Orangeslice13, a blessing to those around him…..Again

#10,859
#10,859
A very young Mandy Patinkin at a recording session, singing songs from the musical “South Pacific.” These lyrics…



James Michener, the amazing writer of so many stories and novels, including “Tales of the South Pacific”, was Quaker, and his religious faith influenced much of his work.

This song had to be deleted from the stage performance in many venues in both the North and the South when “South Pacific” went on tour in the early 1950’s. The first objections came from people in New England, Boston, and New York. A ubiquitous, despicable poison that is still tearing our country apart.

You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear,
You’ve got to be taught from year to year,
It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear—
You’ve got to be carefully taught!

You’ve got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a different shade—
You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate—
You’ve got to be carefully taught!
You’ve got to be carefully taught!

These following verses are not in the recorded version - they are Lt. Cable’s decision to ignore his racist upbringing and marry his love, Liat:

I was cheated before
And I’m cheated again
By a mean little world
Of mean little men.
And the one chance for me
Is the life I know best.

To be on an island
And to hell with the rest.
I will cling to this island
Like a tree or a stone,
I will cling to this island
And be free—and alone.
 
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#10,861
#10,861
“Pontificate?”

You owe me lunch. I’ll come to Chattanooga and bring my Remington 1900. See you next year.
 
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