Stephen Flaherty - Coalhouse Demands lyrics

NEWSBOY #1 Extra! Arsonist destroys Emerald Isle Engine Company! NEWSBOY #2 Negro gunman shoots three dead! NEWSBOY #3 Extra! Terror stalks New Rochelle! Murderer's demands revealed! COALHOUSE One--that my car be returned to me in its original condition Two--that the white excrescence known as Fire Chief Will Conklin The one who instigated this crime, be turned over to me for my justice Nothing less, nothing more ALL Somewhere in the city There's a madman waiting Standing in the shadows With a gun in his hands A man of colour Who is calmly stating: Coalhouse demands! Coalhouse demands! NEW ROCHELLE MEN, WOMEN He demands! HARLEM MEN, WOMEN He demands! Coalhouse demands! NEW ROCHELLE MEN Who is he to demand? HARLEM MEN, WOMEN He demands! NEW ROCHELLE WOMEN, MEN & NEWSBOYS He demands! NEWSBOYS (shouting) k**er Negro demands! HARLEM MEN, WOMEN About time a black man demanded! ALL He calls Conklin the white excrescence... THE LITTLE BOY What's excrescence? FATHER Edgar, go to your room! (MOTHER is greatly agitated. GRANDFATHER and SARAH'S FRIEND are with her. THE LITTLE BOY does not leave.) MOTHER Three firemen were k**ed. One of them was Mrs. Gallagher's nephew Six more were badly injured when the boiler exploded THE LITTLE BOY And one of them will be dead by tonight. It was Coalhouse, wasn't it? FATHER I said, go to your room MOTHER Edgar (MOTHER and THE LITTLE BOY leave together.) GRANDFATHER I told you we hadn't heard the last of that Negro ALL Coalhouse demands HARLEM MEN (COALHOUSES'S MEN), YOUNGER BROTHER It's an eye for an eye-- Call it justice, friend HARLEM WOMEN, SARAH'S FRIEND People's lives for a car ain't justice An eye for an eye, that ain't! FIREMEN He wants Willie Conklin CONKLIN Willie Conklin! He even misspelled my name Wouldn't you know it! With a "K"! He can't take a joke, now can he Sensitive, ain't he? Does he think only n******gs get sh*t? We Irish had to get used to it! FIREMAN You goddamned, gutless Mick, look what you got us into! (WILLIE is shocked and confused that people are turning their backs on him and are angry.) WILLIE You're gonna protect me, ain't ya? Hide me, ain't ya? FIREMAN Get out of town, Will, before they k** us all! (COALHOUSE'S MEN surround him. They stand in solidarity.) COALHOUSE'S MEN What they did to you What they took from you We are one with you Now the world will know There are Negroes out there To make them listen! We're all Coalhouse! (They don matching bowler hats and brandish their guns.) (BOOKER T. WASHINGTON is surrounded by REPORTERS.) REPORTER #1 Do you have a statement for us, Mr. Washington? REPORTER #2 What do you think of these Negro renegades, Mr. Washington? BOOKER T. WASHINGTON For the sum of my life I have lived in hope We might all be Christian brothers I have worked to persuade Every white-skinned man That he need not fear our race I deplore Mr. Walker's actions, and the irreparable harm he has done to my people And I wish that I might tell him face to face HARLEM WOMEN (Group 1) Not one of ours Never heard of him We don't want any trouble Not one of ours HARLEM WOMEN (Group 2) Not one of ours Never heard of him Don't want any trouble Not one of ours ALL HARLEM WOMEN Don't know anything (to each other) And I wouldn't tell those peckerwoods Even if I did! GROUP 1 No one knows what he looks like No one knows where he is No one knows how to Stop him... GROUP 1 Somewhere in the city There's a madman waiting Standing in the shadows With a gun in his hand ALL A man of colour Who is calmly stating Coalhouse demands Somewhere in the city Coalhouse! CONKLIN, OTHERS Somewhere in the city Waiting in the dark Stop him! CONKLIN, GROUP 2 Somewhere in the city Standing in the shadows COALHOUSE & HIS MEN We'll play them the music Of something beginning!An era exploding,A century spinning--Listen to that Ragtime! (THEY fire their guns. People react MOTHER and YOUNGER BROTHER are sitting around a table. MOTHER has Sarah's baby with her. FATHER stands with a pistol. THE LITTLE BOY watches.) FATHER We are suffering a tragedy that should not have been ours. What in God's name possessed you? You took that woman in without Sufficient thought. And she brought Coalhouse into our lives. You have victimized us all with your foolish female Sentimentality YOUNGER BROTHER Are you going out to find him and shoot him? FATHER I'm protecting my home. If Mr. Walker makes the mistake of coming to my door I will deal with him (The baby begins to cry. SARAH'S FRIEND enters.) YOUNGER BROTHER Why should he come here? We did not desecrate his car FATHER I went to the police. I told them this murdering madman was a guest in my home. I told them we are keeping his ba*tard Child. I told them everything I knew. They were very grateful YOUNGER BROTHER Did you tell them he's the Negro maniac whose car they destroyed? The same black man who went to them for justice but whose Every legal complaint the ignored? The same crazed Negro k**er who followed the coffin of a woman they murdered? Were they Grateful for the truth? FATHER I hope I misunderstand you. Would you defend this savage? Does he have anyone but himself to blame for Sarah's d**h? Anything but his damnable n***a pride? Nothing under heaven can excuse the k**ing of men and the destruction of property in This manner YOUNGER BROTHER I did not hear such a eulogy at Sarah's funeral. I did not hear you say then that d**h and destruction of property were Inexcusable FATHER Must I endure this? YOUNGER BROTHER You are a complacent man with no thought of history. You have traveled everywhere and learned nothing. I despise you (HE exits, slamming the door.) FATHER He'll be back MOTHER I don't think so THE LITTLE BOY Why is uncle angry? Why is everyone so angry? MOTHER Ask your father THE LITTLE BOY It's because of Coalhouse, isn't it?