Overture Lyrics

Music: Willy Russell
Lyrics: Willy Russell
Book: Willy Russell
Premiere: Monday, April 11, 1983

MRS JOHNSTONE
TELL ME IT'S NOT TRUE
SAY IT'S JUST A STORY

NARRATOR
SO DID Y' HEAR THE STORY
OF THE JOHNSTONE TWINS?
AS LIKE EACH OTHER AS TWO NEW PINS
OF ONE WOMB BORN, ON THE SELF SAME DAY,
HOW ONE WAS KEPT AND ONE GIVEN AWAY?

AN' DID YOU NEVER HEAR HOW THE JOHNSTONES DIED,
NEVER KNOWING THAT THEY SHARED ONE NAME,
TILL THE DAY THEY DIED, WHEN A MOTHER CRIED
MY OWN DEAR SONS LIE SLAIN.

AN DID Y' NEVER HEAR OF THE MOTHER SO CRUEL,
THERE'S A STONE IN PLACE OF HER HEART?
THEN BRING HER ON AND COME JUDGE FOR YOURSELVES
HOW SHE CAME TO PLAY THIS PART.