richard rodgers • oscar hammerstein II
Richard Rodgers could have lived and worked at any moment and period in history; his music is timeless. It would have lubricated the ears of a caveman as well as beaten the shit out of today's artificial crap. But if Oscar Hammerstein II had lived and worked today, he would have been donalded, trumped and banned by the Government though still praised by the most of the world in general - like he was in his time: the age of McCarthyism.
Was Hammerstein a commie in disguise? Like Carl Barks, who fooled both Disney and McCarthy with his brilliant Ducksburg and global adventures? Even with his first success "Showboat" in 1927 he put the spot on racial prejudice, and involved social problems with his librettos and lyrics. I regard him a bright person, calculating he could make profit out of conflicts without compromising his conciense.
In 1949 this eternal musical duo decided to make a stage score out of James A. Michener's Pulitzer–winning "Tales of the South Pacific" from two years before. Involving Joshua Logan with the book, mainly because of Hammerstein's lack of experience in military matters, the production progress became an object for a novel or film itself. Michener's original work consisted of nineteen independent stories from the 2nd World War at and around Solomon Islands, loosely tied together with recurring characters. With the author himself grumbling in the background, the tales were picked out and shuffeled around, names of places and persons were occationally changed, scenes and songs were scattered around, major characters from the original tales became minor, supporting roles stepped forward and everything changed from day to day.
They ended up with TWO romances; unlike traditional musicals none of them were of the comic kind, but both clouded by racial prejudice. A spy plot from the tales found it's place in the second act, and rehearsals started at Belasco Theatre 2nd of February 1949. Previews found place in New Haven and Boston, where the show was finally adjusted and cut a bit shorter, even the title, and then "South Pacific" opened on Broadway 7th of April at the Majestic Theatre. The reception was unique and outrageous.
It cleared the table for Tony Awards with ten out of ten as the one and only up to this very day, and on top it won the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It stayed for 1925 performances; at that time the #2 of longest running musical in Broadway's history, only beaten by "Oklahoma!". It closed on 16th of January 1954 with the curtain left open and the ensemble leading a sing-along of "Auld Lang Syne".
Successful revivals have been made in 2008, 2012 and 2023, winning more Tony's in addition to Drama Desk Award and Olivier Awards.
People had to wait 9 years for the film musical. "Oklahoma!" went to the cinemas in 1955, "Carousel" in 1956 and in 1958 R&H decided to let "South Pacific" follow them, supported by 20th Century Fox and produced by the occational company "South Pacific Enterprises", including the owners of the widescreen process used as well as Leland Hayward, producer of the original stage production. The film was directed by co-librettist Joshua Logan, using the original book with some scenes swapped and one earlier omitted song added, but the entire gallery of actors was changed, with Juanita "Bloody Mary" Hall as the only exception ... her voice dubbed! The only actors singing their own songs were Mitzy Gaynor as "Ensign Nellie Forbush" and Ray Walston as "Luther Billis". This makes the film soundtrack and the Broadway cast album quite different, both topping the charts, but with the first as a crystal clear winner both in quality and sales. Released by RCA Victor 1958, it even made the old Broadway album reenter - first released on Columbia as a set of seven 10" 78 rpm records, then getting historical with the honor of being the first Broadway musical issued on the new LP format; 12" 33⅓ rpm.
The film musical is, with video, cinema and TV included, the screen production I've watched most often of all. I was only a small child when I first heard the soundtrack, barely ten watching it for the first time and almost seventy when I found it again on a film channel. I may even have forgotten some issues, but at least I've been through it five times. I had both original albums, unfortunately gotten lost in a burglary. But all the songs reside in my memory. When I finally decided to make a medley, I ran into trouble.
More of the best songs are for ladies or children; thus not suitable for a male busker. Many of the male songs are woven into a context it can't be picked out of. I ended up with these four, where the first one is rudely truncated because of it's length though still has to be there, whilst the three last ones are almost complete. All of them have become popular covered by various artists.
we got sunlight on the sand
we got moonlight on the sea
we got mangoes and bananas
you can pick right off the tree
we got volleyball and ping-pong
and a lot of dandy games!
what ain't we got?
we ain't got dames!
we get packages from home
we get movies : we get shows
we get speeches from our skipper
and advice from Tokyo Rose
we get letters doused with perfume
we get dizzy from the smell!
what don't we get?
you know darn well!
we have nothin' to put on a clean white suit for
what we need is what there ain't no substitute for...
there is nothin' like a dame
nothin' in the world
there is nothin' you can name
that is anythin' like a dame!
I touch your hand and my arms grow strong
like a pair of birds that burst with song
my eyes look down at your lovely face
and I hold the world in my embrace
younger than springtime are you
softer than starlight are you
warmer than winds of June are the gentle lips you gave me
gayer than laughter are you
sweeter than music are you
angel and lover : heaven and earth are you to me
and when your youth and joy invade my arms
and fill my heart as now they do
then younger than springtime am I
gayer than laughter am I
angel and lover : heaven and earth am I with you
one dream in my heart
one love to be living for
one love to be living for
this nearly was mine
one girl for my dreams
one partner in Paradise
this promise of Paradise
this nearly was mine
close to my heart she came
only to fly away
only to fly as day
flies from moonlight!
now : now I’m alone
still dreaming of Paradise
still saying that Paradise
once nearly was mine
some enchanted evening you may see a stranger
you may see a stranger across a crowded room
and somehow you know : you know even then
that somewhere you'll see her again and again
some enchanted evening : someone may be laughing
you may hear her laughing across a crowded room
and night after night as strange as it seems
the sound of her laughter will sing in your dreams
who can explain it : who can tell you why
fools give you reasons : wise men never try
some enchanted evening when you find your true love
when you feel her call you across a crowded room
then fly to her side and make her your own
or all through your life you may dream all alone
Once you have found her : never let her go
once you have found her : never let her go!
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
G we got sunlight on the sand we got moonlight on the sea Am D7 we got mangoes and bananas you can pick right off the tree G E7 we got volleyball and ping-pong and a lot of dandy games C D7 F# G *) what ain't we got we ain't got dames G we get packages from home we get movies we get shows Am D7 we get speeches from our skipper and advice from Tokyo Rose G E7 we get letters doused with perfume we get dizzy from the smell C D7 F# G what don't we get you know darn well B7 C we have nothin' to put on a clean white suit for A7 Em7 ...D what we need is what there ain't no substitute for D7 G there is nothin' like a dame D D7sus4 G nothin' in the world Am E7 there is nothin' you can name C D6 D7 G that is anythin' like a dame [suggestion: play the two first lines of the "Bali H'ai" chorus as a smooth transition] G D C D I touch your hand and my arms grow strong G D C F like a pair of birds that burst with song Am E7 Am my eyes look down at your lovely face Cm7 G D7 and I hold the world in my embrace G C D7 G younger than springtime are you Am Bm7 Em7 D7 softer than starlight are you G Cmaj7 Em Bm A7sus4 A A7 D7 warmer than winds of June are the gentle lips you gave me G C D7 G gayer than laughter are you Am Bm7 Em7 D7 sweeter than music are you G Cmaj7 Em Bm A7sus4 A D angel and lover heaven and earth are you to me D Em A Em7 D and when your youth and joy invade my arms Em A Cadd9 ...D7 and fill my heart as now they do G C D7 G then younger than springtime am I Am Bm7 Em7 D7 gayer than laughter am I G Cmaj7 Em Bm Am7 D7sus4 G angel and lover heaven and earth am I with you [suggestion: play the two last lines of the "Bali H'ai" chorus, fading into floating waltz] G D7 G one dream in my heart Bm C one love to be living for Bm E7 Am one love to be living for Cmaj7 D7 G this nearly was mine G D7 G one girl for my dreams Bm C one partner in paradise Bm E7 Cmaj7 ...C this promise of paradise G D7 G this nearly was mine C Em E close to my heart she came Cmaj7 Cadd9 E7 only to fly away C Em A7 only to fly as day D7 flies from moonlight G D7 G now now I’m alone Bm C still dreaming of paradise Bm E7 Cmaj7 ...C still saying that paradise G D7 G once nearly was mine [suggestion: move from 3/4 to 4/4 and play the interlude instrumentally] G [Em7] D7 some enchanted evening you may see a stranger D G Gaug Cmaj7 Am you may see a stranger across a crowded room D6 Am Am7 D7 Bm Em ...D...C and somehow you know you know even then D7 Bm D D6 G that somewhere you'll see her again and again G [Gdim7] G [Em7] D7 some enchanted evening someone may be laughing D G Gaug Cmaj7 Am you may hear her laughing across a crowded room D6 Am Am7 D7 Bm Em ...D...C and night after night as strange as it seems D7 Bm D D6 G the sound of her laughter will sing in your dreams C G Am Em who can explain it who can tell you why C Bm Am Am7 D ...D7 fools give you reasons wise men never try G [Gdim7] G [Em7] D7 some enchanted evening when you find your true love D G Gaug Cmaj7 Am when you feel her call you across a crowded room D6 Am Am7 D7 Bm Em ...D...C then fly to her side and make her your own D7 Bm D D6 G or all through your life you may dream all alone C G Am G Once you have found her never let her go C Bm Am D7sus4 G once you have found her never let her go
