thanks to the director amon miyamoto, henry krieger and i have a commission from the kennedy center to adapt the japanese story (well-known there) “boonah, the tree-climbing frog” into a musical for a japan festival they are doing this upcoming february … the idea for the following lyric, which is the opening number of the show, came from amon, who thought it reflects the general attitude both here and in japan these days …
BULLFROG
OH WHAT A TERRIBLE TALE
BAD AS ANY I’VE HEARD
EVERY DAY WITHOUT FAIL
LIFE GROWS MORE ABSURD
WHEN TRAGEDY COMES CALLING
HERE’S WHAT I’VE LEARNED TO SAY
NO TIME FOR BAD NEWS TODAY
WE’VE GOT SOFT BREEZES
BLOWING THROUGH THE TREES
WE’VE GOT WARM WATER
TO SOAK IN IF WE PLEASE
WE’VE GOT FOOD WAITING
SUPPER’S ON ITS WAY
NO TIME FOR BAD NEWS TODAY
OLDER FROG
ENEMIES ALL AROUND
RAT AND SNAKE AND HAWK
WE ARE BOUND TO THE GROUND
WHERE WE HOP AND WALK
(BOONAH enters)
THAT LEOPARD FROG’S OUR LOOK-OUT
MAKING SURE THAT WE’RE NOT PREY
WE’RE SAFE AND CAREFREE TODAY
FEMALE FROGS
WE’VE GOT CUTE TADPOLES
SWIMMING IN THE POND
MALE FROGS
WATCHED BY SWEET MAMMAS
OF WHOM WE’RE VERY FOND
ALL FROGS (EXCEPT BOONAH)
WE’VE GOT BUGS FLYING
ON-THE-WING BUFFET
NO TIME FOR BAD NEWS TODAY
NO TIME TO MOURN
NO TIME TO GRIEVE
IF YOU’RE FORLORN
BETTER YOU LEAVE
HURDLES TO LEAP
HUNGER TO SATE
WE’LL GET SOME SLEEP
WHEN WE HIBERNATE
WE’VE GOT FINE CROAKING
COMING FROM OUR LUNGS
WE’VE GOT WORMS CRAWLING
RIGHT UP TO OUR TONGUES
TAKE A LONG WALLOW
IN THE MUD AND CLAY
NO TIME FOR BAD NEWS TODAY
NO, NO
KEEP THAT BAD NEWS AWAY
TODAY