Lyrics A Weekend in the Country (Act One) - Company

Look, ma'am, an invitation,
Here, ma'am, delivered by hand.
And, ma'am, I notice the station-
Ary's engraved and very grand.
Petra, how too exciting!
Just when I need it!
Petra, such elegant writing,
So chic you hardly can read it!
What do you think?
Who can it be?
Even the ink--
No, here, let me...
"Your presence"--just think of it, Petra!
"Is kindly"--it's at a chateau!
"Requested"--etcet'ra, etcet'ra,
"Madame Leonora Armf--" Oh, no!
A weekend in the country--
We're invited?
What a horrible plot!
A weekend in the country--
I'm excited!
No, you're not.
A weekend in the country, just imagine--
It's completely depraved.
A weekend in the country!
It's insulting.
It's engraved.
It's that woman, it's that Armfeldt!
Oh, the actress?
No, the ghoul!
She may hope to make her charm felt,
But she's mad if she thinks I would be such a fool
As to weekend in the country.
How insulting!
And I've nothing to wear.
A weekend in the country--
Here! The last place I'm going is there.
Guess what? An invitation!
Guess who? Begins with an "A."
"Armfeldt"--is that a relation
To the decrepit Desiree?
Out of the blue isn't it strange
Well but it's true we need a change
Oh, no!
A weekend in the country
Would be charming,
And the air would be fresh.
A weekend with that woman?
In the country--
In the flesh.
A weekend in the country
Smelling jasmine
Watching little thing grow
A weekend in the country
My darling, we'll simply say no.
Oh.
A weekend!
How very amusing.
A weekend!
But also inept.
A weekend; of course we're refusing.
Au contraire! You must accept!
Oh, no!
A weekend in the country--
But it's frightful!
No, you don't understand.
A weekend in the country
Is delightful
If it's planned.
Wear your hair down, and a flower,
Don't use makeup, dress in white.
She'll grow older by the hour
And be hopelessly shattered by Saturday night.
Spend a weekend in the country.
We'll accept it!
I'd a feeling you would.
A weekend in the country--
Yes, it's only polite that we should.
Good.
Well?
I've an intriguing little social item--
What?
Out of the Armfeldt family manse.
Well, what?
Merely a weekend, still, I thought it might am-
Use you to know
Who's invited to go,
This time with his pants.
You don't mean...
I'll give you three guesses.
She wouldn't...
Reduce it to two.
It can't be...
It nevertheless is.
Egerman!
Right! Score one for you.
A-ha!
A-ha!
A-ha...
A-ha?
A weekend in the country,
We should try it.
How I wish we'd been asked.
A weekend in the country,
Peace and quiet--
We'll go masked.
A weekend in the country...
Uninvited?
They'll consider it odd.
A weekend in the country,
I'm delighted.
Oh, my god.
And the shooting should be pleasant
If the weather's not too rough.
Happy birthday, it's your present.
But--
You haven't been getting out nearly enough.
And a weekend in the country--
It's perverted!
Pack my quiver and bow.
A weekend in the country--
At exactly 2: 30, we go.
We can't.
We shall!
We shan't!
I'm getting the car
And we're motoring down.
Yes, I'm certain you are,
And I'm staying in town.
Go and pack my suits! We'll go.
I won't
My boots! We will?
Pack everything I own that shoots!
We should.
No! Pack everything white
Charlotte! Ma'am, it's wonderful news!
I'm thinking it out. Are you sure it's all right?
Charlotte! We'd be rude to refuse
We are?
Charlotte!
We'll take the car!
All right, then--
We'll bring champagne and caviar!
We're off on our way,
What a beautiful day
For a weekend in the country,
Taking rambles
Having leisurely chats
A weekend in the country,
With the brambles
And the gnats!
A weekend in the country,
Full of craning to see? in their nests
A weekend in the country,
Entertaining other guests
I'll recieve them in the red room
Then impress them with a feast
Then retire to my bedroom
Where I am planning to stay
Until monday a least!
A weekend in the country
Rising early to go out and lie down
A weekend in the country
Where--
A weekend in the country, the bees in their hives,
The shallow worldly figures, the frivolous lives.
The devil's companions know not whom they serve,
It might be instructive to observe.
Charlotte! We're off! A weekend in the country,
The bees
In their hives...
I'm thinking We are?
It out.
We'll take
Charlotte! The car.
There's no need We'll bring champagne We're off! We are?
To shout. And caviar! We'll take the car!
We'll bring
Champagne
And caviar...
We're off on our way,
What a beautiful day,
We're laying our plans We're off on The bees in
While we're playing croquet, Our way, Their hives...
With riotous laughter we quietly suffer
The season in town, which is reason enough for
A weekend in the country
A refresher for the body and mind
A weekend in the country
With the pressure far behind
A weekend in the country
Gently gliding over manicured lawns
A weekend in the country
Gently hiding little yawns...
With the pheasants in the thickets
And the peasants mowing hay
In the presence of the crickets
We'll be laying our plans while we're playing croquet
A weekend in the country
With umbrellas to avoid getting brown
A weekend in the country
Where
Twice as upset as in...
Are you sure?
We're going!
Town!