Rags: The New American Musical: Rags

Open your eyes, Bella
 Just take a breath
 Please don't tell me that again
 Don't tell me how it all belongs to me
 "Just take a breath, Bella"
 Not outdoors, Papa
 Every time I take a breath I gag
 "Open your eyes, Bella"
 No, open yours, Papa!
 Mine are open wide
 And let me tell you what I see
 Rags
 Rags
 This land of "freedom"
 We had to run to
 Where now we're free
 Just like everyone to wear rags
 It's all day seeing them
 All day smelling them
 All day list'ning to peddlers selling them
 Rags
 Rags
 I live in rags
 And so I'm right in style
 All the while
 Sewing, sewing, see us sewing
 Hags
 We turn to hags
 It happens bit by bit
 Picture it, Papa
 There I sit
 Sewing buttons on rags
 Oh Papa, was it so necessary
 To cram us onto that stinkin' ferry
 And drag us here
 To become American rags?
 Bella
 Remember what we left
 Papa
 I know you had to leave
 I wanted to be free
 I know how much you wanted to be free (For you and)
 Just don't say again (For Herschel)
 How you did it all (It wasn't)
 For me
 When all I got is rags
 And it's rags to wear
 And it's rags to buy
 And it's rags to wash and hang out to dry
 Like old flags
 It's rags on heads
 And it's rags on feet
 It's the latest look on Delancey Street
 It's all rags
 Dreams
 You gave me dreams
 Of such a golden place (Soon all your dreams)
 Silk and lace (They will come true)
 Milk and honey
 Oh, that's funny (Soon)
 Lies (Soon you're gonna see)
 That's all they seem (Just wait and see)
 And now the dreams have flown (Time)
 (Things take time)
 Use your eyes, Papa (Give it time)
 No more lies
 Papa, leave me alone!
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 Here's where the beauty is
 Where the party is
 See that handsome gent
 Look how smart he is
 Dancing by in his fancy clothes
 And he sneers at me down his perfect nose
 And his hair is clean and his skin is clear
 And he wonders "what is she doing here?"
 And he turns his back and the rest do too
 And I want to scream "I'm the same as you!"
 But it isn't true, I'm just
 One more Jew
 In her rags