He is also a veteran of musical theatre. In 1972, Bostwick originated the role of Danny Zuko in the original Broadway production of Grease. The role earned Bostwick a Tony Award nomination. Bostwick's other theatre roles include portraying bandit Jamie Lockhart in the 1977 Broadway musical The Robber Bridegroom. For this role, Bostwick earned his Tony Award. In 1990, another Broadway musical, Nick and Nora, in which Bostwick co-starred with Joanna Gleason, opened to poor reviews and closed after few performances.
The Watchword's Hour
Barry Bostwick Lyrics
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And darkness marks stray souls to claim
He stands in vigil, taking aim
The hour belongs to the Watchword
In shattered halls where pupils sleep
He peers through peepholes, counting sheep
He draws his lens, and with a sweep
The hour belongs to the Watchword
From the buzzbox by your bed
Transmissions of this evening′s dread
And in a flash
Click, click
The hour belongs to the Watchword
When mischief longs you from your cot
And focus twists and shadows plot
He winds, he aims and takes his shot
The hour belongs to the Watchword
Meanwhile, back at the vault
In amber light where prints are traced
He trains a dogged eye
By negatives, he stamps the fleece
And hangs them out to dry
Exposed in baths
Inverted cut
In rows of numbered faces
Developed in observance
Aired as chilling nightly cases
The signal flickers dark and red
From the buzzbox by your bed
Transmissions of this evening's dread
And in a flash
Click, click
The hour belongs to the Watchword
Restless ears should hit the sack
For he holds service on nude backs
And pictures you in white or black
The hour belongs to the Watchword
The hour belongs to the Watchword
Tonight′s case: "Out Beyond the Depths"
It all began with a dame.
The Watchword's Hour, a song by Barry Bostwick, is a haunting tribute to the hour of the night when vigilance is at its peak, and the eyes of the watchers are trained on the world. The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery that paints a picture of a man, standing guard in the darkness and waiting for the flicker of a signal that will draw him into action. The mood is ominous, with a sense of danger lurking just beyond the walls of the viewer's bedroom. The Watchword, the song seems to say, is the keeper of the night, the guardian of secrets that must never be told.
The song's lyrics describe a Watchword who is a photographer, capturing images that will later be aired as "chilling nightly cases." The Watchword is a man of mystery, peering through peepholes and training a "dogged eye" on negative prints that will reveal secrets hidden by darkness. He is a man who takes his job seriously, winding his camera and aiming for the perfect shot. The Watchword's Hour is a tribute to the hidden watchers of the night, those who keep us safe while we sleep.
Line by Line Meaning
When moonlight drips into the frame
During the time of night when the moon is visible, creating a specific aesthetic in the scene,
And darkness marks stray souls to claim
When the darkness is a foreboding presence, signaling that something is going to happen soon,
He stands in vigil, taking aim
The Watchword takes his post and is ready for whatever happens next,
The hour belongs to the Watchword
This is the moment for the Watchword to take control and do what he does best,
In shattered halls where pupils sleep
In a rundown area that may not be the safest for someone to be out at night,
He peers through peepholes, counting sheep
He looks through small holes to make sure everything is in order and no one is awake,
He draws his lens, and with a sweep
He prepares his camera to take a sweeping shot of the surroundings,
The signal flickers, dark and red
The signal is ominous, signaling that something is about to go down,
From the buzzbox by your bed
From the device that you keep by your bed to keep you informed of what's happening around you,
Transmissions of this evening′s dread
Reports of everything that has happened so far that evening, which have added up to a sense of unease,
And in a flash
Suddenly and unexpectedly,
Click, click
The sound of his camera as he takes photos of his surroundings,
When mischief longs you from your cot
When something sinister is trying to lure you from your bed and into danger,
And focus twists and shadows plot
When the people or things around you seem to be conspiring against you and you can't trust anyone,
He winds, he aims and takes his shot
The Watchword readies his camera and takes a photo of the scene for evidence later on,
Meanwhile, back at the vault
At the location where they keep the records of all the cases and evidence,
In amber light where prints are traced
In a room lit by a soft, warm glow, where all the fingerprints and other evidence are being analyzed,
He trains a dogged eye
He has a sharp and determined focus on the task at hand,
By negatives, he stamps the fleece
He uses the photographic negatives to identify the evidence and marks it down in the records,
And hangs them out to dry
He allows the photos to be processed and left out in the open air to dry out,
Exposed in baths
The photographic negatives are soaked in a bath to develop the photos,
Inverted cut
The photos are inverted so it is easier to see and identify the details,
In rows of numbered faces
The photos are arranged in an orderly fashion so they can be easily accessed and cross-referenced,
Developed in observance
The evidence is carefully examined and studied,
Aired as chilling nightly cases
The evidence is broadcasted to the public so they can be warned of the dangers that are around them at night,
Restless ears should hit the sack
People who are afraid or nervous should try to go to sleep and get some rest,
For he holds service on nude backs
The Watchword takes photos of people without their clothing on in order to better identify them,
And pictures you in white or black
He uses photographic negatives in order to capture photos of people in black and white,
Tonight′s case: "Out Beyond the Depths"
This is the current case that the Watchword is working on,
It all began with a dame.
This case started because of a woman who came to the Watchword with a problem,
Contributed by Lila Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.