Peter Hammill - Act Two lyrics

OF THE Undercroft. Abutments. Stones. Wood. Breathe...

HOUSE Buttresses. Bressumers. Spandrels. We Breathe...

Columns and Pillars. Shafts. Arches. Capitals. Breathe....

We breathe. We are waiting.

We rise. We are waiting.

We are Usher. House of Usher.

Pilasters. Quoins. Piers.

Spandrels and columns that shaft through the years.

House of Usher.

Wainscots. Stairs. Balusters. Cusps and Cornices.

Spandrels and Columns the capital years.

House of Usher.

We breathe. We are waiting

We rise. We are waiting.

We are Usher. House of Usher.

Beams. Corbels. Joists. Kingposts.

Copings and Chimney-shafts.

Ridge-ribs. Struts. Stanchions. Parapets.

Pediments. Mansards and Gargoyles.

The eaves. The dripping eaves...

Cupola. Finials. Gables. Tiles. Lead...

We breathe. We are waiting.

We rise. We are waiting.

We are Usher. House of Usher.

We are Keystone. We are Usher.

RODERICK USHER

("The Sleeper") The lady sleeps. oh, may her sleep

which is enduring so be deep!

Heaven hold her in its sacred keep!

This chamber changed for one more holy,

this bed for one of melancholy.

I pray to God that she may lie

forever with unopened eye

while the dim, sheeted ghosts go by.

My love, she sleeps. Oh, may her sleep

as it is lasting so be deep!

Soft may the worms around her creep!

Far in the forest, dim and old,

now may some tall vault enfold her;

some vault that oft hath flung its black

and winged panels fluttering back

triumphant o'er the crested palls

of her grand family funerals....

USHER MONTRESOR

I didn't mean to interrupt...

Montresor, you came!

Did you think I'd ignore your letter?

Montresor, you're here!

Come let me help you with your coat.

Sit down and rest yourself.

Oh, it's so good to see you here!

Now tell me all your news...

I see you've changed a bit, my friend...

Now won't you have a drink...

Yes, yes

but one thing at a time!

First you must tell me what...

But I expect I too have changed.

How many years could it be now

since last we said farewell?

It must be ten years

since our last meeting,

Yes, it must be ten years

since our last meeting since our last meeting.

Tell me what is wrong?

Your letter spoke

of a malady;

some desperate trial

you could not face alone...

Oh, no, you tell me all your doings!

Tell me.

Tell me

how you pass your days how you pass your days

Tell me

from the beginning. from the beginning

Tell me

everything everything

that's happened

since we went our since we went our

separate ways. separate ways.

Look at me...

I have not left these walls

these three years,

I do not dare to do so!

I am imprisoned and fear is my gaoler.

Each word I speak

seems too dangerous.

My slightest act could bring about

the very thing I fear

But fear of what?

Hush, and I shall tell you...

tell you...

USHER I shun the light,

creep in the gloom like a toad, a white worm,

tortured by the faintest gleam of sun.

I hear...

oh God, if you could only know the things I hear!

I hear the lake sucking at the walls,

I hear bats breathing

I hear the sky moan to join with the slime!

And this,

all this like thunder to me,

like thunder!

My senses scream at me:

Sight... Touch... Sight... Touch...

Sound and Taste... Sound and Scent,

All torment and claw at my sanity.

There is no hiding place for me,

for even in the quietest of my rooms,

I hear the walls in conversation;

I hear the palpitations of my heart;

I feel all that lives and does not move

and know it knows my feeling.

My only peace lies in my music

and then only because it drowns out

all other sounds and souls...

You may think that I am mad, but it is not so.

My senses reel beneath the blow of feathers falling

and more...

But no, I see you do not understand.

MONTRESOR Oh, my poor dear friend,

you must see you are not well.

I've read of this before,

I think it's called Hyperaesthesis.

I'm no doctor, but it's clear

your nerves have gone to pieces.

You need to get away,

you need a holiday,

you need a change of air!

You need an ocean cruise,

you need to be amused!

I tell you plain, this House

to me seems most unhealthy.

You're unattached, you're free to go, you're wealthy.

USHER MONTRESOR THE CHORUS

Leave this House.

Leave this House.

Leave this House

and come away.

Leave this House

I cannot!

Leave this House!

I cannot!

Leave this House!

Here I must stay.

Here I must stay.

You are wasting

your time.

He will never

leave...

I can never

leave here

therefore do

not ask me

say no more I've heard of this before

and let me be I think it's called Hyperaesthesis

I can never I'm no doctor but it's clear

leave here your nerves have gone to pieces.

therefore do your nerves have gone to pieces.

not ask me.

Say no more

and let me be

I cannot leave

He cannot leave

The House is I

The House is he

We are as one

They are as one

And I would die

and so must die

Now you must leave

I He cannot leave

cannot Now you must fly

leave The House is he

Now you must run

The They are as one

House is No-one will die

I And so must die

I cannot leave

Now you must leave

He cannot leave

The House is I

Now you must fly

The House is he

We are as one

Now you must run

and so must die

and so must die

No-one will die

USHER MONTRESOR THE HOUSE

We shall

not let

him go!

We shall not

Leave let him go!

Do not torture me! this We shall not

Do not try to persuade! House let him go!

We shall not

Leave let him go!

It only brings me grief this We shall not

House let him go!

Leave this House We shall not

I cannot leave let him go!

We shall not

let him go!

shall not let him go!

USHER MONTRESOR THE CHORUS THE HOUSE

Leave this House

I cannot

Leave this House

I cannot

Leave this House Leave this House

and come with me We shall not

let him go.

Leave this House

I cannot Never, never

Leave this House never!

I cannot

Leave this House

and come with me Never! Never, never,

never!

Never! Never, never,

never!

I can never We are bound

leave here together

therefore do for the last time so never

not ask me I entreat you He shall he shall

say no more never leave never leave

and let me be. We are bound

together

for the last time so never

I entreat you He shall he shall

Leave! never leave never leave.

Do not

talk to me Never

do not try never

to persuade Leave! never

He shall never

never leave

Leave this house

Oh Montresor never never

I beg of you never never

I can never never

never leave never never

I can never never never

leave this house Leave this house never never

I can never You are wasting never never

leave this house Leave this house you time never never

I can never he will never never never

leave this house Leave! leave never never

never!

The House

is I.

End of Act Two