Stephen Sondheim - The Advantages of Floating in the Middle of the Sea lyrics

[RECITER, spoken] Nippon! The floating kingdom! An island empire which for centuries has lived in perfect peace, undisturbed by intruders from across the sea. Here in the month of July 1853, there is nothing to threaten the serene and changeless cycle of our days (sung) In the middle of the world we float In the middle of the sea The realities remain remote In the middle of the sea Kings are burning somewhere Wheels are turning somewhere Trains are being run Wars are being won Things are being done Somewhere out there Not here Here we paint screens (spoken) Yes! The arrangement of the screens: (sung) We sit inside the screens And contemplate the view That's painted on the screens More beautiful than true Beyond the screens That glide aside Are further screens That open wide With scenes of screens like the ones that glide And no one presses in And no one glances out And kings are burning somewhere [ALL] Not here! As the hurricanes have come, they've pa**ed In the middle of the sea The advantages are made to last In the middle of the sea Gods are crumbling somewhere Machines are rumbling somewhere Ways are being found Watches being wound Prophets being crowned Somewhere out there Not here Here we plant rice [RECITER, spoken] Yes! The arrangement of the rice: (sung) The farmer plants the rice The priest exalts the rice The lord collects the rice The merchant buys the rice The craftsman makes the sword And sells it to the lord And buys it at twice the former price What he counts on his lord to protect with his sword: [ALL, spoken] The rice! [RECITER] They eat the rice and then The day begins again [ALL] And kings are burning somewhere Not here! The advantages go on and on In the middle of the sea As the centuries have come, they've gone In the middle of the sea Days arise to be replaced Lines are drawn and lines erased Life and d**h are but verses in a poem Out there blood flows Who knows? Here we paint screens Plant the rice Arrange the flowers View the moon Exchange the gifts Plant the rice Arrange tomorrow like today to float Slide the screens Exchange the poems Stir the tea Exchange the bows Plant the rice Arrange tomorrow to be like today To float The viewing of the moon The planting of the rice The stirring of the tea The painting of the screens We float The viewing of the moon The stirring of the tea The planting of the rice The weaving of the mats The placing of the stones We float The viewing of the moon The planting of the rice The catching of the fish The weaving of the mats The painting of... The folding of the fans We float The painting of the screens The wrapping of the gifts The sliding of the screens We float The stirring of the tea We float [RECITER, spoken] We float