and THAT is why John Adams didn't write the Declaration of Independence

[sergebroom]

(Today being the Fourth, I thought it appropriate to tell you about the song "But Mr. Adams", from the musical 1776, music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards. It is about who should write the Declaration of Independence.)

Franklin:
Mr. Adams, I say you should write it
To your legal mind and brilliance we defer
Adams:
Is that so? Well, if I'm the one to do it
They'll run their quill pens through it
I'm obnoxious and disliked, you know that, sir
Franklin:
Yes, I know
Adams:
So I say you should write it Franklin, yes you
Franklin:
Hell, no!
Adams:
Yes, you, Dr. Franklin, you
but, you, but, you, but
Franklin:
Mr. Adams, but, Mr. Adams
The things I write are only light extemporania
I won't put politics on paper; it's a mania
So I refuse to use the pen in Pennsylvania
Others:
Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, refuse to use the pen
Adams:
Mr. Sherman, I say you should write it
You are never controversial as it were
Sherman:
That is true
Adams:
Whereas if I'm the one to do it
They'll run their quill pens through it
I'm obnoxious and disliked, you know that, sir
Sherman:
Yes, I do
Adams:
So I say you should write it, Sherman, yes you
Sherman:
Good heavens, no!
Adams:
Yes you, Roger Sherman, you
but, you, but, you, but
Sherman:
Mr. Adams, but, Mr. Adams
I cannot write with any style or proper etiquette
I don't know a participle from a predicate
I am just a simple cobbler from Connecticut
Others:
Connecticut, Connecticut, a simple cobbler he
Adams:
Mr. Livingston, maybe you should write it
You have many friends and you're a diplomat
Franklin:
Oh, that word!
Adams:
Whereas if I'm the one to do it
They'll run their quill pens through it
Others:
He's obnoxious and disliked; did you know that?
Livingston:
I hadn't heard
Adams:
So I say you should write it, Robert, yes you
Livingston:
Not me, Johnny!
Adams:
Yes you, Robert Livingston, you
but you but you but
Livingston:
Mr. Adams, dear Mr. Adams
I've been presented with a new son by the noble stork
So I am going home to celebrate and pop the cork
With all the Livingstons together back in old New York
Others:
New York, New York, Livingston's going to pop a cork
Jefferson:
Mr. Adams, leave me alone!
Adams:
Mr. Jefferson, dear Mr. Jefferson
I'm only 41; I still have my virility
And I can romp through Cupid's Grove with great agility
But life is more than sexual combustibility
Others:
Combustibility, combustibility, combustibili...
Jefferson:
Mr. Adams, damn you Mr. Adams
You're obnoxious and disliked; that cannot be denied
Once again you stand between me and my lovely bride
Oh, Mr. Adams, you are driving me to homicide!
Others:
Homicide, homicide, we may see murder yet!

Comments

[mkhobson.livejournal.com]

I love that musical! And that particular number is delightful.

M

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Indeed. By the way, I don't know if you have ever seen the movie on DVD, but it has some scenes that were put back in. They had originally been taken out by the producer at the request of Richard Nixon, I think. For some reason, Dick didn't like the scene where Rutledge and Congress's other conservatives launched into a menuet about always stepping to the Right.

[mkhobson.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I'll have to check it out.

I always liked the Tobacco and Rum and Slaves song. It summed up the history in such a spooky and immediate way. And the soldier-boy's song always makes me cry.

M

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

And Rutledge (played by John Collum) is so casually cold as he sings about Tobacco and Rum and Slaves... As for the soldier-boy, it must have resonated very strongly back in 1973, with the Vietnam War still going on...

(If I may make an off-topic comment, your story "Hotel Astarte" got a nice mention by short-fiction reviewer Nick Gevers in the July 2007 issue of Locus. It's on page 60.)

[mkhobson.livejournal.com]

I haven't gotten the July Locus yet. Hooray! Now I feel very immature for all the bitching I did.

You know, the minute you think you've gotten past such childish outbursts is the minute they sneak up and embarrass you.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Of course we won't embarass you by reminding you of this. Heheheh...

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

You left out the spoken interchange in the middle!

Adams: "Now you'll write it, Mr. J!"
Jefferson: "Who will make me, Mr. A?"
Adams: "I will!"
Jefferson: "You?"
Adams (five feet nine): "Yes!"
Jefferson (six feet four): *beat* "How?"
Adams: "By physical force if necessary! It's your DUTY, dammit!"

In the movie, they reinforce the height differential by having that scene occur on the stairs. When I got to see it live in Detroit (the touring run with the first Broadway cast), it was done completely with body language -- Jefferson draws himself up and just looms over Adams. It was like watching a Chihuahua facing down a greyhound... and winning.

BTW, don't even bother with the soundtrack from the Broadway re-release. Brent Spiner (playing Adams) is decent, but none of the rest of the starring roles are played by people who can actually SING. Franklin, in particular, is gorge-raisingly awful, and Jefferson's wife sounds like a teenager with a bad case of adenoids.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I kept thinking ther was something missing in the lyrics. I'm not sure why that site didn't put up the accurate version. Oh well. William Daniels's Adams was indeed awesome. As for Jefferson, I always got a kick from watching Ken Howard play Jill Hennessy's father in Crossing Jordan because of 1776. Howard da Silva's Ben Franklin was perfect. I imagine there must have been conservatives who frowned at that casting choice, what with da Silva having been blacklisted in the 1950s. A Founding Father played by a commie? Eek. Mind you, if Franklin were around today, those same conservatives would probably try to stone him.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

That's lovely!

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

And hilarious.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

Oh, absolutely!

[tania-c.livejournal.com]

It just ended on TCM, John and I have been watching the film. What fun.

Happy Independence Day!

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Same to you. I went to bed not long after we watched it on DVD, due to my having had another bout of manly idiocy earlier that day. I had been sick the evening of the Third, which is why I spent the Fourth's whole very sunny morning and part of the afternoon removing the backyard's weeds left over from last year. That took it out of me, but at last the backyard is weedless. Until they grow back again. For now though, huzzah!