Chess [musical] - Epilogue: You and I / The Story of Chess

[THE RUSSIAN]

Knowing I want you

Knowing I love you

I can't explain why I remain

Careless about you

[FLORENCE]

I've been a fool to allow

Dreams to become

Great expectations

[THE RUSSIAN]

How can I love you so much

Yet make no move?

[THE RUSSIAN + FLORENCE]

I pray the days and nights

In their endless weary procession

Soon overwhelm

My sad obsession

You and I

We've seen it all

Chasing our hearts' desire

But we go on pretending

Stories like ours

Have happy endings

[THE RUSSIAN]

You could not give me

More than you gave me

Why should there be

Something in me

Still discontented

[FLORENCE]

I won't look back any more

And if I do

Just for a moment

[THE RUSSIAN]

I'll soon be happy to say

I knew her well

[THE RUSSIAN + FLORENCE]

But if you hear today

I'm no longer quite so devoted

To this affair

I've been misquoted

You and I

We've seen it all

Chasing our hearts' desire

But we go on pretending

Stories like ours

Have happy endings

[CHOIR]

Each game of chess

Means there's one less

Variation left to be played

Each day got through

Means one or two

Less mistakes remain to be made

[GROUP 1] + (GROUP 2)

Not much is known (Each game)

Of early days of chess (Of chess)

Beyond a fairly vague report (Means there's)

That fifteen hundred years ago (One less)

Two princes fought (Variation)

Tough brothers, for a Hindu throne (Left to be played)

The mother cried (Each day)

For no one really likes (Got through)

Their offspring fighting to the death (Means one)

She begged to stop the slaughter (Or two)

With her every breath (Less mistakes)

But sure enough one brother died (Remain to be made)

[GROUP 2] + (GROUP 1)

Sad (And then)

Beyond belief (Such grief)

She told her winning son (Beyond belief)

"You have caused such grief (She said)

I can't forgive (She could)

This evil thing you've done." (Not)

[GROUP 2 & 3] + (GROUP 1)

He tried to explain (Tried)

How things had really been (In vain)

But he tried in vain (To explain)

No words of his

Could mollify the queen.

[GROUP 2] + (GROUP 1)

And so he asked (He asked)

The wisest men he knew (Wise men)

The way to lessen her distress (How to)

They told him he'd be

Pretty certain to impress (Her)

[CHOIR]

By using model soldiers

On a checkered board

To show it was his brother's fault

They thus invented chess

[MALE SOLOIST] + (GROUP 2)

Chess displayed (Each game of chess)

No inertia (Means there's one less)

Soon spread to Persia (Variation)

Then west (Left to be played)

[GROUP 2] + (GROUP 1 & 3)

Next the Arabs (Each day got through)

Refined it (Means one or two)

Thus redesigned, it (Less mistakes)

Progressed (Remain to be made)

[GROUP 3]

Still further west

And when Constantinople

Fell in 1453

One would have noticed

Every other refugee

Included in his bags a set

[GROUP 2]

Once in the hands

And in the minds of leading figures

Of the Renaissance

The spirit and the speed

Of chess made swift advance

Through all of Europe's vital lands

[GROUP 2] + (GROUP 3)

Where we must record (Each game of chess)

The game was further changed (Means there's)

Right across the board (One less)

The western touch (Variation)

Upon the pieces ranged (To be played)

[CHOIR]

King, and queen, and rook

And bishop, knight, and pawn

All took on the look

We know today

The modern game was born

[GROUP 1 & 3]

And in the end

We see a game

That started by mistake

In Hindustan

And boosted in the land

By what is now Iran

[CHOIR]

Become the simplest

And most complicated

Pleasure yet devised

For just the kind of mind

Who would appreciate this

Well-researched, and fascinating

Yarn

[FLORENCE]

This is an all too familiar scene

[THE RUSSIAN]

Hopeless reflections on what might have been

[THE RUSSIAN + FLORENCE]

From all sides the incessant and burning question:

[FLORENCE]

"Bearing in mind your predicament now

[THE RUSSIAN]

What you did then

[THE RUSSIAN + FLORENCE]

We're just dying to know would you do it all again?"

[CHOIR]

Each day we get through means one less mistake

There for the making

[THE RUSSIAN + FLORENCE]

But they know full well

It's not hard to tell

Though my heart is breaking

I'd give the world for that moment with you

When we thought we knew

That our love would last

But the moment passed

With no warning, far too fast

You and I

We've seen it all

Chasing our hearts' desire

But we go on pretending

Stories like ours

Have happy endings

• Artist:Chess (musical)
• Album:ss