Act Two Lyrics - Hammill Peter

THE VOICES House. Wet Vaults. Caissons. We breathe... 

OF THE Undercroft. Abutments. Stones. Wood. Breathe... 

HOUSE Buttresses. 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 pass your days how you pass 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 sucking 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