His awards include seven Tonys, three Grammys including Best Contemporary Classical Composition for Requiem, seven Oliviers, a Golden Globe, an Oscar, two International Emmys, the Praemium Imperiale, the Richard Rodgers Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre, a BASCA Fellowship and the Kennedy Center Honor.
He currently owns six London theatres, including the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and the London Palladium.
Waltz for Eva and Che
Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics
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Tell me before I waltz out of your life
Before turning my back on the past
Forgive my impertinent behavior
But how long do you think this pantomime can last?
Tell me before I ride off in the sunset
There's one thing I never got clearHow can you claim you're our savior
When those who oppose you are stepped on
Or cut up, or simply disappear?
[Eva:]
Tell me before you get onto your bus
Before joining the forgotten brigade
How can one person like me, say
Alter the time-honored way the game is played?
Tell me before you get onto your high horse
Just what you expect me to do
I don't care what the bourgeoisie say
I'm not in business for them
But to give all my descamisados
A magical moment or two
[Che and Eva:]
There is evil, ever around
Fundamental system of government
Quite incidental
[Eva:]
So what are my chances of honest advances?
I'd say low
Better to win by admitting my sin
[Che:]
Tell me before I seek worthier pastures
And thereby restore self-esteem
How can you be so short-sighted
To look never further than this week or next week
To have no impossible dream?
[Eva:]
Allow me to help you slink off to the sidelines
And mark your adieu with three cheers
But first tell me who'd be delighted
If I said I'd take on the world's greatest problems
From war to pollution, no hope of solution
Even if I lived for one hundred years
[Che and Eva:]
There is evil, ever around
Fundamental system of government
Quite incidental
[Eva:]
So go, if you're able, to somewhere unstable
And stay there
Whip up your hate in some tottering state
But not here, dear
Is that clear, dear?
Oh what I'd give for a hundred years
But the physical interferes
Every day more, oh my Creator
What is the good of the strongest heart
In a body that's falling apart?
A serious flaw, I hope you know that
The lyrics to Andrew Lloyd Webber's song Waltz for Eva and Che, which is part of his musical "Evita," explores the tension between two characters - Che and Eva - as they engage in a back-and-forth dialogue. Che challenges Eva's authority and position as a savior of the people, questioning her methods and the fairness of her government. He also questions the sustainability of their current situation and wonders how long the people will continue to be treated unfairly.
Eva, on the other hand, defends her position and her intent as a leader. She recognizes that there is evil in the government, but also believes that she can make a positive change and provide hope for the people. She challenges Che to think beyond himself and his own personal gain, asking how he can be so short-sighted and not have any impossible dreams. The song ends with Eva expressing her frustration at the limitations of the physical body and the desire for a hundred years to fulfill her vision.
Overall, the lyrics highlight the struggle for power and control in the political landscape, and the challenges faced by those who seek to create a better world. It also touches on the limitations of human existence and the desire for eternal life to achieve one's goals.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me before I waltz out of your life
Inform me before I leave for good
Before turning my back on the past
Before leaving behind everything that has happened in the past
Forgive my impertinent behavior
Pardon my rude behavior
But how long do you think this pantomime can last?
But how much longer can we continue pretending as if everything is okay?
Tell me before I ride off in the sunset
Inform me before I leave for good
There's one thing I never got clear
One thing that always puzzled me
How can you claim you're our savior
How can you portray yourself as our savior
When those who oppose you are stepped on or cut up, or simply disappear?
When those who go against you are being crushed, hurt, or vanish without any explanation?
Tell me before you get onto your bus
Inform me before you leave forever
Before joining the forgotten brigade
Before becoming one of the ignored and abandoned group of people
How can one person like me, say
How can a person, like me, do or say
Alter the time-honored way the game is played?
Change how things have always been
Tell me before you get onto your high horse
Inform me before you become arrogant
Just what you expect me to do
Exactly what do you want me to do?
I don't care what the bourgeoisie say
I am not concerned about the opinions of the wealthy class
I'm not in business for them
I am not working for their benefit
But to give all my descamisados a magical moment or two
But to offer all the poor people a moment or two of hope and magic
There is evil, ever around
There is always evil present
Fundamental system of government
The fundamental way the government system works
Quite incidental
It's just a minor detail
So what are my chances of honest advances?
What are the odds of me making honest progress?
I'd say low
I would say the chances are not very high
Better to win by admitting my sin
It is better to acknowledge my wrongdoing and win rather than lose with a clear conscience
Than to lose with a halo
Rather than to lose while being honest
Tell me before I seek worthier pastures
Let me know before I go look for greener grass
And thereby restore self-esteem
And as a result, regain my self-respect
How can you be so short-sighted
How can you have such a narrow view of things
To look never further than this week or next week
To never look beyond the current or upcoming week
To have no impossible dream?
To have no aspirations that seem unattainable?
Allow me to help you slink off to the sidelines
Let me assist you in leaving unobtrusively
And mark your adieu with three cheers
And bid you farewell with three cheers
But first tell me who'd be delighted
But first, let me know who would be pleased
If I said I'd take on the world's greatest problems
If I announced that I would confront the most significant global problems
From war to pollution, no hope of solution
From warfare to pollution, even though there seems to be no answer
Even if I lived for one hundred years
Even if I were to live for a century
So go, if you're able, to somewhere unstable
So, leave if you can, to a precarious place
And stay there
And remain there
Whip up your hate in some tottering state
In a shaky state, stir up your hatred
But not here, dear
But definitely not here, very much
Is that clear, dear?
Is that perfectly understandable for you, my dear?
Oh what I'd give for a hundred years
Oh, what I wouldn't do for a century
But the physical interferes
But the body's limitations prevent me
Every day more, oh my Creator
Every day, more and more, oh my God
What is the good of the strongest heart
What is the use of having the most robust heart
In a body that's falling apart?
In a body that's deteriorating?
A serious flaw, I hope you know that
It's a significant deficiency, I trust you know that
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER, TIM RICE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind