... you'll be with me, like a handprint on my heart...

Dangerously Amused

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Tue Jul-31-07 03:03 PM
Original message

... you'll be with me, like a handprint on my heart...

Edited on Tue Jul-31-07 03:48 PM by Dangerously Amused

A couple of people have asked about the quote in my sig line, "... you'll be with me, like a handprint on my heart..." It is a line from a song that I love, "For Good," in the Tony award-winning musical "Wicked," which made its Broadway debut in 2003. (Complete lyrics at end of post.)

"Wicked" is written as a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz," and is more or less the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, who as it turns out is actually not wicked at all. The story line is fabulous in and of itself, but what makes it truly near and dear to my heart is a thread of subtle but deliciously vicious satire of the Bush administration, to wit:

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS ALERT*

Without giving away too much of the plot, it starts out with Elphaba as a young woman going to Oz U. to refine her magical abilities. While in school she learns that someone is surreptitiously robbing the sentient, educated, articulate and peaceful animals of Oz (her university professor, a religious leader, etc.) of their ability to speak. Elphaba then watches in horror as her professor, a wise old goat, is hauled away by Oz government officials. The replacement professor, an official from Oz, introduces the students to the new concept of putting animals in cages and using them for experiments and service rather than recognizing them as sentient beings.

Shortly thereafter Elphaba's magical ability is noted by the Wizard, and she is summoned to Oz to meet him. The Wizard offers Elphaba a high-ranking place in his cabinet if she will employ her magic at his direction. But first he tests her ability by asking her to give his monkey-servant the ability to fly. Elphaba does so, but discovers that she is more powerful than she realized when the Wizard reveals to her that she has given many monkeys, whom he kept hidden away in cages, the ability to fly. The Wizard's assistant tells Elphaba that this has long been the Wizard's goal, to find a way to make the monkeys fly so as to press them into service doing surveillance on other animals and political detractors.

Elphaba realizes that her government is corrupt and that the Wizard has no powers of his own, and that he wants to use Elphaba's powers to further his own fascist agenda. Elphaba refuses to enable the Wizard, and finds that she is in trouble for defying the Wizard's plans for her. Elphaba enchants a broom and flies away with the book of spells that she knows the Wizard will otherwise try to use to oppress and control the animals and citizens of Oz. She is therefore declared a "Wicked Witch" and a dangerous government enemy. The Wizard and his minions smear her name and whip up "patriotic support" of his wish to see her killed. The rest of the show details Elphaba's attempts to free the animals imprisoned by the Wizard, and to expose his corruption.

More references to the Bush admin are made in the fact that the Wizard and those in his regime constantly make up words (what we know as "Bushisms"), the Wizard's henchmen employ torture to seek information as to Elphaba's (al Qaida's?) whereabouts, the spin the government uses to sell their fascist agenda, and the fact that the Wizard (Bush) sees himself as a "good guy" despite his obviously evil actions; here is an excerpt from a song the Wizard sings:

WIZARD
(spoken)
Elphaba, where I'm from, we believe all sorts of things that aren't true. We call it - "history."

(sung)
A man's called a traitor - or liberator
A rich man's a thief - or philanthropist
Is one a crusader - or ruthless invader?
It's all in which label
Is able to persist
There are precious few at ease
With moral ambiguities
So we act as though they don't exist ...

Of course all of the Bush analogies will be lost on the Bush supporters in attendance because, as we know... they "don't do nuance." Ha ha. Anyway, the show is in turns hilarious and profound, consistently brilliant, and the staging is fantastic, IMHO. Okay, here are the "For Good" lyrics. Oh, and I'm dedicating this post to someone special who will know it when he sees it. :7

For Good

I've heard it said
That people come into our lives
for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led to those
Who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes the sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
Because I knew you
I have been changed for good

And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness
For the things I've done you blame me for
But then, I guess we know
There's blame to share
And none of it seems to matter anymore

Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes the sun/Like a ship blown from its mooring by a wind off the sea
Like a stream the meets a boulder halfway through the wood/Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
I do believe I have been changed for the better
And because I knew you
Because I knew you
Because I knew you
I have been changed for good

Here is a link to the official website for more info:

http://www.wickedthemusical.com/index.htm

Edit: Clarity. And grammar. And spelling.