A Strange Loop - Precious Little Dream / AIDS Is God's Punishment Lyrics

2022 Off-Broadway
A Strange Loop the Musical - Precious Little Dream / AIDS Is God's Punishment Lyrics


The song is written by Michael R. Jackson.

MOM: (spoken)
Why do you hate us?

USHER: (spoken)
I don't hate you

MOM: (spoken)
Gettin' up in front of all of these people 
And showing them how much you hate us!

USHER: (spoken)
Mom, I don't hate you. I don't hate you!

MOM: (spoken)
Then why would you write about us like this?

USHER: (spoken)
Because I love you!

MOM: (spoken)
You don't love me. If you loved me,
You wouldn't have made your daddy run out
Of here with tears in his eyes.
If you loved me,
You would've found you a church home in New York.
If you loved me, you would've brought me home
A daughter-in-law and a grandbaby by now!
If you loved me, you'd be able to fly me around
The world like Tyler Perry!

THOUGHTS:
Her precious little dream

MOM: (spoken)
But oh, no, you are frightened about life

THOUGHTS:
Came tumbling down

MOM: (spoken)
Never mind Doodoo Bank Student Loans calling my house,
Looking for your black butt

THOUGHTS:
After all the time she spent building it up

MOM: (spoken)
Just lollygagging there in New York,
Ain't doin' nothin'!

THOUGHTS:
And after all of the things that she's been through

MOM: (spoken)
Probably up there dressin'
And pretendin' like you was a white woman!

THOUGHTS:
You come along and crush it

MOM: (spoken)
Talking bout you want a black man, hah!

THOUGHTS:
In the palm of your hand

MOM: (spoken)
Like a real black man would want to kiss you!

THOUGHTS:
The Bible says homosexuality is worse than murder!

THOUGHTS:
Flush it
Down...

MOM:
My precious little dream

USHER: (spoken)
It never ends with you

MOM:
My little boy

USHER: (spoken)
(???) repeat, repeat, repeat

(sung)
God, after all this time
Why can't you give it up?

MOM: (spoken)
Oh no, you not gonna turn this on me,
I know I'm a good mama!

USHER:
Cause if you knew all the things that I've been through

MOM: (spoken)
They had to cut me open to get you, did you know that?
I bled and bled to get your black but out of my stomach!

USHER:
You'd rue the ways you attack me

MOM: (spoken)
You said your homosexuality was just a phase

USHER:
You'd rue the ways you fought

MOM: (spoken)
But you're 26 years old, and you still kissing on men!

USHER:
You run until you've tracked me down

MOM: (spoken)
Why couldn't you just be the daughter I always wanted?
I'll tell you why, it's because you're selfish!

USHER:
Mama, I can't suck your titties again
I can't crawl back up inside your womb

MOM: (spoken)
Your nasty little mouth

USHER:
You wonder why it's like a graveyard
In your living room

MOM: (spoken)
And all I can do is cry

USHER:
You wanna cry, Mama?
Go on ahead

MOM: (spoken)
My stumps are growing short upon this earth, son

USHER:
But I won't cry, Mama
Cause I'm not dead

MOM: (spoken)
One day, you won't have me at all

USHER:
And you're not dead!

MOM: (spoken)
And then you'll be all alone!

USHER:
Time just has this way of tearing
Down the dreams we think we live in
(???)
So effed up and so run down
An overblown and false display
Just like in a gospel play!

ANCESTORS:
Who the fuck is you, nigga?
Who the fuck is you?
Ooh...
Ooh...

PREACHER: (spoken)
Sister Serabe, the Lord done put it on my heart
To sing this selection in honor of Brother Darnell,
Who was an abomination just like me.
And I can't help but reflect upon your husband's words
To me at the age of seventeen,
That if I ever acted on my lust for another man,
That I would meet the same fate as Darnell,
Lying in that there box.
And those words have kept me HIV-free
But completely terrified ever since,
Because I realized then and there that the only thing worse
Than dying of AIDS was living with it,
And hearing the people you love most say "I told you so,
I told you so, I told you so!"
Can I get a witness out there, choir?

CHOIR: (spoken)
Yas!

PREACHER: (spoken)
And so, on today,
As we prepare to bury yet another un-HBO special,
Un-Oscar Award winning, abnormal-hearted,
Un-Angel in American black queer in the ground,
It is very important that we remember what God's word,
Your word, Tyler's word,
And every-fucking-body else's word tells us:

USHER:
AIDS is God's punishment

PREACHER: (spoken)
Sing your song, brother, sing your song

USHER:
For the man who ain't living right

THOUGHT: (spoken)
You hear that, Curtis?

USHER:
AIDS is God's punishment

THOUGHT: (spoken)
I love the Lord,
You heard my piety and pity's ever-growing

USHER:
For he who sins in the night

THOUGHT: (spoken)
Let 'em know, let 'em know, let 'em know!

USHER:
AIDS is God's punishment
But all darkness (all darkness),
All darkness (all darkness),
All darkness (all darkness) comes to light

THOUGHT: (spoken)
Speak on it!

USHER:
He gonna knock them dicks up out your mouth
And then, (spoken) and this is what I like about him
Di-di-di-di-di-di-di-di-di
He shall smite
Cause-

SOPRANOS:
AIDS is God's punishment, yes!

USHER: (spoken)
Sing, sopranos! Testify for all of God's children!

SOPRANOS:
AIDS is God's punishment!

USHER: (spoken)
Everybody in the building, clap with me
On the two and the three, with my altos!

ALTOS:
AIDS is God's punishment, yes!

USHER: (spoken)
(???)

ALTOS:
AIDS is God's punishment, yes!

USHER: (spoken)
Come on, men! AIDS!

TENORS/BASSES:
AIDS is God's punishment, yes!

USHER: (spoken)
(???)

TENORS/BASSES:
AIDS is God's punishment!

USHER: (spoken)
Let's put it all together,
Fill the house of the Lord with praise!

CHOIR:
AIDS is God's punishment, yes!

USHER: (spoken)
I defy you to (???), ha ha!

CHOIR:
AIDS is God's punishment, yes!

USHER: (spoken)
The Spirit of the Lord is in this chapel, yes!

CHOIR:
AIDS is God's punishment, yes!

USHER: (spoken)
Can you feel it, church? Can you feel it, church?
Make me feel God's punishment! Parts!

CHOIR:
AIDS, AIDS! AIDS, AIDS!
AIDS, AIDS! AIDS, AIDS!
AIDS, AIDS! AIDS is God's punishment, yes!

MOM: (spoken)
Please stop this!

CHOIR:
AIDS is God's punishment!

MOM: (spoken)
Please stop this music!

CHOIR:
AIDS is God's punishment!

USHER: (spoken)
You wanted a gospel play.
This is the only way I know how to do it



Other Songs: A Strange Loop the Musical Songs Lyrics
A Strange Loop Precious Little Dream/AIDS Is God's Punishment Lyrics


A Strange Loop the Musical Lyrics

SYNOPSIS
Intermission Song
Today
We Wanna Know
Inner White Girl
Didn't Want Nothin'
Exile in Gayville
Second Wave
Tyler Perry Writes Real Life
Writing a Gospel Play
A Sympathetic Ear
Inwood Daddy
Boundaries
Periodically
Didn't Want Nothin' (Reprise)
Precious Little Dream / AIDS Is God's Punishment
Memory Song
A Strange Loop