Three Penny Opera

  

"What's picking a lock compared to buying shares? 

 What's breaking into a bank compared to founding one? 

 What's murdering a man compared to employing one?"  

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Threepenny_Opera 

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"Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear

And it shows them pearly white

Just a jackknife has old MacHeath, babe

And he keeps it, ah, out of sight

You know when that shark bites with his teeth, babe

Scarlet billows start to spread

Fancy gloves, oh, wears old MacHeath, babe

So there's never, never a trace of red

Now on the sidewalk, huh, huh, whoo sunny morning, un huh

Lies a body just oozin' life, eek

And someone's sneakin' 'round the corner

Could that someone be Mack the Knife?

There's a tugboat, huh, huh, down by the river don'tcha know

Where a cement bag's just a-drooppin' on down

Oh, that cement is just, it's there for the weight, dear

Five'll get ya ten, old Macky's back in town

Now did ya hear 'bout Louie Miller? He disappeared, babe

After drawin' out all his hard-earned cash

And now MacHeath spends just like a sailor

Could it be our boy's done somethin' rash?

Now Jenny Diver, ho, ho, yeah, Sukey Tawdry

Ooh, Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown

Oh, the line forms on the right, babe

Now that Macky's back in town

I said Jenny Diver, whoa, Sukey Tawdry

Look out to Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown

Yes, that line forms on the right, babe

Now that Macky's back in town

Look out, old Macky's back"

 

Songwriters: Bertolt Brecht / Kurt Weill / Marc Blitzstein 

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"The work offers a socialist critique  

of the capitalist world.  It opened on 31 August 1928 at Berlin's Theater am Schiffbauerdamm.

With influences from jazz and German dance music, songs from The Threepenny Opera have been widely covered and become standards, most notably "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer" ("The Ballad of Mack the Knife") and "Seeräuberjenny" ("Pirate Jenny"). 

"You are about to hear an opera for beggars.  

Since this opera was intended to be as splendid as only beggars can imagine, 

 and yet cheap enough for beggars to be able to watch, 

 it is called the Threepenny Opera." 

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Thanks to my bike repairman, Jimmy. He's from Nahyok. We sometimes chat while he patches a tube and he referenced this Work the other day. Bertold Brecht, huh.  

----FLB  

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"You people can watch while I'm scrubbing these floors

And I'm scrubbin' the floors while you're gawking

Maybe once ya tip me and it makes ya feel swell

In this crummy southern town

In this crummy old hotel

But you'll never guess to who you're talkin'.

No. you couldn't ever guess to who you're talkin'.

Then one night there's a scream in the night

And you'll wonder who could that have been

And you see me kinda grinnin' while I'm scrubbin'

And you say, "what's she got to grin?"

I'll tell you.

There's a ship

The black freighter

With a skull on its masthead

Will be coming in

You gentlemen can say, "hey gal, finish them floors!

Get upstairs! what's wrong with you! earn your keep here!

You toss me your tips

And look out to the ships

But I'm counting your heads

As I'm making the beds

Cause there's nobody gonna sleep here, honey

Nobody

Nobody!

Then one night there's a scream in the night

And you say, "who's that kicking up a row?"

And ya see me kinda starin' out the winda

And you say, "what's she got to stare at now?"

I'll tell ya.

There's a ship

The black freighter

Turns around in the harbor

Shootin' guns from her bow

Now

You gentlemen can wipe off that smile off your face

Cause every building in town is a flat one

This whole frickin' place will be down to the ground

Only this cheap hotel standing up safe and sound

And you yell, "why do they spare that one?"

Yes.

That's what you say.

"Why do they spare that one?"

All the night through, through the noise and to-do

You wonder who is that person that lives up there?

And you see me stepping out in the morning

Looking nice with a ribbon in my hair

And the ship

The black freighter

Runs a flag up its masthead

And a cheer rings the air

By noontime the dock

Is a-swarmin' with men

Comin' out from the ghostly freighter

They move in the shadows

Where no one can see

And they're chainin' up people

And they're bringin' em to me

Askin' me,

"Kill them now, or later?"

Askin' me!

"Kill them now, or later?"

Noon by the clock

And so still by the dock

You can hear a foghorn miles away

And in that quiet of death

I'll say, "right now.

Right now!"

Then they'll pile up the bodies

And I'll say,

"That'll learn ya!"

And the ship

The black freighter

Disappears out to sea

And

On

It

Is

Me"