Hammill Peter - Act Two lyrics

THE VOICES House. Wet Vaults. Caissons. We breathe... OF THE Undercroft. Abutments. Stones. Wood. Breathe... HOUSE bu*tresses. Bressumers. Spandrels. We Breathe... Columns and Pillars. Shafts. Arches. Capitals. Breathe.... We breathe. We are waiting. We rise. We are waiting. We are Usher. House of Usher. Pilasters. Quoins. Piers. Spandrels and columns that shaft through the years. House of Usher. Wainscots. Stairs. Balusters. Cusps and Cornices. Spandrels and Columns the capital years. House of Usher. We breathe. We are waiting We rise. We are waiting. We are Usher. House of Usher. Beams. Corbels. Joists. Kingposts. Copings and Chimney-shafts. Ridge-ribs. Struts. Stanchions. Parapets. Pediments. Mansards and Gargoyles. The eaves. The dripping eaves... Cupola. Finials. Gables. Tiles. Lead... We breathe. We are waiting. We rise. We are waiting. We are Usher. House of Usher. We are Keystone. We are Usher. RODERICK USHER ("The Sleeper") The lady sleeps. oh, may her sleep which is enduring so be deep! Heaven hold her in its sacred keep! This chamber changed for one more holy, this bed for one of melancholy. I pray to God that she may lie forever with unopened eye while the dim, sheeted ghosts go by. My love, she sleeps. Oh, may her sleep as it is lasting so be deep! Soft may the worms around her creep! Far in the forest, dim and old, now may some tall vault enfold her; some vault that oft hath flung its black and winged panels fluttering back triumphant o'er the crested palls of her grand family funerals.... USHER MONTRESOR I didn't mean to interrupt... Montresor, you came! Did you think I'd ignore your letter? Montresor, you're here! Come let me help you with your coat. Sit down and rest yourself. Oh, it's so good to see you here! Now tell me all your news... I see you've changed a bit, my friend... Now won't you have a drink... Yes, yes but one thing at a time! First you must tell me what... But I expect I too have changed. How many years could it be now since last we said farewell? It must be ten years since our last meeting, Yes, it must be ten years since our last meeting since our last meeting. Tell me what is wrong? Your letter spoke of a malady; some desperate trial you could not face alone... Oh, no, you tell me all your doings! Tell me. Tell me how you pa** your days how you pa** your days Tell me from the beginning. from the beginning Tell me everything everything that's happened since we went our since we went our separate ways. separate ways. Look at me... I have not left these walls these three years, I do not dare to do so! I am imprisoned and fear is my gaoler. Each word I speak seems too dangerous. My slightest act could bring about the very thing I fear But fear of what? Hush, and I shall tell you... tell you... USHER I shun the light, creep in the gloom like a toad, a white worm, tortured by the faintest gleam of sun. I hear... oh God, if you could only know the things I hear! I hear the lake s**ing at the walls, I hear bats breathing I hear the sky moan to join with the slime! And this, all this like thunder to me, like thunder! My senses scream at me: Sight... Touch... Sight... Touch... Sound and Taste... Sound and Scent, All torment and claw at my sanity. There is no hiding place for me, for even in the quietest of my rooms, I hear the walls in conversation; I hear the palpitations of my heart; I feel all that lives and does not move and know it knows my feeling. My only peace lies in my music and then only because it drowns out all other sounds and souls... You may think that I am mad, but it is not so. My senses reel beneath the blow of feathers falling and more... But no, I see you do not understand. MONTRESOR Oh, my poor dear friend, you must see you are not well. I've read of this before, I think it's called Hyperaesthesis. I'm no doctor, but it's clear your nerves have gone to pieces. You need to get away, you need a holiday, you need a change of air! You need an ocean cruise, you need to be amused! I tell you plain, this House to me seems most unhealthy. You're unattached, you're free to go, you're wealthy. USHER MONTRESOR THE CHORUS Leave this House. Leave this House. Leave this House and come away. Leave this House I cannot! Leave this House! I cannot! Leave this House! Here I must stay. Here I must stay. You are wasting your time. He will never leave... I can never leave here therefore do not ask me say no more I've heard of this before and let me be I think it's called Hyperaesthesis I can never I'm no doctor but it's clear leave here your nerves have gone to pieces. therefore do your nerves have gone to pieces. not ask me. Say no more and let me be I cannot leave He cannot leave The House is I The House is he We are as one They are as one And I would die and so must die Now you must leave I He cannot leave cannot Now you must fly leave The House is he Now you must run The They are as one House is No-one will die I And so must die I cannot leave Now you must leave He cannot leave The House is I Now you must fly The House is he We are as one Now you must run and so must die and so must die No-one will die USHER MONTRESOR THE HOUSE We shall not let him go! We shall not Leave let him go! Do not torture me! this We shall not Do not try to persuade! House let him go! We shall not Leave let him go! It only brings me grief this We shall not House let him go! Leave this House We shall not I cannot leave let him go! We shall not let him go! shall not let him go! USHER MONTRESOR THE CHORUS THE HOUSE Leave this House I cannot Leave this House I cannot Leave this House Leave this House and come with me We shall not let him go. Leave this House I cannot Never, never Leave this House never! I cannot Leave this House and come with me Never! Never, never, never! Never! Never, never, never! I can never We are bound leave here together therefore do for the last time so never not ask me I entreat you He shall he shall say no more never leave never leave and let me be. We are bound together for the last time so never I entreat you He shall he shall Leave! never leave never leave. Do not talk to me Never do not try never to persuade Leave! never He shall never never leave Leave this house Oh Montresor never never I beg of you never never I can never never never leave never never I can never never never leave this house Leave this house never never I can never You are wasting never never leave this house Leave this house you time never never I can never he will never never never leave this house Leave! leave never never never! The House is I. End of Act Two