NATALIE REBECCA LOVEJOY
"Let Them Look At You" (Josephine Baker's Song)
I WON'T DO IT!
I WON'T!
ARE THEY CRAZY?
THIS IS A FIG LEAF WITH FEATHERS AND NOTHING ELSE!
LIKE THE DAY I WAS BORN.
EXCEPT NOW IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE,
EVERYONE LOOKING – LOOKING AT ME!
AND LAUGHING!
OH, NO!
JUST TELL THEM THE SHOW GOES ON –
BUT WITH ALL OF YOUR CLOTHES ON.
IF THEY MAKE ME, I'LL JUMP OUT THE WINDOW!
OR...
I'LL JUST GO!
A CHANCE OF A LIFETIME, THEY SAY.
HA! MAYBE FOR THEM.
IT'S NOT MY JOB TO FORFEIT MY DIGNITY
TO SAVE THEIR DYING SHOW.
I'VE ALWAYS LANDED ON MY FEET.
I'VE STARTED OVER MORE TIMES THAN I CAN SAY.
I'LL GO BACK HOME
AND BE EMPLOYED WITHIN A DAY,
BE IT A WAITRESS, OR A MAID
OR WHATEVER I CAN FIND,
OR I'LL GO BACK TO THE CHORUS.
I DON'T CARE; I DON'T MIND,
AS LONG AS I GET TO DRESS THE WAY I PREFER.
AND THINGS CAN GO BACK TO THE WAY THEY WERE.
(She thinks.)
BACK TO CLEANING SOMEONE ELSE'S MESS,
GET BEATEN IN THE NUDE SO'S NOT TO HURT THE DRESS,
EAT WITH THE DOG,
GET ITS FLEAS, TOO...
LET THEM LOOK AT YOU.
ALWAYS RUNNING, ALWAYS LESS,
ALWAYS SNEAKING IN THE BACK DOOR,
KEEPING OUT OF VIEW.
LET THEM LOOK AT YOU.
WHAT WOULD MAMA SAY?
MAMA AIN'T HERE.
NOT HER NOR THEM NOR ANYONE
CAN WHISPER IN YOUR EAR.
THEY SAY IT'S SAFER BEHIND A CLOSED DOOR,
BUT THAT DIDN'T KEPT ME SAFE BEFORE.
STAY BEHIND OR FIND A WAY TO WALK THROUGH,
AND LET THEM LOOK AT YOU.
WHEN YOU'VE GOT NOTHING BUT AMBITION
THERE'S A PRICE OF ADMISSION
TO DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO:
YOU HAVE TO LET THEM LOOK AT YOU.
THIS COULD BE YOUR ONLY SHOT.
GOD MADE THE BODY – DID HE NOT?
DID A GOOD JOB, TOO!
LET THEM LOOK AT YOU.
“WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS,” THEY'LL SAY,
MAKING US LOOK AT HER?”
BUT AT LEAST THEY CAN NEVER SAY
THAT YOU NEVER WERE.
JUST DO THE MOVES LIKE YOU REHEARSED.
THEY'LL LOVE YOU LATER, BUT THIS IS FIRST.
THEY'RE JUST EYEBALLS – WHAT'S THE WORST
THAT EYEBALLS CAN DO?
LET THEM LOOK AT YOU.
IT'S JUST A LITTLE OF THIS AND OF THAT,
SLINKING AROUND LIKE AN ALLEY CAT.
PRETEND YOU'RE BACK ON PINE STREET
WHERE CROWDS WOULD MEET JUST TO SEE YOUR FEET
PIT-A-PAT.
YOU'RE IN A CITY WHERE
VENUS DE MILO SITS ON A MARBLE SQUARE
BARING HER WHOLE PHYSIQUE,
WHILE PEOPLE STARE, DECLARING:
“TRES MAGNIFIQUE!”
I PLAYED THE GAME THEY MADE,
SAID MY LINES AND NARROWLY STRAYED.
WHO DECIDED I SHOULD SPEND MY DAYS
ENDLESSLY AFRAID?
SCARED OF THE OCEAN, SCARED OF THE SKY,
SCARED TO MAKE WAVES, SCARED TO FLY,
AND ALL THE WHILE LIFE PASSES BY.
BUT NO MORE, NO MA'AM, NOT THIS TIME.
PACK YOUR BAGS – YOU'VE OVERSTAYED.
MOST PEOPLE'S DAYS ARE HUMDRUM.
NOT EVERYONE HAS GOT SOME
FIRE, BUT I DO.
A LOOK-LOOK-LOOK AT YOU!
THE KEENEST THING THEY'VE EVER SEEN
ARE CHORUS GIRLS WHO KICK CLEAN
LIKE THEY LEARNED IT FROM A BOOK.
OH, LET THEM LOOK.
WHEN THE MUSIC STARTS
MY LIMBS GO INTO FLIGHT,
EXPOSING EVERYONE WHO SEES
TO ABSOLUTE DELIGHT!
SO LET THEM LOOK AND LOOK ALL DAY,
UNTIL THEY JUST CAN’T LOOK AWAY.
THEY WOKE UP WONDERING WHEN
THEIR NEXT SMILE WOULD SHOW,
SO LET THEM KNOW –
AND HERE WE GO!
(The lights shift, and it is now opening night. Josephine, in all her glory, performs her solo dance topless. Her dancing is highly dynamic and athletic, fluid and graceful, silly and joyous, incorporating elements of jazz and African styles. The crowd erupts in applause, giving her a standing ovation. Josephine beams and bows over and over.)
IMPROVISING, SPELLBOUND,
LIKE A PHOENIX RISING FROM THE GROUND
INTO SOMETHING NEW –
AND THEY ALL GOT A VIEW!
LIGHTS SO BRIGHT I COULDN'T SEE
POSSESSED BY SOMETHING WILD AND FREE,
AND SUDDENLY REVEARED.
YOU HEAR HOW THEY CHEERED?
WAS THE GROUND EVEN THERE?
I REALLY WOULDN'T KNOW.
I LEAPT AND FOUND MYSELF WHERE
ONLY ANGELS GET TO GO.
IN HEAVEN, STILL I WENT TO TOWN,
STIRRED SOME CLOUDS AND CAME BACK DOWN
JUST TO TAKE MY BOW.
LET THEM LOOK AT YOU,
LOOK AT YOU –
JUST LOOK AT YOU NOW!
