneys,

Great black crows screeching at the

City on fire!...

Anthony. Tr. todd?

Johanna. To one here. where is this mr. todd?

Anthony:

No matter. He'll be back in a moment, for I trust him

As I trust my right arm.

Wait for him here — I'll return with the coach in less

Than half an hour.

Johanna. Wut they are after us still. what if they

Trace us here?

Oh, anthony, please let me come with you.

Anthony: No, my darling, there is no safety for you on

The street.

Johanna: But dressed in these sailor's clothes, who's

To know it is I?

Anthony: No, the risk is too great.

Ah, miss,

Look at me, look at me, miss, oh,

Look at me please, oh,

Favor me, favor me with your glance.

Ah, miss,

Soon we'll be, soon we'll be gone

And sailing the seas

And happily, happily wed

In france.

Both:

And we'll sail the world

And see its wonders

From the pearls of spain

To the rubies of tibet—

Anthony.

And then come home to

London.

Johanna:

And then home.

Some day. Some day.

Anthony: And I'll be back before those lips have time

To lose that smile.

Beggar woman:

Beadle!...

Beadle!

Where are you?

Beadle, dear!

Beadle!

Johanna! Iomeone calling the beadle! I knew it!

Beggar woman:

Beadle deedle deedle deedle deedle dumpling,

Beadle dumpling, be-deedle dumpling...

And why should you weep then, my jo, my jing?

Ohh...

Your father's at tea with the swedish king.

He'll bring you the moon on a silver string.

Ohh...

Ohh...

Quickly to sleep then, my jo, my jing,

He'll bring you a shoe and a wedding ring.

Sing here again, home again,

Come again spring.

He'll be coming soon now

To kiss you, my jo, my jing,

Bringing you the moon

And a shoe and a wedding ring.

He'll be coming here again,

Home again...

Todd! Wou! what are you doing here?

Beggar woman: Ah, evil is here, sir.

The stink of evil — from below — from her! Beadle dear,

Beadle!

Todd: Out of here, woman.

Beggar woman! Ohe's the devil's wife! oh, beware her,

Sir. Beware of her.

She with no pity in her heart.

Todd: Out, I say!

Beggar woman:

Hey, don't I know you, mister?

Todd. Ihe judge. I have no time.

Judge? Where is she? where is the girl?

Todd. Ielow, your honor. in the care of my neighbor,

Mrs. Lovett.

Thank heavens the sailor did not molest her.

Thank heavens too, she has seen the error of her ways.

Judge: She has?

Todd: Oh yes, your lesson was well learned, sir.

She speaks only of you, longing for forgiveness.

Judge. Snd she shall have it. she'll be here soon, you

Say?

Todd:

I think I hear her now.

Judge: Oh, excellent, my friend!

Todd:

Is that her dainty footstep on the stair?

Judge: I hear nothing.

Todd:

Yes, isn't that her shadow on the wall?

Judge: Where?

Todd: There!

Primping,

Making herself even prettier than usual —

Judge:

Even prettier...

Todd:

If possible.

Judge:

Ohhhhhhh,

Pretty women!

Todd:

Pretty women, yes...

Judge: Quickly, sir, a splash of bay rum!

Todd: Sit, sir, sit.

Judge:

Johanna,johanna...

Todd:

Pretty women...

Judge: Hurry, man!

Todd:

Pretty women

Are a wonder...

Judge: You're in a merry mood again today, barber.

Todd:

Pretty women!

Judge:

What we do for

Todd:

Pretty women! Pretty women!

Blowing out their candles blowing out their candles

Or combing out their hair — or combing out their hair,

Then they leave —

Even when they leave you even when they leave,

And vanish, they somehow they still

Can still remain are there,

There with you there... They're there...

Judge: How seldom it is one meets a fellow spirit!

Todd: With fellow tastes — in women, at least.

Judge? What? what's that?

Todd: The years no doubt have changed me, sir.

But then, I suppose, the face of a barber — the face of

A prisoner in the

Dock — is not particularly memorable.

Judge:

Benjamin barker!

Todd:

Rest now, my friend,

Rest now forever.

Sleep now the untroubled

Sleep of the angels...

Company:

Lift your razor high, sweeney!

Hear it singing, "yes!"

Sink it in the rosy skin

Of righteousness!

Mrs! Covett: die! die! god in heaven — die! you! can it

Be?

How all the demons of hell come to torment me!

Todd? Dhy did you scream? does the judge still live?

Mrs: Hovett: he was clutching, holding on to my skirt,

But now — he's finished.

Todd. Oeave them to me. open the doors.

Mrs! Dovett: no! don't touch her!

Todd: What is the matter with you?

It's only some meddling old beggar - oh no, oh

God..."don't I know you?" she said...

You knew she lived.

From the first moment that I walked into your shop you

Knew my lucy lived!

Mrs: Iovett: I was only thinking of you!

Todd:

Lucy...

Mrs: Yovett: your lucy!

A crazy hag picking bones and rotten spuds out of alley

Ash-cans!

Would you have wanted to know that was all that was

Left of her?

Todd: You lied to me.

Mrs. Lovett:

No, no, not lied at all.

No, I never lied.

Todd:

Lucy...

Mrs. Lovett:

Said she took the poison — she did —

Never said that she died —

Poor thing,

She lived —

Todd:

I've come home again...

Mrs. Lovett:

But it left her weak in the head,

All she did for months was just lie there in bed —

Todd:

Lucy...

Mrs. Lovett:

Should've been in hospital,

Wound up in bedlam instead,

Poor thing!

Todd:

Oh, my god...

Mrs. Lovett:

Better you should think she was dead.

Yes, I lied 'cos I love you!

Todd:

Lucy...

Mrs. Lovett:

I'd be twice the wife she was!

I love you!

Todd:

What have I done?...

Mrs. Lovett:

Could that thing have cared for you

Like me?

Todd:

Mrs. Lovett,

You're a bloody wonder,

Eminently practical and yet

Appropriate as always.

As you've said repeatedly,

There's little point in dwelling on the past.

Mrs. Lovett:

Do you mean it?

Everything I did I swear

I thought

Was only for the best,

Believe me!

Can we still be

Married?

No, come here, my love..

Not a thing to fear,

My love...

What's dead

Is dead.

Todd:

The history of the world, my pet —

Mrs. Lovett:

Oh, mr. Todd,

Ooh, mr. Todd,

Leave it to me...

Todd:

Is learn forgiveness and try to forget.

Mrs. Lovett:

By the sea, mr. Todd,

We'll be comfy-cozy,

By the sea, mr. Todd,

Where there's no one nosy...

Todd:

And life is for the alive, my dear,

So let's keep living it —!

Both:

Just keep living it,

Really living it —!

Todd:

There was a barber and his wife,

And she was beautiful.

A foolish barber and his wife,

She was his reason and his life.

And she was beautiful.

And she was virtuous.

And he was —

Naive.

Tobias:

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker man.

Bake me a cake —

No,no,

Bake me a pie —

To delight my eye,

And I will sigh

If the crust be high...

Mr. Todd.

Pat him and prick him and mark him with b, and put him

In the oven for baby and me!

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Who performs "City On Fire!"?

Stephen Sondheim performs "City On Fire!", and this lyric page sits inside the Stephen Sondheim catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "City On Fire!"?

Yes. The related section below points to A Boy Like That, I Have A Love and A Little Priest with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Stephen Sondheim?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Stephen Sondheim's lyric pages.

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