From the musical “The Band Wagon”, 1953.
Words by Howard Dietz.
Music by Arthur Schwartz.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- The clown with his pants falling down
Or the dance that’s a dream of romance
Or the scene where the villain is mean
That’s entertainment
The lights on the lady in tights
Or the bride with a guy on the side
Or the ball where she gives him her all
That’s entertainment
The plot can be hot, simply teeming with sex
A gay divorcee who is after her “ex”
It can be Oedipus Rex
Where a chap kills his father
And causes lots of bother
The clerk who is thrown out of work
By the boss who is thrown for a loss
By the skirt who is doing him dirt
The world is a stage
The stage is a world of entertainment - The doubt while the jury is out
Or the thrill when they’re reading the will
Or the chase for the man with the face
That’s entertainment
The dame who is known as the flame
Of the king of an underworld ring
He’s an ape who won’t let her escape
That’s entertainment
It might be a fight like you see on the screen
A swain getting slain for the love of a queen
Some great Shakespearean scene
Where a ghost and a prince meet
And everyone ends in mincemeat
The gag may be waving the flag
That began with a Mister Cohan
Hip hooray! The American way
The world is a stage
The stage is a world of entertainment