Ragtime lyrics

[helvizz]

Posted: 12/4/17 at 1:02am

I was reading up on Ragtime and, reading the topic about the 2013 concert, I saw that someone mentioned some odd -to me, at least- lyrics to He Wanted to Say, which are definitely not in the OBCR copy I have of that show. So I googled them and found a website with the lyrics to that song, the same lyrics the poster mentioned, which are these:

"IN MY SOUL I AM YOUR BROTHER. 
WE ARE BOUND TO ONE ANOTHER 
ANGERED BY THE DARKNESS OF LIFE 
AND THE LIES WE PERCEIVE. "

Full lyrics: https://www.allmusicals.com/lyrics/ragtime/hewantedtosay.htm

At least my copy of the OBCR does not have such lyrics; in fact, they're quite different versions. In fact, for comparison, Emma's initial lines in the version I have are "He wanted to say 'I am here because I have to be'...". I've looked up some performances of the song on YouTube and they usually feature the version on my cast recording.

Does anybody know why that is? Are there other lyric changes in the remaining songs? And, if so, is there a way to acquire a recording with such versions? I'm very fond of Ragtime, so I'd love to know more about this.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 12/4/17 at 4:27am

This may be a stupid question, but there is a "concept album" based,
I think, on the first Toronto production, that has some of the original
Broadway cast but LaChanze instead of Audra MacDonald, etc.

Would a comparison between that and the OBCR give you the changes
you are looking for?

[Harpz2006]

Posted: 12/4/17 at 8:48am

GavestonPS you are right- it's the Toronto album that has that verse the OP posted.

[aimeric]

Posted: 12/4/17 at 9:35am

Does anybody else prefer the "studio" recording of "Make Them Hear You"...?  I find the OBCR version hard to listen to, what with the shortening of the song, the sped-up tempo of that last note (boo!), and the dropping of lyrics that I thought gave some interesting depth to Coalhouse, i.e., "My path may lead to heaven or hell, and God will say what's best / But one thing He will never say is that I went quietly to my rest!"  Also, I don't really like the slightly more "speak-singing" interpretation Stokes uses for the song on the OBCR, I dunno. 

Updated On: 12/4/17 at 09:35 AM

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 12/4/17 at 12:22pm

GavestonPS said: "This may be a stupid question, but there is a "concept album" based,
I think,on the first Toronto production, that has some of the original
Broadway cast but LaChanze instead of Audra MacDonald, etc.

Would a comparison between that and the OBCR give you the changes
you are looking for?"

Audra is on the Songs from Ragtime concept recording (if I recall correctly they talk about writing "Your Daddy's Son" specifically for her in the liner notes). I think Judy Kaye is the only principal cast member from the Broadway production who doesn't appear on that recording (Camille Saviola is Emma Goldman on that recording).

[helvizz]

Posted: 12/4/17 at 5:27pm

GavestonPS said: "This may be a stupid question, but there is a "concept album" based,
I think,on the first Toronto production, that has some of the original
Broadway cast but LaChanze instead of Audra MacDonald, etc.

Would a comparison between that and the OBCR give you the changes
you are looking for?"

Thank you (and Harpz2006), that would be precisely it :)

[Dover]

Posted: 12/4/17 at 6:04pm

I did Ragtime earlier this year and the licensed script/score came with several options for "He Wanted to Say." One, (which I believe was the one actually printed in the book), didn't have the song at all, and had a longer version of the scene to take its place. Then there was the original version, and there was a shortened version (which was attributed to a concert -- probably the one you mention), which had a cut in the middle -- I think it was the "two men meeting" section. There was an informational page with the materials laying out what the options were and saying that there was one version the creators particularly do not want you to do. I think it was the version with the whole song cut. Anyway, we did the original version. I'm not aware of anything else in the show that had optional lyrics.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 12/4/17 at 9:31pm

AEA AGMA SM said: "Audra is on theSongs from Ragtimeconcept recording (if I recall correctly they talk about writing "Your Daddy's Son" specifically for her in the liner notes). I think Judy Kaye is the only principal cast member from the Broadway production who doesn't appear on that recording (Camille Saviola is Emma Goldman on that recording)."

You are exactly right. It only took me two days to realize I have both
recordings in my iTune "library". To help me confuse the casts, I saw
the LA version (with LaChanze and Judy Kaye) several times, but not
the Broadway production.

Thanks for the correction.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 12/4/17 at 10:33pm

Dover said: "I did Ragtime earlier this year and the licensed script/score came with several options for "He Wanted to Say." One, (which I believe was the one actually printed in the book), didn't have the song at all, and had a longer version of the scene to take its place. Then there was the original version, and there was a shortened version (which was attributed to a concert -- probably the one you mention), which had a cut in the middle -- I think it was the "two men meeting" section. There was an informational page with the materials laying out what the options were and saying that there was one version the creators particularly do not want you to do. I think it was the version with the whole song cut. Anyway, we did the original version. I'm not aware of anything else in the show that had optional lyrics."

The ill-fated Broadway revival used the shortened version you described (along with a truncated Crime of the Century as well) as well.