Once: Musical script
Once script
Libretto:
PRODUCTION HISTORY Once was originally developed at the American Repertory The- ater
(Diane Paulus, Artistic Director; Diane Borger, Producer) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in
April 2011. Once received its world premiere at New York Theatre Workshop (James C. Nic-
ola, Artistic Director; William Russo, Managing Director) on November 15, 2011. It was
directed by John Tiffany; set and costume design were by Bob Crowley, lighting design was
by Natasha Katz, the sound design was by Clive Goodwin; the music supervisor and
orchestrator was Martin Lowe; movement was by Steven Hoggett; the production stage manager
was Bess Marie Glorioso. The cast was: GUY Steve Kazee GIRL Cristin Milioti BILLY Paul
Whitty DA David Patrick Kelly EX-GIRLFRIEND SVEC ANDREJ REZA BARUSKA IVANKA BANK MAN
EMCEE EAMON Erikka Walsh Lucas Papaelias Will Connolly Elizabeth A. Davis Anne L. Nathan
Claire Candela Andy Taylor J. Michael Zygo David Abeles
Once subsequently opened on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on March 18, 2012.
It was produced by Robert Cole; Barbara Broccoli; John N. Hart, Jr.; Patrick Milling
Smith; Fred- erick Zollo; Brian Carmody; Michael G. Wilson; Orin Wolf and The Shubert
Organization, in association with New York The- atre Workshop. The cast and all personnel
remained the same with the following exceptions: Ivanka was played alternately by Ripley
Sobo and McKayla Twiggs. GUY GIRL BILLY DA EX-GIRLFRIEND SVEC ANDREJ REZA BARUSKA I
BANK MANAGER EMCEE EAMON CHARACTERS
THE SECOND HALF When Your Mindâ??s Made Up Guy, Girl, Ensemble Sleeping Guy The Hill Girl
Gold (Reprise, a cappella) Billy, Ensemble The Moon (Reprise) Guy, Girl, Ensemble Falling
Slowly (Reprise) Guy, Girl, Ensemble LIST OF SONGS THE FIRST HALF Leave Guy Falling Slowly
Guy, Girl, Ensemble North Strand Ensemble The Moon Girl, Guy Ej Pada, Pada Rositka
Baruska, Ensemble If You Want Me Girl, Ensemble Broken-Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy Guy
Say It to Me Now Guy Abandoned in Bandon Bank Manager Gold Guy, Ensemble
The first balf. As the audience takes its seat and waits in the auditorium, there’s @
session on stage with musicians and singers belting out songs to one another. Itâ??s raw,
chaotic and hugely positive. Suddenly itâ??s dark and silent. A light fades up on the Guy
singing â ? ? Leave.â? LEAVE Guy: I canâ??t wait forever is all that you said Before you stood up
And you wonâ??t disappoint me I can do that myself But Iâ??m glad that youâ??ve come Now if you
donâ??t mind Leave, leave, And free yourself at the same time Leave, leave, I donâ??t
understand, youâ??ve already gone ONCE a
pal I hope you feel better Now that itâ??s out What took you so long And the truth has a
habit Of falling outta your mouth Well now that itâ??s come If you donâ??t mind Leave, leave,
And please yourself at the same time Leave, leave, Let go of my hand You said what you
came to now Leave, leave, Let go of my hand You said what you have to now Leave, leave,
Leave, leave, Let go of my hand You said what you have to nov Leave, leave... (Heâ??s
finished. Fe quietly takes the strap off the guitar and slowly lowers the guitar to the
ground. He turns to leave the stage. Then from the shadows:) GIRL: That song you playâ??is
it yours? (He stops and looks into the darkness but canâ??t see ber just yet.) I know you
can talk I just heard you singâ??unless you cannot talk and only sing. If you want you can
sing me your answer to my question... Guy (Heâ??s leaving): No thanks. Gir: I made you talk
just now. euy: I could talk already... GIRL: So you write this song? Guy: Yeah. err. Itâ??s
very good. cuy: Thanks. eri: Youâ??re welcome. Hello cur: Hey. (A slight pause.) err: Is it
always me who has to start the conversation? cuy: Well you seem more up for it than I do.
cirL: Itâ??s not even my language this English. Guy: You speak it well. Girt: I have an
accent. cuy: We all have accents. Giri: We are people of the world. cuy: Right. ciru: Do
you enjoy being Irish? uy: Seriously? err: Iâ??m always seriousâ??Iâ??m Czech. Are you enjoying
your life right now? cuy: Sorry, what?! ... irL: Why do you leave your guitar on the
ground? cuy: I donâ??t want it anymore. eIRt: Is it too heavy? cuy: No. err: You should pick
it upâ??guitars cost money. cuy: Look I better go... cirL: Where? Guy: To work. eIrL: What
is your work please? cuy: I fix Hoovers. errL: What is Hoovers?! cuy: You know . . .
vacuum cleaners. ert: You fix vacuum cleaners?! My God, really?!! This is incred- ible! I
have here a vacuum cleaner that needs fixing. (Somehow a vacuum cleaner has appeared right
beside her.) It was my destiny to meet you todayâ??to listen to your beau- tiful songâ??to
hear of your fabulous fixing. ONCE
rt cuy: Your destiny? GiRL: It must be, right?! Guy: So whatâ??s wrong with it? GIRL: It
doesnâ??t suck. Itâ??s a Hoover without a suck. What could it be? cur: The motor or fan
maybe... eirL: Thatâ??s interesting. Guy: Normal blockage in your pipes. GIRL: Oh
fascinating. cuy: Iâ??ll need my tools to have a look. Girt: Your tools! My God, this is
exciting! This day has such promise! Where is your shop? Guy: Well itâ??s my daâ??s shop. I
work with my da. err: You work with your da, abh thatâ??s lovely. Guy: Yeah itâ??s really
lovely. (She hands him the Hoover and picks up his guitar.) Girt: You fix my Hoover I
wonâ??t pay you with money, is this okay? Guy: No moneyâ??right. eGtRL: I can pay you with
music... if you like. cuy: What do you play? Girt: My father teach me piano. He played
violin with a big orchestra back home but then he gets arthritisâ??then he gets sad and then
he kills himself. Before he go he teach me to play the piano. Piano is easier on the
fingers than the violin. cuy: Well thatâ??s good. e1RL: I am still aliveâ??I have yet to kill
myself. cuy: So I see. GIRL: Five minutes ago you want to kill yourself but now I come to
play you music and you to save my Hoover. Life is good, hey, even in Dublin. cur: I wasnâ??t
thinking of killing myself. GIRL: Sureâ??only your guitar. But now I saved your guitar, too.
We are saviors you and me, hah? So you fix my Hoover and I pay you with music, yes? cuy:
Do I have a choice? ciRL: No. (She holds out her hand. They shake on it.) Guy: So youâ??ve
got a piano? ciru: Oh a piano in Ireland is too expensive! I have nothing! Guy: So where
do you play? (A piano is wheeled into the space by Billy.) err: A big man lets me play in
his small shop. This is the small shop and this is the big man. His name is Billy. BILLY:
You’re still talking to me, right? Not having you talk to me would kill me! Now about
yesterday . . . ert: We’re grand. BILLY: I just spoke out of turn. When youâ??re a man of
passionâ?? passion can get the better of youâ??words spill out, you hear me? GIRL: Yes. BILLY:
You’re a beautiful girlâ??a womanâ??Iâ??m a hot-blooded man. eit: You’re half Spanish. BILLy:
You remembered that! (Pause) I didnâ??t mean to come on to you so heavy, is what I mean.
Girt: You’re grand... BILLY: All I ever see is musosâ??grungy teenagersâ??rock star wan-
nabes, who canâ??t afford nothinâ??â??but you! Look Iâ??m sorry I said you had beautiful lips . .
. gir: This is a friend of mine. (Billy turns quickly and suddenly sees the Guy for the
first time. She goes to the pianoâ??Billy goes to the Guy.) BILLY: All right? Guy: Yeah.
Bitty: Dubliner? Guy: Yeah. BILLY: Whereabouts? Guy: Off the North Strand there. Bitty:
Northsider? ONCE
Guy: Yeah. BiLLy: Respect. Friend of hers then? Guy: Just met her two minutes ago. BILLY:
Fucking lucky man! Fucking lucky!! eirt (About the piano): So I can play this one, Billy?
BILLY: Of-course-love-yeah-absolutely-play-it! Iâ??m closing up for lunch so just pull the
door after ya, love. (A slight pause. Billy moves closer to the Guy.) I might have a
chicken salad for my lunch actually. eur: Oh right? BILLY: Cause despite the financial
woes of this shopâ??I still look after myself from a dietry perspective. Guy: Good man.
(Billy does an aggressive karate move at the Guy. He stops. Heâ??s pulled something.) BILLY:
Oh Jesus! ;Adios camaradas! (Billy turns away and leaves with a limp.) cur: Fucking hell!
GIRL: Heâ??s lovely, isnâ??t he? cur: I thought he was going to kill me then. Girt: Yeah heâ??s
lovely. Guy: He likes you he does. erri: Heâ??s harmlessâ??he just needs a sale. (She hugs the
piano.) This is a beautiful piano. When I win the Lotto I will buy this piano and sleep
with it every night. So first we say â ? ? helloâ? to it. (Pause) Hello! (She looks at him and
gestures him to speak.) cuy (16 the piano): Howâ??s it goinâ??? errt: This is serious. You
must always say hello to the piano. (He leans into the piano.) cuy: Hello. ert: Now how
will I pay you? Bach, Bartˆ'k, Brahms, Mozart? Something of my own? Guy: Whatever you like.
cir: Letâ??s see. (She settles herself and begins to play Mendelssobnâ??s â ? ? Song with- out
Words.â? She completes it and stops. A slight pause.) cuy: Did you write that? ctr: No,
Felix Mendelssohn did. cuy: Heâ??s good isnâ??t he? errL: Heâ??s a romantic. cuy: But dead
right? cirL: Heâ??s a completely dead romantic. Now play me another song! cuy: I donâ??t want
to sing anymore. err: Oh please! I pay you with money! (She slaps a coin on the piano.)
Guy: Ten cent?! ciRL: The size of the coin doesnâ??t matter. You play or not play. cuy: I
wouldnâ??t play if you handed me twenty Euro. err: I donâ??t have ten Euro. guy: Well good
â
?
?
cause I donâ??t want to play anyway. Letâ??s go! GIRL: â ? ? Letâ??s goâ?? We are in a music shop all
alone and you sing very good songsâ??why are you giving up on your music? cuy: Thereâ??s no
point to it anymore! Itâ??s got me nowhere! GIRL: Because you are not Bono? cuy: I donâ??t
want to be Bono! ert: It has made you no moneyâ??you want to be famous? cuy: You want to
play your songs to people who want to listen! ONCE
wo rt eiRL: I am people! I want to listen! Play me a song! cuy: Come on. (He goes to
leave. She grabs his bag. It falls onto the floor and sheet music spills out. Sheâ??s down
quick, picking it up.) eiRL: You write notes, too! You are like Mendelssohnâ??only aliveâ??and
Irish! Guy: Can I have them back?! ert: Music is dead to you! This is rubbish, right?!
cuy: Actually, yeah! Fuck itâ??keep it! Nice to have met ya! ciRL: The transaction is not
complete until you have made the Hoover suck! (He turns back and looks at her. He walks
over and picks up the Hoover. She starts to read and play the opening chords to â ? ? Falling
Slowly.â? He listens. She stops.) Breathe. Are you breathing? cuy: Yes J am. (A slight
pause.) eiRL: You will not die if you play this song with me. (Pause) Please. (Again she
plays the opening to â ? ? Falling Slowly,â? and this time he accompanies her on his guitar and
sings.) FALLING SLOWLY I donâ??t know you But I want you All the more for that (She begins
to sing with him.) GUY AND GIRL: Words fall through me And always fool me And I canâ??t
react And games that never amount To more than theyâ??re meant Will play themselves out Take
this sinking boat and point it home We’ve still got time Raise your hopeful voice you have
a choice Youâ??ve made it now Falling slowly, eyes that know me And I canâ??t go back Moods
that take me and erase me And Iâ??m painted black You have suffered enough And warred with
yourself Itâ??s time that you won (The ensemble joins in, the song builds.) Take this
sinking boat and point it home We’ve still got time Raise your hopeful voice you have the
choice Youâ??ve made it now Falling slowly sing your melody I’ll sing it loud. Take it all I
played the cards too late Now itâ??s gone. (They finish.) ONCE
et GIRL: So where is she? Guy: Whereâ??s who? err: The girl in this songâ??is she dead? cuy:
No sheâ??s not deadâ??Jesus! cir: So you still love her? Guy: No we’re finished. cirL: No one
who writes this song is finished. Guy: Well itâ??s an old song. Girt: Your heart is not
finishedâ??I can hear in your voice. You sing this song to her and you will get her back.
Guy: Maybe I donâ??t want her back. GIRL: Maybe you are frightened to sing with such a big
love? Guy: Maybe Iâ??m not bothered anymore. Girt: But maybe you should be bothered. cuy:
Right... (Slight pause) . .. well maybe we should go. (She smiles.) errL: To the North
Strand. Guy: The North Strand, yeah. crc: I will take the guitar. Come on! (They both
leave. â ? ? North Strandâ? is played with movement from the ensemble. The Guyâ??s elderly Da
appears in the space, the other perform- ers having dispersed as the music ends. The Guy
is seen working on the broken Hoover as a clock slowly ticks. The Girl and Da sit together
in silence. Finally:) Itâ??s a fine shop youâ??ve got. pa: Oh yeah? (A slight pause.) Girt: Do
you live above it? pa: We do yeah. Itâ??s a little small up there but itâ??s fine actually. (A
slight pause.) ert: And just the two of you? pa: Yeah. My wife died a year ago... Girt: Oh
Iâ??m sorry. pa: Nah donâ??t itâ??s... ! (Slight pause) I couldn’t live in the house after so.
Sold upâ??moved upstairs here. I think it sort of suits me now. eri: And you’re doinâ?? okay?
(A slight pause.) pa: Yeah. Thank you. (Da looks over at bis son working.) Dâ??you think
heâ??s all right? eit: I donâ??t know. (Slight pause) He is maybe a little stopped? pa: Right.
(A slight pause.) Heâ??s a nice fella, mind you. air: Yes he is. auy: Well here ya go! I
replaced the motor with something a little stronger. GIRL: Great! pa: Good lad. GIRL: So
what do I owe you? guy: Ya paid me with Mendelssohn, donâ??t worry about it. pa: With what?
Guy: Felix Mendelssohn, Da. pa: And whatâ??s that? IRL: Iâ??ll pay you with money! pa: Just
give us five Euro, love. cuy: Ah, Da... eri: No itâ??s grand. pa: Friends rate. For friends.
Guy (Io himself): Jesus. eit: Thank you, sir. ONCE
(She hands Da five Euro in loose change and takes the Hoover. An uncomfortable pause.)
Well very nice to meet you. pa: You’re off then? er (Looks to the Guy): Yeah I think our
business is done... pa: Maybe a bit of tea? A bite to eat? GirL: Nah J think I better...
cur: Do you want to see my room? (A pause.) GIRL: What? Guy: Just, you know, if you have a
little time. GIRL: Your bedroom? cuy: If you want? (Slight pause) A cup of tea. Have a
chat. (Da is suddenly gone. The Girl turns back to the Guy. She begins â ? ? The Moonâ?:) THE
MOON GIRL: If you donâ??t slow down, slow down If you donâ??t slow down, slow... Your room.
Guy: Yeah ... pretty sad, isnâ??t it? GIRL: Yes. (They sit as the song is being played.) Cut
the bonds with the moon And let the dogs gather. So you record all your music here? cuy:
Yeahâ??I got an old four-track and some other stuff, you know but... I reckon Iâ??m going to
sell â ? ? em now. (The song finishes.) Girt: Nice song. euy: Thanks. (Suddenly two voices can
be heard. Itâ??s the Guy and bis Ex- Girlfriend talking: her lines are spoken live; bis are
recorded.) EX-GIRLFRIEND: Itâ??s really nice. Guy: You like it? (He runs to turn the four-
track off.) Right thatâ??s it! err: Is that her?! Leave it! I wanna hear her! (She stops
him.) cuy: Look tell me straightâ??I wonâ??t mindâ??you think itâ??s all right? EX~GIRLFRIEND:
Itâ??s beautiful. cuy: Honestly? EX-GIRLFRIEND: Youâ??re beautiful. Guy: Yeah sure. EX-
GIRLFRIEND: Lie down, come on. Take your guitar off. (Sound of them laughing.) Guy: Fuck I
think we’re still recording this. EX-GIRLFRIEND: Leave it on! Letâ??s make our own single!
uy: Single my arse! Letâ??s make a whole fucking album! (The Ex-Girlfriend laughs. The
recording stops itself.) (Relieved) Oh thank Christ. (A slight pause.) GIRL: So when did
she go! ONCE
N Guy: Six months ago. err: And where? cuy: To New York. Nothinâ?? really for her hereâ??no
job, no prospects... GIRL: Just you? Guy: Yeah. GIRL: And your music. cuy: I speak to her
on the phone sometimes. cir: And how is she? cuy: Oh she was lonely at the start, I
thinkâ??but sheâ??s met some one new now so... GirL: Why donâ??t you kill him? euy (Smiling):
Kill him, of course. err: I can help you. I can get a gun from this man. Guy: What
seriously? cir: Yeah. Iâ??m always seriousâ??Iâ??m Czech. Guy (Laughing): Oh fuck! eirL: Heâ??s
just a passing guy for herâ??I can tell. You should go to New Yorkâ??yovâ??re living in a little
boyâ??s room. Guy: My da needs the help. cir: You are going to stay here, fixing Hoovers and
living over a shop forever?! Guy: Well not â ? ? foreverâ?... GIRL: Go to New York, find your
woman, sing your songs to people! euy: Just like that?! eirL: Why not? cuy: I could barely
afford the ticket even if I wanted to go all that way and stalk a woman whoâ??s getting on
fine without me! And the music?! . .. No one wants to hear it! Itâ??s easier to walk away
from it! err: I wonâ??t allow you do that! (A slight pause.) Guy: Why wonâ??t you allow me? (A
pause.) eiRL: Can you make a CD so I can listen to more of your songs? cuy: If you want,
yeah. Girt: We can meet tomorrow again and talk maybe? I gotta go now. Guy: What’s the
rush? ert: I need to go. cuy: Oh come on, stay! GIRL: What do you mean â ? ? stayâ?? cuy: Well
why donâ??t you stay the night: (A slight pause.) eirL: And â ? ? make a whole albumâ?? (A slight
pause.) Guy: Or maybe just a few singles. (He goes in for a kiss but she grabs his face in
her hand.) GIRL (Sheâ??s burt): Fuck you. (The Girl leaves the space. He cringes. What an
asshole. He walks across the stage and sings:) THE MOON If you donâ??t slow down, slow down
If you donâ??t slow down, slow. . . (He walks into Billyâ??s shop and turns on the Hoover.
Billy and the Girl look up at him. The Guy turns it off-) Can I have a moment, Billy?
BILLY: Yeah-sure-a-moment-absolutely-for-what?! Guy: Just a quiet word... ONCE
it. BILLY: Yeah say it! No secrets between me and her. Right, love? Gir: Right, pal.
(Billy and the Girl do an elaborate handshake. They stop and face the Guy.) cuy: Right.
(Slight pause) Look Iâ??m sorry I made a pass at ya yesterday. BILLY: You did what?! cuy:
]â??ma bit lonely... BILLY: We’re all a bit lonely! Lonelyâ??s a big part of the world these
days! But you learn restraint, dâ??you hear me! cuy: Yeah of course... BILLY: Youâ??d have to
be a corpse not to feel some attraction for this angel of divinity... cuy:I know... BILLy:
Which makes the restraint all the more problematic! But you do it because .. . Gir:
Because itâ??s against the law to force yourself on a woman. BILLY: Exactly! (To the Guy)
Did you force yourself on her?! cur: No! Jesus! I didnâ??t, did I? BILLY: How could you
forget?! cuy: I definitely didnâ??t! BILLY: I can do karate! You know that, right?! cur:
Yeah I saw. BILLY: These are lethal weapons these! I take it on myself to protect the
unprotected! I could slice you into pieces and rearrange ya back together again but fuck
you up for life, comprende?! cuy: Of course yeah!! (A pause.) BILLY: All right, weâ??re all
cool here. Weâ??re not going to have a CSI situation in me shop. You’ve accepted his
apology, is that right, love? Girt: Yeah weâ??re grandâ??yeah. (The Guy and the Girl shake
hands. Billy pulls the Guy aside and has a final quiet word:) BILty: You have to learn a
little more reserve, yeah?â??a rush of blood to your head, you count to ten and take a
shower, all right? cuy: A shower, okay. pitty: If a showerâ??s not available at the
timeâ??listen to some Josh Grobanâ??that usually takes the edge off me anyways. Buddies? cuy:
Cool-Billy-yeah. (Billy gives the Guy a â ? ? friendlyâ? punch on the shoulder. The Guy turns
back to the Girl, and theyâ??re suddenly in a dif- ferent lighting state.) err: Thank you
for walking me home. uy: I reckon if I didnâ??t Billy would have sliced me to piecesâ??so just
lookinâ?? after myself really. (She smiles.) Oh look I burnt you some songs! (He bands her a
CD) Girt: Oh great! cuy: The qualityâ??s not all that but . . . well if you ever fancy lis-
tening... erRu: I willâ??I want to. cuy: Thanks for being interested by the way. GIRL: Sure.
(A long pause. He really doesnâ??t want to say good-bye. Then:) Do you want to come in for a
cup of tea? guy: Yeah. Iâ??d love to! (A new lighting state: the Girl and the Guy enter a
whirlwind of @ scene. Her flatmates, two mten: Svec; Andrej, in a fast food uniform; and a
young heavily â ? ? makeup-edâ? woman, Rˆ'za, are discussing passionately the Irish television
soap Fair City. ONCE
YAOTOU! VLIAMUVW ONY GUYVSNWH N39 â ? ? HSTVM VANG wo N The Girl’s formidable-looking moth
Baruska, files ber nails and looks on. They speak in English, but Czech is shown on
surtitles behind them.) ANDREJ: Sheâ??s a liarâ??the woman is evil! cirt: These are my
flatmates. Guy: You all live here? GIRL: Yes itâ??s very cozy. rEza: Sheâ??s not evil! Youâ??re
an idiot! ANDRE}: How can Damien lie in the same bed as that witch?! cuy: Is everything
all right? ANDREJ: The deceit! My God!! er: Theyâ??re talking about Fair City. Guy: The soap
opera? rˆ'za: You understand nothing! Donâ??t you live in the world?! This is the real world,
Andrej! $vec: But Suzanne is changing. eirL: They learn their English from the soaps on
television. Fair City is their passion. Svec: Can you see what theyâ??re doing with
Suzanne’s looks? ANDRE}: Suzanne promised, Rˆ'za! She swore on her life! Sheâ??s the devil!
Girt: Speak English! (The surtitles disappear as they speak English.) ANDREJ: She beats
her own husband and then she promised that she would see a counselor! Suzanne lied that
she was seeing this counselor! r´£za: Damien is a worm! ANDREJ: Damien is a man who watched
his own father kill his own mother! And now to be suffering abuse at the hands of his own
fucking wife! vec: But theyâ??re making her more attractive the more violent she gets. Have
you noticed that? Itâ??s very clever. ANDRE]: You think sheâ??s more attractive, Svec? vec:
Definitely! ANDREJ: Her domestic abuse is turning you on?! vec: Suzanne is a ride. ANDRE]:
You are a pervert! vec: Oh yes. ANDRE] (Noticing the Guy): Who are you? (A slight pause.)
cuy: No one. ANDREJ: Do not look at my uniform with disgust. Today I am the manager. In
two days I will interview and I will be the area manager. I will oversee the creation and
distribution of fine foods to the lovely people of Dublin. Guy: Fair play. rˆ'za: Where
dâ??you pick him up? cir: The street. rEza: Is he single? GtrL: Leave him alone. r´£za: So
Irishman . . . you are very handsome. Guy: Thank you. rˆ'za: For an Irishman you are
handsome. I am looking for an Irish husband, actually. An animalâ??but a sensitive animal.
Do you know of such an animal? svec: Hey, Irish. (A fierce Dublin accent) â ? ? Fancy a pint in
McCoyâ??s later, yeah bud?â? â ? ? What dâ??you mean youâ??re pregnant?! Jay- sus dats awful news!â?
â
?
?
Iâ??m keepinâ?? da baby! I want ta keep da baby!â? (A slight pause.) Guy: Very good. vec: Tank
you. Guy: Great accent. vec: Deadly, isnâ??t it?! eri: This is my mother, Baruska. (Baruska
walks toward him, grabs the Guy and kisses him full on the lips. The kiss breaks and she
stares at him.) BARUSKA: Jist?! ONCE
(A slight pause.) cuy: What does â ? ? Jistâ? mean? GIRL: Eat. cuy: She wants to eat me? BARUSKA
(In English): You eat my food, yes?! Guy: â ? ? Eat your foodâ?? Excellent! (A little five-year-
old girl, dressed in ber pajamas, Ivanka, bas walked on stage and stands behind the Guy.
She tugs at bis jumper. He turns and looks down at her.) eirL: This is my daughter Ivanka.
cuy: Hey there. (lvanka holds out her hand. They shake hands.) EJ PADA, PADA ROSICKA
BaRUsKA: ZPIVAT! Ej pada, pada rositka Eh pa da, pa da row sich ka Eh pa da, pa da row
sich ka Eh pa da, pa da row sich ka Spa lee bi moh yeh oh cheech kah Spa lee bi moh yeh
Spa lee bee ye tvoh yeh Spa lee bi oh nee oh bow yeh Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey Eye
pur shi pur shi na poh zjrad Skash teh poz dra vit nap o zjrad Skash teh poz drau e nee Me
moo poh tye shen dee Zjeh oozh ho moo seem zah nech at Eye pur shi pur shi na poh zjrad
Skash teh poz dra vit na po zjrad Skash teh poz drau e nee Me moo poh tye shen dee Zjeh
oozh ho moo seem zah nech at Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey. (Andrej and Rˆ'za dance on
the table throughout. The flat is going wild. The Guy is standing back smiling. The song,
dancing and dinner come to an end. A new lighting state with only the Guy and Girl sitting
in it. Sheâ??s wearing large headphones and listening to his CD.) Gir (Shouting): This is
just music! Whereâ??s the words? Guy: There are none. GIRL (Shouting): Itâ??s great! Youâ??ve no
words for this?! Guy: Got a few ideas... GIRL (Shouting): Hah? (He lifts the headphones
off her ears.) guy: I couldnâ??t settle on the lyrics. You can try some if you fancy it.
GIRL: Really? cur: Yeah if you want. cIrL: Okay. (Slight pause) This is romantic. You have
a romantic streak. cuy: I used to. GirL: When? Guy: When I was younger. GIRL: But now you
are an old man. (He smiles.) Guy: So where is Ivankaâ??s da? ONCE
oa GIRL: He doesnâ??t live here. (A slight pause.) Guy: Whyâ??s that? GIRL: Itâ??s difficult
between us. Heâ??s at home now. (A pause.) Thank you for the Hoover . . . and for the songs.
cuy: Thanks for the company. I really needed it. GIRL: Me, too. (A pause. He would love to
stay.) Oh! Take your guitar. Come on. (He takes the guitar.) I will see you tomorrow? Guy:
Where? ert: I’ll find you. (He walks out of the light. She sits for a number of seconds
looking in the direction from where he left. Baruska appears with Ivanka.) BARUSKA: He is
a nice man. GIRL: Weâ??re just friendsâ?? BARUSKa: Of course. GIRL: â ? ? thatâ??s all... BARUSKA: I
can see. (A pause.) GIRL: His lifeâ??s stopped. But he has a good heart. BARUSKA: And you?
(Slight pause) Youâ??re not stopped, too? (A pause.) Your manâ??he left you here . . . (Slight
pause) â ? ? now you can start over. Girt: Donâ??t say thatâ?? BARUSKA: Itâ??s true. GIRL: Itâ??s not a
simple thing, Mama! BARUSKA: I know... Girt: Good night. (A slight pause. The
conversationâ??s over.) BaRUSKA: Good night, love. (Baruska kisses ber and leaves the light.
With Ivanka sleeping beside her, the Girl looks down at the CD player. She presses the
play button and the ensemble plays â ? ? If You Want Meâ? as she sings:) IF YOU WANT ME GIRL:
Are you really here or am I dreaming I canâ??t tell dreams from truth For itâ??s been so long
since I have seen you I can hardly remember your face anymore When I get really lonely and
the distance causes only silence I think of you smiling with pride in your eyes a lover
that sighs If you want me satisfy me If you want me satisfy me Are you really sure that
you believe me When others say I lie I wonder if you could ever despise me When you know J
really tried To be a better one to satisfy you for youâ??re everything to me ONCE
om And I’ll do what you ask me If you let me be free If you want me satisfy me If you want
me satisfy me If you want me satisfy me If you want me satisfy me. (The music continues.
The Girl picks up Ivanka and carries her out of the light. The music ends. New lighting
state. The Guy is facing a mirror. Heâ??s singing and strumming an improvised biographical
song. The Girl remains unseen by bim.) BROKEN-HEARTED HOOVER FIXER SUCKER GUY GUY: â ? ? T
years ago J fell in love with an Irish girl She took my heart But she went and screwed
some guy that she knew And now Iâ??m in Dublin with a broken heart Oh broken-hearted Hoover
fixer sucker guy Oh broken-hearted Hoover fixer sucker sucker guy One day â ? ? ll go there and
win her once again But until then Iâ??m just a sucker of a guy. (He turns and sees the Girl.
He visibly blushes.) Hey. cru: Hey. I listen to all your songs and I have made a big deci-
sion. Do you want to hear it? Guy: Would love ta. eiRL: You write these songs for your
girl and now she is gone these songs have made you depressed. But they have heart and soul
and you have heart and soul. These songs they need to be sung for you, for me, for anyone
who has lost a love. Donâ??t be sadâ??you must sing. cuy: I know. GirL: You know? I am going
to hug you right now. Guy: Fair enough. (The Girl bugs him. She stops and holds bim back.)
GIRL: So we are going to make a demonstration tape of these songsâ??me and youâ??with good
musiciansâ??and we send this tape around the world and a fat man with a fat cigar will pick
you up for his record company and you will go to New York and you make something of
yourself, okay?! cuy: Okay... errt: So I speak to a man today in a recording studio and I
bash him down in price and we can have his studio for twenty- four hours. One dayâ??two
grand! cuy: Where would I find two grand?! ert: My mother borrow money from the small
loans man in the bank and this man is a nice and a good man. My mother pay this man back
so we are in the good books. euy: All right. ert: Now you dress like a trampâ?? (She whips a
gray shiny suit out of @ plastic bag.) Take your clothes off! (He starts taking off bis
trousers.) eur: Did you buy that?! GiRL: It is a suit from Andrej. It is a great suit. His
lucky inter- view suit. A suit to impress the bank man. cuy: Well I better get these
trousers onâ??I donâ??t want to drive ya wild! ert: Noâ??your naked legs would make me explode.
ONCE
mo cuy: Where do you get your energy from? GiRL: I am a young mother. We are a special
breed. (He gets the trousers on.) cuy: Done. (She turns and looks at him in the suit. A
quiet moment as she straightens and buttons his jacket. Then:) air: Letâ??s go! (He grabs
his guitar. Music is played as the ensemble arrives on stage with seats. They sit in rows
and suddenly we’re in the open-plan office of the bank. At the front of the stage the Bank
Manager is waiting. The Guy and the Girl enter the space. Suddenly heâ??s nervous. Baruska
stops them.) BARUSKa (Jo the Guy, referring to the Girl): She will translate. Guy: Okay.
(Baruska speaks in English, ber words appearing in Czech sur- titles.) BARUSKA: Once upon
a time there was a little man who lived in a little house in a little city and he had a
little job in a little officeâ??and nothing ever happened to this little man. Tn wuth he was
a miserable little man. And one night he lay awake in his bed and for the first time in
his life he imagined great adventures. He imagined other countries and fantas- tic
encounters with unstable individuals. He imagined love affairs of various varieties. He
slept deeply and what great dreams he had! The morning came and he dressedâ??but not in the
clothes he would usually wearâ??this morning he would be brand new! But then. . . as he
faced his front door to the world outside he closed his eyes and that same mind began to
imagine the most terrible things. Instead where before he only saw life and successâ??now he
only saw death and failure. The world outside was there to torture and crush him! Love was
there to tease and break him! FUCK IT! He stripped out of his new clothes, returned to his
bed and promised never to dream of anything ever again. He remained in that bed for
eternity, emaciated and rot- ting, lying in his own shit, his one expression he gave to
the world crawled from his mouth .. . (Baruska does the tortured choking sound of â ? ? the
emaciated fail- ure.â? She stops.) (fo the Guy, in Czech) â ? ? Those who live in fear . . . die
miser- ably in their graves.â? (The Guy is shook to bis core. He turns to the Girl.) Guy:
So what did she say? (A slight pause.) GIRL: Good luck. (The Guy and the Girl leave
Baruska. They enter the bank and walk through the â ? ? secretaries.â? They are met by the Bank
Manager. The three sit as the Bank Manager looks at their written application. The Bank
Manager’s a prim man from County Cork.) BANK MANAGER: I canâ??t say I see many applications
like this oneâ??a bit out of the norm for me. So you’ve never held an account in this bank?
cuy: No. BANK MANAGER: In any bank? cuy: Iâ??ve got a post office account. BANK MANAGER: Oh
terrific. cuy: My da says postmen are a lot more honest than bankers. BANK MANAGER: Does
he now? guy: He does yeah. ONCE
wo om GIRL: He is a very good song writer, sir. BANK MANAGER: Lovely... Girt: We will pay
you back with interest when we get the deal. BANK MANAGER: Well thatâ??s how it works, you
see! I give you the loan and you repay me with interest which wonâ??t be a prob- lem because
youâ??re going to be snapped up and handed a ferociously large record contract by a major
record company. Girt (A little nervous): Can I ask you a question? BANK MANAGER: Yeah why
not! ert: Are you proud to be Irish? BANK MANAGER: Well thatâ??s a very personal question.
err: Are you proud or not proud? It is not difficult. BANK MANAGER: Fundamentally I am
proud, I suppose. ert: And what makes you the most proud? The first thing. BANK MANAGER
(lmmediately): Our culture. Girt: For an island this tiny to make all these writers and
poets and musicians! This is insane. And yet on this little rock in the middle of the
ocean you make men and women who for centuries can speak and sing of what it is to be a
person. Yeats, Swift, Wilde, Beckett, Joyce, Van Morrison, Enya, the fan- tastic people
who gave the world Riverdance! But it is people like you! People who invest in Irish
culture who also make the culture, sir! You are responsible for showing the world that
Ireland is still here! Ireland is open for business! (A slight pause.) BANK MANAGER: Very
good. eirL: Thank you. BANK MANAGER: Very impressive. ert: And the loan? BANK MANAGER:
Listen Iâ??m sorry but Iâ??d need some real assur- ance of recuperation if I was to bring this
any further... Gr (To the Guy): Play! (The Guy begins to play â ? ? Say It to Me Now.â?) BANK
MANAGER: Itâ??s true there are countless people in Ireland that need financial assistance
right now... err: Keep playing! BANK MANAGER: .. . And Iâ??m sure you’re talented and
everything . . . you can certainly memorize musical chords and play them in a melodic
sequence ... but really... GIRL: Sing! (The Guy sings.) SAY IT TO ME NOW Iâ??m scratching at
the surface now (The Bank Manager doesnâ??t know what to do. . . but listen.) And Iâ??m trying
hard to work it out So much has gone misunderstood This mystery only leads to doubt. And
Iâ??m looking for a sign And this a dark and uneasy time If you have something to say Youâ??d
better say it now â ? ? Cause this is what youâ??ve waited for Your chance to even up the score
And as these shadows fall on me now I will somehow â ? ? Cause Iâ??m picking up a message, Lord
And Iâ??m closer than Iâ??ve ever been before So if you have something to say Say it to me now
Say it to me now... (A pause. The Bank Manager is blown away.) ONCE
oO BANK MANAGER: Do you have many more like that? GIRL: Very many. BANK MANAGER: Great
voice. Really good. cuy: Thanks. BANK MANAGER: Raw. cuy: I suppose, yeah. BANK MANAGER:
What sort of guitar is that? cuy: An old Martin. BANK MANAGER: Oh lovely! (Pause) Can I
show you something? cuy: Yeah sure. (He turns and grabs a beautiful guitar.) BANK MANAGER:
Feast your eyes on this baby. Guy: Amazing. BANK MANAGER: Should beâ??cost me an arm and a
leg! Now Iâ??m going to play you two a little something. Itâ??s my own cultural crusade if you
like but I want your honest opinion, okay? Girt: I am all about honesty. cuy: She is the
Ambassador of Honesty. BANK MANAGER: Great stuff! Now by way of introduction ... eirz:
Play! BANK MANAGER: Itâ??s a work in progress... Girt: Play! BANK MANAGER: Some important
biographical decisions to make... ert: Play! (The Bank Manager launches into bis own
composition. Itâ??s a country western song called â ? ? Abandoned in Bandon.â?) ABANDONED IN
BANDON BANK MANAGER: In County Cork in the country green, In a lonesome town called
Bandon. A boy lives there and he dreams of County Clare The holiday that he just had done.
we And he walked over hills and skipped over rivers, All the time his hand in his love.
But his loveâ??s not here and never close at hand His heartâ??s abandoned in Bandon. â ? ? Two
counties. One love. Too many complications And not enough hand in glove. Not enough hand
in glove. (The Guy and Girl sit frozen with strained smiles on their faces.) Took a drive
outta town anâ?? kept on drivinâ??, His Western loveâ??his navigation. But the car broke down
outside of Castletown, He pulled into the gas station. He dialed that name and imagined
them kissinâ??, As that sweet Clare voice filled his ears, But his loveâ??s not here and never
close at hand. His carâ??s all bust â ? ? cause he bust the gears. â ? ? Two counties. One love. Too
many complications And not enough hand in glove. Not enough hand in glove. Abandoned in
Bandon. (He finishes. The Guy and Girl are rightly stunned. He quietly takes off bis
guitar and holds it out. A pause.) Well? cuy: You can play. BANK MANAGER: Yeah. (The Guy
and Bank Manager look to the Girl.) ONCE
vt GIRL: Itâ??s the voiceâ??and the words. Guy: Never sing. GIRL: Ever. BANK MANAGER:
Understood. Thank you. GIRL: Sure. (A pause. He looks like heâ??s really going to cry. The
Guy and Girl cringe. Maybe that was the wrong thing to do. But then:) BANK MANAGER: So how
much money are we talking about? (A dramatic light change with loud music. We’re in a pub.
In a spotlight Rˆ'za is performing a dance track Shakira-style. The Guy and the Girl are
out celebrating their success with Andrej and Svec.) cuy: How long have I known ya? GIRL:
Two days, six hours, (She checks her watch) thirty-five minutes, cuy: I donâ??t really get
it. Girt: What donâ??t you get? Guy: Well you’ve been so kind anâ?? everythingâ??given me a new
me! I donâ??t know how to thank ya! cir: Letâ??s sit down... cuy: No hang on! (Slight pause)
Listen when we met I was in a bad placeâ??it was more than giving up on music and you knew
that. I love my da more than the world but my little room above the shop and the same view
of the street out- sideâ??that was looking like my life forever. (Sight pause) And that was
only two days ago. Two days. (Slight pause) So thank you. EMCEE: Let’â??s hear it for Rˆ'za.
Next up on the Live Mike we got the Hooverman! (The ensemble cheers and jeers throughout
the below.) cIRL: Itâ??s you! Guy: Whatâ??s me?! EMCEE: Come on the Hooverman! ceo meme ar
feetenst Guy: You put me down to sing?! crri: You must get used to singing your songs on
stage, right?! Guy: Oh Jaysus!... (Some of the crowd begins to chant â ? ? Hoover!â? A spotlight
comes up on the Guy.) EMCEE: The Hooverman! This guyâ??s gonna suck! (Thereâ??s cheering as
the Guy walks up and steps bebind the micro- phone. Heâ??s bloody nervous up there.) ANDREJ:
Hey, Hoover! Nice suit! (Nothing.) Guy: Well this is a song that I wrote. . voice 1: Ahh
fuck! voickE 2: He wrote it?! (A slight pause.) cuy: Yeah I wrote it for a girl but eh . .
. But tonight Iâ??d like to sing it now forâ?? voice 3: A boy! Guy: ... well for all of us
here. Cause to live . . . you have to love. VOICE 4: Sweet Jesus. (People laugh. The Guy
begins to sing â ? ? Gold.â?) GOLD And I love her so I wouldnâ??t trade her for gold Iâ??m walking
on moonbeams I was born with a silver spoon ONCE
sv And Iâ??m gonna be me Iâ??m gonna be free Iâ??m walking on moonbeams and staring out to sea
And if a door be closed Then a row of homes start building And tear your curtains down For
sunlight is like gold (The Girl is seen standing looking at him. We focus on her more and
more, as if they are the only two on stage.) And you better be you And do what you can do
When youâ??re walking on moonbeams Staring out to sea â ? ? Cause if your skin was soil How long
do you think before they start digging? And if your life was gold How long do you think
you’d stay livinâ??? Hey... (He smiles down at her, she smiles back. But thereâ??s a moment
suddenly in her heart, a huge worry.) And I love her so I wouldnâ??t trade her for gold.
(She’s fallen in love with him. Fade out. Blackout. Interval.) The second half. A short
musical introductionâ??and suddenly the light comes up in Billyâ??s shop with Billy, the Bank
Manager, Svec, Andrej (in the gray suit) and the Guy and the Girl. The atmosphere is
immediately strained. Bitty: Now wait a secondâ??youâ??re absolutely joking meâ??let me get this
straightâ??youâ??re a banker, is that right? BANK MANAGER: You’ve heard it three times now!
BILLY: The very people who are threatening to steal these prem- ises offa me if I donâ??t
start making sales! A banker from Corkâ??am I the only person whoâ??s uncomfortable with this?
iru: Yes! Letâ??s rehearse! ANDRE] (10 the Bank Manager): I have not been placed on this
world to flip burgers! I am a builder of worlds. This is a lucky suit! Today I am the
manager. In two hours I will interview and I will be the area manager! BANK MANAGER: Fair
play. ANDREJ: You are looking at the last moments of a burger-boy. This is a great day for
Andrej! BILLY: Itâ??s the combination of Cork and banker, am I right?! BANK MANAGER: And
whatâ??s wrong with Cork?!
(In his Dublin accent): Cork is a dump! BILLY: Exactly! Nice accent. vec: I learn me
English offa Fair City. BILLY: Suzanneâ??s looking great isnâ??t sheâ??the more psycho sheâ??s
gettinâ??? 3vec: Suzanneâ??s a ride, man! ANDRE): Suzanne is a monster! BANK MANAGER: Suzanne
is mental! BILLY (Io the Bank Manager): You still here, Corkman? GIRL: Billy, stop! BILLY:
My shopâ??my rules! The establishment is not welcome here, love! We are creators of music.
We are free of the shackles of capitalism! Guy: You own a shop, Billy! BiLLy: Thatâ??s
trueâ??but Iâ??ve got the heart of an artist! (Jd the Bank Manager) Now fuck off! BANK
MANAGER: I am as much an artist as you are! That man is an ignorant fecker! BILLY: I might
very well be an ignorant feckerâ??but at least Iâ??m a Dublin one! â ? ? vec: And Dublinâ??s deadly
man! Bitty: As my Dublin friend says! BANK MANAGER: Heâ??s Czech! crt: SHUT UP! (Silence.)
For a few moments just keep the shit-talk inside yourselves! Billy? (A slight pause.)
BILLY: For the sake of rehearsal and my commitment to this musical odyssey I will suspend
my instinct and channel my energies into the melody. (The Girl looks at the Bank Manager.)
BANK MANAGER: For the sake of my investmentâ??letâ??s play. BILLY (Hardly under his breath):
Wanker. cep ey eee: rcrpertncs emecane mpg catte (The Girl fires a look at him.) 3vec:
Very nice drums this. BILLY: Thanks. cuy: You’ve played drums before, right? $vec: I
played in a music group back home. cuy: Oh cool! vec: A death metal band. I play hard.
cuy: Well this might be a little more folksy than metal. $vec: Folksy? Guy: Can you play
softer? $vec: I will muffle the drums. cuy: With what? 8vec (Quickly ripping off bis
trousers to shorts): Pants, man! My PANTS! GIRL: Are we ready? uy: Yeah. Letâ??s give it a
lash. This is the chorus. Itâ??s in A-minor. (They begin to play â ? ? When Your Mind’s Made Up.â?
Svec is om drums, the Bank Manager is on cello, Andrejâ??s on double bass, Billyâ??s on
guitar, the Girl is on piano and the Guy on rhythm guitar. The Guy and Girl start well but
when the others join in they all start competing with each other. Itâ??s soon a discordant
mess. It collapses with:) Ahh, Jaysus! art (Jo Billy): What are you playing?! What was
that?! BILLY: It needs to travel a little moreâ??itâ??s very sleepy! $vec: More soulâ??less
pants! anprgy: A bit more swing definitely. er: No fancy stuff! BANK MANAGER: We need to
express something! BILLY: Express yourself outta hereâ??you’re brutal! cuy: Hoy! BILLY:
You’re crap! BANK MANAGER: A fish could play better guitar than you! itty: Get outta
Dublin ya big Cork eegit! Ya make me sick! Your accent makes me sicker! BANK MANAGER: Iâ??m
leaving! ONCE
wo v Bitty: YOU STAY RIGHT THERE YOU CARPETBAG- GER! Itâ??s me who owns you, Bankerâ??itâ??s me
whoâ??s walkinâ?? out! You can take your fucking cello and shove it up your arsehole! Itâ??s
finished! (Billy leaves. The others are stunned, devastated. A long pause. Billy returns.)
Obviously this is my shop and itâ??s you who’ll have to leave. BANK MANAGER: Obviously.
BILLY: Rehearsalâ??s over! All of ya... get out! (A new lighting state. We’re in a noisy pub
with Billy and the Guy.) cuy: I need ya, Billyâ??I need ya big time! BILLY: I hate that
banker! Theyâ??re crushinâ?? me into the groundâ?? Iâ??m a man of principleâ??I canâ??t do it! Iâ??m
out! cuy: Iâ??m begginâ?? ya, please! Bitty: Donâ??t beg me! euy: Well I donâ??t wanna beg ya!
BILLY: Flatter me then! eur: Flatter ya? BILLY: I need it!! (Slight pause) Flatter me. (A
slight pause.) Guy: Youâ??re a beautiful man. (A slight pause.) BILLy: Yeah I do have a
beauty. Guy: Youâ??ve got a real feel for the music tooâ??I can tell, Billy. BILLY: You
reckon? eur: Oh definitely! I need your playinâ??! BILLY: You think I play good?! cur: You
play massive, man! Massive! BILLY: This is helpinâ?? me! Iâ??m feelinâ?? better! Get me a drink.
euy: Anything at allâ??the bar’s yours. BILLY: A glass of rioja. (The light flicks off them
and onto the Girl and Rˆ'za on the other side of the bar.) Giri: We need Billyâ??we need his
drums. (A slight pause.) rEza: What’s it worth? crt: I need it as a favor. REza: You want
me to seduce this man I will need payment. Girt: You seduce men for fun! r´£za: With this
one I will need encouragementâ??get me a drink. eirL: What do you want? rˆ'za: A whiskey. A
double. (The light flicks off them and back on Billy and the Guy.) BILLy: Dâ??you want an
observation? guy: Not really. BILLY: She likes you. coy: Right. BILLY: I have an intuition
about these things. cur: I donâ??t wanna talk about it... BILLY: Over a year Iâ??ve worked on
unlocking her heart and not even a lookinâ??! You waltz in and BAM! Youâ??re a love thiefâ?? but
I respect you for that. Now what are you going to do about it? cur: I donâ??t want to talk
about this with you! BILLY: We are talking about this! cuy: LOOK WE NEED YOUR DRUMS!
BILLY: DRUMS?! I thought you wanted me for my â ? ? massiveâ? playing! YA SNAKE! (The light
flicks off them and back on Rˆ'za and the Girl.) rEza: Now pay me with honesty. ONCE
ie} v GiRL: What do you want to know? r´£zA: This very attractive man with the dark looks
and wide shouldersâ?? ert: Yes I know who you’re talking about. r´£za: Do you want him? e1r.:
In the way that you want him? (A slight pause.) rˆ'za: Do you want to be with him? Girt: I
am with someone. rEzA: With someone who canâ??t see how beautiful you are! This man is
sweet. He has the same soul as you. erri: He is going to America to be with his girl.
rˆ'za: You’re standing in front of him! eirL: Rˆ'za please! rEza: Do it for you! rR: Itâ??s
not important right now! r´£zA: What could be more important than love?! cirt: Drums! We
need Billyâ??s drums! Please! (Rˆ'za knocks back her whiskey. The Girl turns Rˆ'za, then
shoves her toward Billy, who stands at the bar. Rˆ'za taps him on the shoulder, he turns.)
r´£za: So, [rishmanâ??you drink red wine? BILLY: In 1588 my Spanish ancestor stepped on to
the Irish coast off his colossal sea vessel. With meâ??itâ??s always rioja. rˆ'za: They say a
man who drinks rioja is a bull in the bed. BILLY: A bull in the sheetsâ??a butterfly on the
dance floor. (A blast of Latin dance music and Billy strikes a Flamenco pose.) REZA:
Fabuloso! (Rˆ'za and Billy dance. Billy throws his back out. Rˆ'za helps him off. Suddenly
Andrej runs into the space screaming and drunk. He rips off his lucky jacket and throws it
on the ground.) ANDRE) (Screams): Bastards! The bastards! Bastards .. . (He cries for some
time, bis dream of being area manager crushed. The others can only look on.) guy: Oh fuck
it! cir: Donâ??t worry. Rˆ'za will get Billy. She is a tough woman. cuy: But everything else.
Not even gettinâ?? started and itâ??s falling apartâ??itâ??s typical . . . GIRL: Stop. (A slight
pause.) cuy: Letâ??s do something. Get out of the city and breathe a little. eiRu: I should
go. Guy: Please. (A pause.) GIRL: Okay. (A transition here as the Guy and Girl enter a new
state. They look over Dublin from Howth Head. Sound of the sea.) cuy: What’s the Czech for
ocean? Giri: â ? ? Ocean.â? (Slight pause) Itâ??s the same. Guy: Really? GIRL: Yeah. (A slight
pause.) euy: Easy language, isnâ??t it? GIRL: Yeah itâ??s very easy. eur: No point having it
really. err: No. (A pause.) Look at the little lights. The city looks tiny from here. ONCE
cuy: It does. It is. her climb over the rock on her own. Sheâ??s holding on to it t and her
little flat shoes are finding a grip. (Slight pause) I look (A pause.) down, and way below
is a terrible fall and sharp rocks and ocean. And I start crying. (Slight pause) And of
course she Does Dublin feel like home? makes it to the other side and the rest of the day
is all fish cirz: I think so. It never became what it wanted to be. . . but itâ??s and chips
and ice cream at the harbor and lots of laughsâ?? still a life and a good one I think. Very
good people. Big- but I canâ??t really shift what I felt. I knew now what it was to hearted
people. ! be scared. Thatâ??s a terrible lˆ'sson ya have to learn, isnâ??t it? cur: That’ll be
all those potatoes. | Wastinâ?? life â ? ? cause youâ??re frightened of it. (Slight pause) Ter- ’
rible. (Slight pause) I wish I could have the same spirit my ma (She laughs.) had. Even
half of it be good. ciRL: You’ll miss it when you go to New York. ; (A pause.) cuy: I
suppose. ’ iri: You’re a lovely person. (Slight pause) Iâ??m very happy my (A pause.) Hoover
was broken. : Guy: Me, too. GIRL: Itâ??s so nice here. Guy: Yeah. (Thereâ??s a tension
suddenly. They both know something is about to happen between them. But then:) (A slight
pause.) . err: I like spending time with you . . . but I have certain respon-
sibilitiesâ??if sometimes I seem cold... cuy: Itâ??s all rightâ??donâ??t worry about it. I used to
come here as a boy on the good Sundays when the | weather wasnâ??t crapâ??me, Ma and Da on the
train. It was great. Twenty-minute train journey but it may as well have been Borneo or
somethinâ??. (A slight pause.) GIRL: Ivankaâ??s father is my husband. Is this okay? cuy: I
understand. GIRL: Tomorrow we will go to the studio and record. (A slight pause.) My ma
brought me with two of my friends once. And we were walkinâ?? the cliff walk way down there.
And, ya know, like boys we were messinâ?? about, gettinâ?? a little bit too close to the edge.
And I think we must have wandered off the path, gone a bit lower and onto a smaller,
narrower pathâ?? i Guy: Yeah. Gir: We will do good. Donâ??t be frightened. (A pause.) YAOI!
VLAANAVW ANY CUVSNVH N39 â ? ? HSTVM VaN4 (=) a) and thereâ??s this big rock juttinâ?? out blockinâ??
us and beyond the rock the path is much wider and safer definitely. Weâ??re all only about
seven years old and my ma can easily lift us over the rock and back onto the path, and one
by one she does that. (Slight pause) So Iâ??m on the safe side and watching Guy: So whatâ??s
the Czech for, â ? ? Do you still love him?â? (A pause.) err: Ty ho este miluje3? ONCE
in cuy: So... Ty ho este milujes? (A pause. In Czech she answers:) Girt: Miluji tˆ'be. (We
read â ? ? I love youâ? in the surtitles.) Guy: What does that mean? (She looks up above them.)
GIRL: It looks like rain. (She turns away and into a new lighting state. He begins to play
and sing â ? ? Sleeping.â?) SLEEPING Are you sleeping? Still dreaming? Still drifting off alone.
Iâ??m not leaving with this feeling So youâ??d better best be told And how in the world did
you come To be such a lazy love? Itâ??s so simple and fitting The path that you are on We’re
not talking, thereâ??s no secrets Thereâ??s just a note that you have gone And all that you
ever owned Is packed in the hall to go. And how am I supposed to live without you? A wrong
word said in anger and you were gone. eee enema Iâ??m not listening for signals Itâ??s all
dust now on the shelf. Are you still working? Still counting? Still buried in yourself?
And how in the world did we come To have such an absent love? And how am I supposed to
live without you? A wrong word said in anger and you were gone. And how am I supposed to
live without anyone? And how in the world did you come To be such a lazy love? And where
did you go? (New lighting state. The studio engineer, Eamon, stands staring at this shabby
bunch of misfits.) EAMON: So has ahhh . . . has any one of yas ever made anythinâ?? ...
anythinâ?? outside your bedrooms? cuy: No we’re all virgins. BILLY: Speak for yourself. BANK
MANAGER: Absolutely. guy: Studio virgins. BANK MANAGER: Oh right. Yeah first time. BILLY:
Last night was a night of first times. Last night Eamon . .. last night I gave my body to
the Goddess of Desire. I was free .. . like a birdâ??like a giant bird with a beard. EAMON:
Very good. (Svec is standing very close to Eamon. He looks a little wild-eyed.) vec:
Hello. EAMON: Hello. (Slight pause) Well ahh . . . well the kitchenâ??s over there. Help
yourselves to tea and coffee. vec: Oh yeah coffee yeah! EAMON: Biscuits you can buy in a
little shop around the corner. ONCE
by wy â ? ? vec: Little shop-deadly-greatâ??lI love biscuits! EAMON: You’re all miked-up so...
em... what are we recording? â ? ? vEc: Songs, Eamon! Masses of songs. . . EAMON: Are you on
drugs? Is he on drugs?! We donâ??t allow drugs in here? 3vec: That real coffee in your
kitchen? EAMON: Yeah, what about it? $vec: I drank it. EAMON: Ya drank it all? â ? ? vec: Most
definitely. I canâ??t feel me legs. Andrej! (Andrej releases some anger and punches Svec
bard in the leg.) Nothing. BILLY (Jo the Bank Manager): She lay upon me like a sensuous
ninja. So athletic and yet so generous with her body. BANK MANAGER: Iâ??m not a huge fan of
breasts. BILLY: Fair enough. BANK MANAGER: More of a penis person. BILLY: That’s tricky to
find on a woman. (A slight pause. The penny drops) Understood. ANDREJ (Jo Eamon): Your
sweetest dream will be stolen from you ...and life... will grind... your bones . . . to
dust. (Shight pause.) EAMON (10 the Girl): How longâ??s this session? cRL: Fwenty-four-hour
lock-in. EAMON: Fuck me. Right, well letâ??s get started! (Eamon leaves the light. The Guy
turns to bis band.) auy: Okay. (To the Girl) So you’re with me from the start. Billy,
Svec, Andrej youâ??re in on the second verseâ?? (Jo the Bank Manager) Vl give yaa nod. (The
Guy and Girl exchange a look.) And we know what weâ??re doing, right? GIRL: Right. (The Guy
and the Girl begin to play â ? ? When Your Mindâ??s Made Up.â?) WHEN YOUR MINDâ??S MADE UP GUY AND
GIRL: So, if you ever want something And you call, call Then I’ll come running To fight
and Ill be at your door When thereâ??s nothing worth running for When your mindâ??s made up
When your mindâ??s made up Thereâ??s no point trying to change it When your mindâ??s made up
When your mindâ??s made up Thereâ??s no point trying to stop it, you see (Billy, Svec and
Andrej are in and miraculously they play sweetly.) You’re just like everyone When the shit
falls All you wanna do is run away And hide all by yourself When thereâ??s far from, thereâ??s
nothing else When your mindâ??s made up When your mindâ??s made up Thereâ??s no point trying to
change it When your mindâ??s made up When your mindâ??s made up Thereâ??s no point even talking
ONCE
wm When your mindâ??s made up When your mindâ??s made up Thereâ??s no point trying to fight it
When your mindâ??s, your mind Love, love Thereâ??s no point trying to change it When your love
So if you ever want something And you call, call Then I’ll come running. (Eamon walks into
the light, stunned. A pause. Eamon: Wow. That was nice. Did you write that?) Guy: Yeah.
EAMON: Wow. (The Guy turns to the Girl. Sheâ??s smiling at him. It was wonderful.) Take a
breath, weâ??ll go for another one. (A lighting change. Suddenly the Girlâ??s alone at the
piano. She plays and sings â ? ? The Hill.â?) GIRL: THE HILL Walking up the hill tonight When
you have closed your eyes I wish I didnâ??t have to make all those mistakes and be wise
Please try to be patient and know that Iâ??m still learning Iâ??m sorry that you have to see
the strength inside me burning But where are you my angel now Donâ??t you see me crying And
I know that you canâ??t do it all But you canâ??t say Iâ??m not trying Iâ??m on my knees in front
of him But he doesnâ??t seem to see me With all his troubles on his mind heâ??s looking right
through me And Iâ??m letting myself down beside this fire in you And I wish that you could
see I have my troubles, too (The Guy is coming into the light, unseen by her.) Lookinâ?? at
you sleeping Iâ??m with a man I know I’m sitting here weeping while the hours pass so slow
And I know that in the morninâ?? I have to let you go And you’ll be just a man once I used
to know But for these past few days someone I donâ??t recognize This isnâ??t all my fault When
will you realize Lookinâ?? at you leavinâ??. Iâ??m lookinâ?? for a sign. cuy: Hey. Girt: Hiâ??are
you doing okay? cuy: Yeah. Itâ??s all good. GIRL: It sounds great. cuy: Real nice people
too, hey? err: It will be hard to leave. Guy: Jesus, youâ??re always trying to get rid of
me! You mustnâ??t like me! ert: I like you. You know I like you. Guy: Thatâ??s all right then.
(He takes her hand. Thereâ??s a moment where it looks like they’ll kiss but she lowers her
head.) ONCE
ao wn eirt: My husband called. He is coming back to Dublin and we will try to work things
out. (His head drops. A slight pause.) Guy: Thatâ??s great news. GIRL: We’ll see. guy:
You’ll be grand. It’ll be all great. Girt: Are you okay? Guy (Quickly): Jesus I donâ??t know
what youâ??re doing! . . . GirL: What do you mean? Guy: Youâ??ve given me a new life and
youâ??re a part of that life and youâ??re just pushing me away... GIRL: You have someone, too!
cuy: Well maybe I doâ??I donâ??t know yetâ??but thatâ??s not impor- tant!... Girt: It is
unfinished between you. cuy: And so what?! err: You cannot walk through your life leaving
unfinished love behind you! You have all this heart in these songs and it is because of
this girl in New York. It is for you and your love that we make this tape. cuy: But what
about us and this moment! Isnâ??t this unfinished? GirL: But we havenâ??t started anything. (A
slight pause.) Guy: No? Well it feels like weâ??ve started. (A slight pause.) Fuck Iâ??m
saying this to you now â ? ? cause maybe Iâ??ll never get a chanceâ??but youâ??ve turned love around
for me and you’ve done it in five days. And yeah I wrote these songs at another time for
another girl, but when I sing itâ??s for us, I thinkâ??itâ??s you I see in the songs... GrrL: I
donâ??t want you to talk like that! Guy: Why not?! Gtr: Because it canâ??t be about that! (A
pause.) cur: Okay fine. (He quickly leaves. New lighting state. The sound of the sea. The
Girl stands on one side of the stage and the Guy on the other. Billy, the Bank Manager,
Svec, Andrej and Eamon stand between them, looking out to sea. Unaccompanied, unprompted,
Billy begins to sing â ? ? Gold.â?) GOLD BILLY: And I love her so I wouldnâ??t trade her for gold
Iâ??m walking on moonbeams I was born with a silver spoon (The Bank Manager, Svec, Andrej
and Eamon accompany a cappella.) BILLY, SVEC, ANDREJ, EAMON AND THE BANK MANAGER: An
gonna be me Iâ??m gonna be free Iâ??m walking on moonbeams And staring out to sea And if a
door be closed Then a row of homes start building And tear your curtains down For sunlight
is like gold And you better be you And do what you can do When youâ??re walking on moonbeams
Staring out to sea. ONCE
o (A slight pause.) BILLY: Sheâ??s a lovely woman Rˆ'za. Kind. A little out of my league
probably. BANK MANAGER: Well you can only try. BILLY: Yeah. (A slight pause.) But how do
people come and stay together, I wonder? Itâ??s a complicated business this â ? ? love.â? BANK
MANAGER: That’s the problem. Love’s all very well, but in the hands of people it turns
into soup. BILLY: Thatâ??s often true yeah. Still. BANK MANAGER: Yeah. (A slight pause.)
BILLY: Are you married, Eamon? EAMON: Yeah I am actually. BANK MANAGER: Still in love?
EAMON: Yeah. BILLY: Fair play to ya, thatâ??s great. EAMON: Is yeah. BILLY: Good soup.
(Eamon smiles. A pause.) Svec: Look at it lying there, waking up. A little flat city and a
new day. (Slight pause) Dublinâ??s really lovely. anprgy: A million times heartbroken and
Dublin keeps on going. Youâ??ve got to love Dublin for dreaming. (A pause, EAMON: I better
get goinâ??, so... You made great music today, boys. Really great. All of yas. BANK MANAGER:
Thanks Eamon. (A slight pause.) vec: Can we get a lift into town with you? EAMON: Sure,
where can I drop yas off? avec: A little shot of coffee neededâ??kick-start the head, hey,
bro? ANDREJ: Lovely. EAMON: A coffee shop then? 3vec: Bingo. EAMON: And you guys are all
right? BILLY: Yeah I think Jâ??ll walk actually. Stretch the old legs, Eamon. BANK MANAGER:
Me, too. (Eamon walks away with Svec and Andrej.) BILLY: Open the shop. Though why bother
openinâ?? it up, I donâ??t know. (A slight pause. The Bank Manager looks at him.) BANK
MANAGER: I can give you some advice. Help you get those bastard bankers off your back.
BILLY: Yeah? BANK MANAGER: Ya canâ??t have a city without music, Billy. Dublin needs you.
(itâ??s all heâ??s wanted to hear.) BILLY: Thank you. BANK MANAGER: Letâ??s walk. (Billy walks
away with the Bank Manager. The Guy and Girl look across at each other. The sound of the
waves cross-fades with the sound of the city. Heâ??s holding a bunch of CDs in his hands.)
cirL: Can I get one of those CDs? I knew that we would make something good. Are you happy
with it? cur: Do you want to rob my daâ??s motorbike go for a drive... ONCE
Ls) cirz: I need to go to Ivankaâ??I have to give my mother a break... . uy: Yeah of course.
(A pause.) GiRL: So you’ll telephone your girl tonight? Guy: Yeah. (A pause.) Look do you
want to come over to mine later, listen to the CD, talk a bit? err: A little hanky-panky?
cuy: No one calls it hanky-panky anymore. Girt: Maybe thatâ??s why I canâ??t find any. cuy:
Yeah youâ??ve got to use a different word. ert: That is my problem! cuy (Laughing): Jesus
donâ??t say that! Giri (Laughing): Sorry! (They laugh, both blushing.) Guy: Come to New York
with me! Come on, weâ??ll write loads of songs togetherâ??live in a big flat me, you, Ivanka,
and it will be brilliant! rR: Yeah we go to New York and we will tell no one! And no one
will ever be able to find us again. cuy: No one! And weâ??ll have a great band and we’ll
sell out loads of places and it will be just great. cir: And we’ll make an album together.
cuy: Ah, man, Iâ??d love that! err: And Iâ??ll play the piano and do the backing vocals! cov:
And it’ll be brilliant because it will be me and you! er: It will be me and you and all of
this beautiful music! Guy: Yeah! Come on! Come on, Iâ??m serious! (A slight pause.) Girt:
Can I bring my mother? (He smiles. Life seems all too complicated, the dream immediately
evaporates. A pause.) guy: Will you call by later? (A pause. She smiles.) crrz: I’ll be
there. (They walk away from each other. They look back and turn away once more.) THE MOON
GUY AND GIRL: Shut the door to the moon and let the birds gather Play no more with the
fool and let the souls wander (The light moves onto the Guy and Da in the shop. Daâ??s
sitting listening to the CD of the Guy singing. The song ends, the play button pops up. A
pause.) guy: So what do you think? You think itâ??s any goodâ??itâ??s only a demo remember...
pa: Itâ??s fucking great. Guy: Yeah? pa: That’ll be a hit, no questionâ??even I can see
thatâ??itâ??s magic, Sonâ??brilliant. guy: Thanks, Da. (A pause.) pa: I saw that ticketâ??says
you’re flying tomorrow. cuy: Listen I’ll be straight back if you need me for anything .. .
pa: Donâ??t be daft, Iâ??ll be grand... cuy: Honest, Da... ONCE
st o pa: Go, Son, doit... Guy: But you’ll be all right here alone? .. . pa: Iâ??ve got a lot
more life in me than I give myself credit for. cur: I know you do. pa: Making moves on
Baruska in the studio, dâ??you see that? Guy: I saw that. pa: Sheâ??s taking me dancing on
Friday. eur: Seriously? pa: Sheâ??s always seriousâ??sheâ??s Czech. cuy: Fair play to ya. pa:
Now here ya go. (Da hands him a check. The Guy looks at it.) Guy: Jesus, Da, thatâ??s loads!
.. . pa: Itâ??s just moneyâ??you might need it over thereâ??itâ??ll make you feel brave. Take it,
Son. cuy: Thanks. (A slight pause.) pa: So howâ??s the heart? cuy: Itâ??s travelinâ??, Da. (A
pause.) pa: It will all be great. Everything. Just live. (Slight pause) Make your ma
proud. (About the CD) Now play it again! (A phone is heard ringingâ??the Guy alone. A light
fades up on his ex as the phone is answered.) EX-GIRLFRIEND: Hey there. Guy: Hi. So howâ??s
it goinâ?? over there... EX-GIRLFRIEND: Iâ??m really missing you. Guy: Yeah? (A slight pause.)
EX-GIRLFRIEND: So much. cuy: Iâ??m missing you, too. (A slight pause.) Listen Iâ??m coming
over there. EX-GIRLFRIEND: Really?! cuy: If you wantâ??if you thinkâ?? EX-GIRLFRIEND: Just
come! cuy: Itâ??s all right then? EX-GIRLFRIEND: You’re joking me!! Itâ??s wonderful! Guy: All
right then. (A slight pause.) EX-GIRLFRIEND: When will I see you? Guy: When you wake up
tomorrow. (He looks back in the Girlâ??s direction. They stare across at each other.) IRL
(Softly): Go. (â??Falling Slowlyâ? is heard over â ? ? The Moonâ? as the light slowly fades on the
Girl. The Guy knows in that moment that she isnâ??t coming to him. Their lives must
continue. A new lighting state as the Guy is seen talking to Billy. He hands bim the check
his da had given him. Billy hugs and kisses him. The light comes back up in the Girlâ??s
flat. Andrej is standing bebind her, covering ber eyes. Baruska, Rˆ'za and Svec are all
there. Billy is wheeling a piano wrapped in a big red bow into the living room. The piano
she loved. The Guy sings:) ONCE
wo wo FALLING SLOWLY I donâ??t know you But I want you All the more for that (Andrej drops
his hands. She sees the piano and bursts into sur- prise.) Words fall through me And
always fool me And I canâ??t react And games that never amount To more than theyâ??re meant
Will play themselves out (He continues singing. He could be in the room with her, but be
is already gone. She sits at the piano and plays and sings with him:) GUY AND GIRL: Take
this sinking boat and point it home We’ve still got time Raise your hopeful voice you have
a choice Youâ??ve made it now Falling slowly, eyes that know me And I canâ??t go back Moods
that take me and erase me And Iâ??m painted black You have suffered enough And warred with
yourself Itâ??s time that you won Take this sinking boat and point it home We’ve still got
time Raise your hopeful voice you have the choice Youâ??ve made it now Falling slowly sing
your melody T’ll sing it loud. Take it all. I played the cards too late, Now itâ??s gone.
(They are lost in the song and its music. The delicate strains of â ? ? Falling Slowlyâ? fade
away as the light fades. Blackout.) END ONCE
Credit Information, Continued from the Copyright Page â ? ? Leaveâ? Words and Music by Glen
Hansard ´' 2006 The Swell Season Publishing (ASCAP) All Rights Administered by WB Music
Corp. (ASCAP) Exclusive Worldwide Print Rights Administered by Alfred Music Publishing
Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved â ? ? Falling Slowlyâ? Words and Music by Glen Hansard and Markˆ'ta
Irglova ´' 2006 The Swell Season Publishing (ASCAP) All Rights Administered by WB Music
Corp. (ASCAP) Exclusive Worldwide Print Rights Administered by Alfred Music Publishing
Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved â ? ? The North Strandâ? Words and Music by Glen Hansard and
Markˆ'ta Irglova ´' 2006 The Swell Season Publishing (ASCAP) All Rights Administered by WB
Music Corp. (ASCAP) Exclusive Worldwide Print Rights Administered by Alfred Music
Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved â ? ? The Moonâ? Words and Music by Glen Hansard ´' 2006
The Swell Season Publishing (ASCAP) All Rights Administered by WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)
Exclusive Worldwide Print Rights Administered by Alfred Music Publishing Co., Inc. All
Rights Reserved â ? ? Ej Padˆ', Padˆ' Rositkaâ? Words and Music: Traditional Martin Lowe Music
(ASCAP) / Copyright Control Exclusive Worldwide Print Rights Administered by Alfred Music
Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved â ? ? If You Want Meâ? Words and Music by Markˆ'ta
Irglova ´' 2007 The Swell Season Publishing (ASCAP) All Rights Administered by WB Music
Corp. (ASCAP) Exclusive Worldwide Print Rights Administered by Alfred Music Publishing
Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved â ? ? Broken-Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guyâ? Words and Music by
Glen Hansard ´' 2006 The Swell Season Publishing (ASCAP) All Rights Administered by WB
Music Corp. (ASCAP) Exclusive Worldwide Print Rights Administered by Alfred Music
Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved
â
?
?
Say It to Me Nowâ? Words and Music by Glen Hansard, Graham Downey, Paul James Brennan,
Noreen Oâ??Donnell, Colm Mac Con Iomaire and David Odlum ´' 1995 The Swell Season Publishing
and Perfect Songs Ltd. All Rights for The Swell Season Publishing Administered by WB Music
Corp. All Rights for Perfect Songs Ltd. Administered by Downtown Dmp Songs/ Downtown Music
Publishing LLC All Rights Reserved â ? ? Abandoned in Bandonâ? Words and Music by Martin Lowe,
Andy Taylor and Enda Walsh ´' 2006 Martin Lowe Music (ASCAP) / Copyright Control Exclusive
Worldwide Print Rights Administered by Alfred Music Publishing Co., Inc All Rights
Reserved â ? ? Goldâ? Words and Music by Fergus Oâ??Farrell ´' 2006 Yell Music LTD (PRS) Exclusive
Worldwide Print Rights Administered by Alfred Music Publishing Co., Inc All Rights
Reserved â ? ? When Your Mindâ??s Made Upâ? Words and Music by Glen Hansard ´' 2006 The Swell
Season Publishing (ASCAP) All Rights Administered by WB Music Corp. (ASCAP) Exclusive
Worldwide Print Rights Administered by Alfred Music Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights
Reserved â ? ? Sleepingâ? Words and Music by Glen Hansard ´' 2006 The Swell Season Publishing
(ASCAP) All Rights Administered by WB Music Corp. (ASCAP) Exclusive Worldwide Print Rights
Administered by Alfred Music Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved â ? ? The Hillâ? Words and
Music by Markˆ'ta Irglova ´' 2007 The Swell Season Publishing (ASCAP) All Rights
Administered by WB Music Corp. (ASCAP) Exclusive Worldwide Print Rights Administered by
Alfred Music Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved ENDA WALSH (Book) is an Irish
playwright living in London. He is the winner of numerous international awards, and his
work has been translated and produced worldwide. His plays include Misterman, Penelope,
The New Electrical Ballroom, The Walworth Farce, Chatroom, The Small Things, bedbound,
Disco Pigs, How These Desperate Men Talk, Lynndieâ??s Gotta Gun, Gentrification, My Friend
Duplicity and Room 303. He co-wrote the screenplay for Hunger (directed and co-written by
Steve McQueen, 2008). Walsh was awarded the Tony Award and the Outer Critic Circle Award
for his work on Once. GLEN HANSARD (Music and Lyrics) is a musician/songwriter and actor,
who wrote songs for the musical and film versions of Once, for which he won an Academy
Award for Best Original Song for â ? ? Falling Slowly.â? He also starred in the film and had a
role in The Commitments. His albums include The Swell Season, Strict Foy, The Cost, Burn
the Maps, Set List: Live in Dublin, For the Birds, Dance the Devil, Fitzcarraldo and
Another Love Song. He also wrote songs for The Hunger Games. He is a member of The Swell
Season and The Frames. He recently released his first solo album, Rhythm and Repose.
MARKETA IRGLOVA (Music and Lyrics) is a musician/songwriter and actress, who wrote songs
for the musical and film versions of Once, for which she won an Academy Award for Best
Original Song for â ? ? Falling Slowly.â? She also starred in the film Once. Her albums include
The Swell Season, Strict Joy and her solo debut Anar.
Winnerâ??Best Musical! Drama Desk Award Lucille Lortel Award New York Drama Criticsâ?? Circle
Award Outer Critics Circle Award Tony Award â ? ? One of the best things to happen to Broadway
in the past decade. An exquisite reminder of theaterâ??s singular capacity to transport us.â??
â
?
?
A gem of a show. Once wins its standing ovations the old-fashioned way: with a love
story, great sounds, compelling characters and inven- tive stagecraft ... at this point in
Broadway history, this feels down- right erenmonene ELISABETH VINCENTELLI; N AK Pt
â
?
?
Unbridled joy!â? â ? ? Pure, moving and inventive ...it is a study in how to beautifully adapt
a movie to the stage. In many ways, in fact, this Once is better than the original.â? IARK
KENNE (a) ED PRESS â ? ? Once charms us with a rare combination of intelligence, warmth and
musicality.â? REMY GERARD, BLOOMBER ENDA WALSH (Book) is an Irish playwright whose work has
been translated and pro- duced worldwide. Recent plays include Misterman, Penelope, The
New Electric Ballroom and The Walworth Farce. GLEN HANSARD and MARKETA IRGLOVA (Music an
Lyr- ics) starred in the original 2007 film (written and directed by John Carney), for
which they won the Academy Award for Best Song for â ? ? Falling Slowly.â? 9"781559"36421 Cover
art by SpotCo THEATRE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP
Last Update:November, 28th 2025
Once Lyrics: Song List
- Act I
- The North Strand
- Leave
- Falling Slowly
- The Moon
- Ej, Pada, Pada, Rosicka
- If You Want Me
- Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy
- Say It to Me Now
- Abandoned in Bandon
- Gold
- Act II
- Sleeping
- When Your Mind's Made Up
- The Hill
- It Cannot Be About That
- Gold (A Cappella)
- Falling Slowly (Reprise)
- Original Broadway Cast Recording (Bonus Tracks)
- Chandler's Wife
- Raglan Road
- Este Si Ja Pohar Vina Zaplatim