Masquerade / Why So Silent...? Songtext / Lyric

Firmin: (Spoken)

Monsieur Andre!



Andre: (Spoken)

Monsieur Firmin!



Firmin:

Dear Andre, what a splendid party



Andre:

The prelude to a bright new year



Firmin:

Quite a night, I'm impressed



Andre:

Well, one does one's best



Andre and Firmin:

Here's to us



Andre:

A toast for the city!



Firmin:

What a pity that the Phantom can't be here!






Chorus

Masquerade!

Paper faces on parade

Masquerade!

Hide your face so the world will never find you

Masquerade!

Every face a different shade/

Masquerade!

Look around, there's another mask behind you.



Flash of mauve

Splash of puce

Fool and king

Ghoul and goose

Green and black

Queen and priest

Trace of rouge

Face of beast

Faces!

Take your turn, take a ride

On the merry-go-round/in an inhuman race

Eye of gold

True is false

Who is who?

Curl of lip

Swirl of gown

Ace of hearts

Face of clown

Faces!

Drink it in, drink it up

Till you've drowned

In the light

In the sound

But who can name the face?



Masquerade!

Grinning yellows, spinning reds

Masquerade!

Take your fill, let the spectacle astound you

Masquerade!

Burning glances, turning heads

Masquerade!

Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you

Masquerade!

Seething shadows breathing lies

Masquerade!

You can fool any friend who ever knew you

Masquerade!

Leering satyrs, peering eyes

Masquerade!

Run and hide, but a face will still pursue you.



Carlotta

What a night!



Firmin

What a crowd!



Andre:

Makes you glad



Firmin

Makes you proud! All the crème, De la crème



Giry (Overlapping)

Watching us



Meg (Overlapping)

Watching them



Carlotta (Overlapping)

All our fears are in the past



Andre:

Three months



Piangi:

Of relief!



Carlotta:

Of delight!



Andre

Of Elysian peace!



PIANGI

And we can breathe at last.



Carlotta:

No more notes



Piangi:

No more ghost



Madame Giry:

Here's a health



Andre

Here's a toast, to a prosperous year



Firmin:

To our friends who are here



Piangi and Carlotta:

And may the splendor never fade!



Firmin/Andre:

What a blessed release!



Madame Giry:

And what a masquerade!



Christine:

Think of it

A secret engagement. Look, your future bride. Just think of it.



Raoul:

But, why is it secret? What have we to hide? You promised me.



Christine:

No, Raoul, please don't, they'll see.



Raoul:

Well then let them see. It's an engagement, not a crime.



Christine, what are you afraid of?



Christine(and Raoul in parenthesis):

Let's not argue(Let's not argue)

Please pretend (I can only hope)

You will understand in time (I'll understand in time)



Chorus

Masquerade!

Paper faces on parade

Masquerade!

Hide your face so the world will never find you

Masquerade!

Every face a different shade

Masquerade!

Look around, there's another mask behind you

Masquerade!

Burning glances, turning heads

Masquerade!

Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you

Masquerade!

Grinning yellows, Spinning reds

Masquerade!

Take your fill, let the spectacle astound you.



(Voices fade and turn to gasps as th lights dim and the Phantom appears at the top of th stairways)



Phantom:

Why so silent, good Messieurs?/Did you think that I had left you for good?/Have you missed me, good Messieurs?/I have written you an opera./Here, I bring the finished score./Don Juan Triumphant!/Fondest greetings to you all/A few instructions just before rehearsal starts/Carlotta must be taught to act/Not her normal trick of strutting round the stage/Our Don Juan must lose some weight/It's not healthy in a man of Piangi's age/And my managers must learn that their place is in an office/Not the arts/As for our star, Miss Christine Daae...



No doubt she'll do her best/It's true, her voice is good/She knows, though/Should she wish to excell/She has much still to learn/If pride will let her return to me, her teacher/Her teacher...



Phantom:

Your chains are still mine,

(spoken)

You belong to me!