A Rumor in St Petersburg lyrics
A Rumor in St Petersburg
Ensemble:
The Neva flows, a new wind blows and soon it will be spring.
GLEB (spoken)
We hear you comrades. The revolution hears you.
Together we will forge a new Russia, that will be the envy of all the world.
The Tsar’s St Petersburg is now the people’s Leningrad.
DMITRY (spoken)
They can call it Leningrad, but it’ll always be Petersburg. New name same empty stomachs.
(Sung)
They tell us times are better
Well I say they're not
Can’t cook an empty promise
In an empty pot
A brighter day is dawning
It’s almost at hand
The skies are grey, the walls have ears and he who argues disappears.
DMITRY & ENSEMBLE
Hail our great new land
Ensemble
St. Petersburg is gloomy, a city on the rise.
WOMAN 1
It’s really very friendly
WOMAN 2
If you don’t mind spies.
MAN 2
We stand behind our leaders
Man 3:
And stand in line for bread
ENSEMBLE
We’re good and loyal comrades
And our favorite color’s red
DMITRY
Now everyone is equal
Professors push the brooms
DMITRY & ENSEMBLE
Two dozen total strangers
Live in two small rooms
You hold a revolution
And here’s the price you pay
ENSEMBLE
Thank goodness for the gossip
Thank goodness for the gossip
That gets us through the day
Hey!
Have you heard
There’s a rumor in St Petersburg
Have you heard
What they’re saying on the street?
MAN 4
Although the Tsar did not survive
One daughter may be still alive
ENSEMBLE
The Princess Anastasia
MAN 4
But please do not repeat
ENSEMBLE
It’s a rumor
A legend
A mystery
Something whispered in an alleyway
Or through a crack
It’s a rumor
That’s part of our history
WOMAN 3
They say her royal grandmamma
Will pay a royal sum
ENSEMBLE
To someone who can bring the princess back
VLAD (spoken)
Dmitry! They’ve closed another border!
We should have gotten out of Russia while we still could.
(Sung)
St Petersburg was lovely when royalty was in.
I called myself a count as though I’d always been.
I hobnobbed with the royals, but then a change of luck.
The tsar was dead.
The royals fled and comrade now we’re stuck!
DMITRY (spoken)
Vlad! I’ve been thinking about the princess Anastasia.
VLAD (spoken)
Oh not you too, Dmitry!
It’s the rumor
The legend
The mystery
It’s the Princess Anastasia
Who will help us fly
You and I friend
Will go down
In history
We’ll find a girl to play the part
And teach her what to say
Dress her up and take her to Paris
VLAD
Imagine the reward
Her dear old grandmamma would pay
DMITRY & VLAD
Who else could pull it off
But you and me
ANYA (spoken)
No!
GLEB (spoken)
It was a truck backfiring comrade, That’s all it was. Those days are over.
Neighbor against neighbor. There’s nothing to be afraid of anymore. You’re shaking.
There’s a tea shop just steps from here, let me…
ANYA (spoken)
Thank you.
GLEB (spoken)
What’s your hurry.
ANYA (spoken)
I can’t lose this job. They’re not easy to come by. But Thank you.
GLEB
I’m here everyday
MAN 5
A ruble for this painting
It’s Romanov I swear
MAN 6
Count Yusopov’s pajamas
Comrade buy the pair
MAN 3
I found this in the palace
Initialed with an “A”
It could be Anastasia’s
Now what will someone pay
DMITRY (spoken)
We need something of hers to show the old lady.
How much is that music box?
MAN 3 (spoken)
Ah. The music box. It’s genuine Romanov. I could never part with it.
DMITRY (spoken)
Two cans of beans, comrade?
MAN 3 (spoken)
Done.
DMITRY (spoken)
Do you believe in fairy tales, Vlad?
VLAD (spoken)
Once upon a time I did.
DMITRY (spoken)
We’re going to create a fairy tale the whole world will believe.
(Sung)
Now it’s risky but not more then usual.
We’ll need papers, we’ll need tickets, we’ll need nerves of steel.
VLAD
Yes it’s risky, a lot more then usual.
DMITRY
We’ll try to cross the border with our princess and our plot.
VLAD
Hopefully disaster won’t ensue.
Dmitry
With luck it’ll all go smoothly
VLAD
And with luck we won't be shot
DMITRY & VLAD
Who else could pull it off
But me and you
DMITRY
We’ll be rich
VLAD
We’ll be rich
DMITRY
We’ll be out
VLAD
We’ll be out
DMITRY & VLAD
And St Petersburg will have some more
To talk about
ENSEMBLE
I heard it from a person
I heard it from a person
Who was assured me that it was absolutely true
Shh!
Have you heard
There’s a rumor in St. Petersburg
Have you heard
Comrade what do you suppose?
VLAD
A fascinating mystery
DMITRY
The biggest con in history
ALL
The Princess Anastasia
Alive or dead
Who knows
Shh!
Last Update: June, 26th 2017