Pacific Overtures - Advantages of Floating in the Middle of the Sea Lyrics

2004 Broadway revival
Pacific Overtures the Musical - Advantages of Floating in the Middle of the Sea Lyrics

RECITER
In the middle of the world we float,
In the middle of the sea.
The realities remain remote
In the middle of the sea.
Kings are burning somewhere,
Wheels are turning somewhere,
Trains are being run,
Wars are being won,
Things are being done
Somewhere out there, not here.
Here we paint screens.
Yes ... the arrangement of the screens:

We sit inside the screens
And contemplate the view
That's painted on the screens
More beautiful than true.
Beyond the screens
That glide aside
Are further screens
That open wide
With scenes of screens like the ones that glide.
And no one presses in,
And no one glances out,
And kings are burning somewhere,

ALL
Not here!

As the hurricanes have come, they've passed
In the middle of the sea.
The advantages are made to last
In the middle of the sea.
Gods are crumbling somewhere,
Machines are rumbling somewhere,
Ways are being found,
Watches being wound,
Prophets being crowned
Somewhere out there, not here.
Here we plant rice.

RECITER
Yes ... the arrangement of the rice:

The farmer plants the rice.
The priest exalts the rice.
The lord collects the rice.
The merchant buys the rice.
The craftsman makes the sword
And sells it to the lord
And buys it at twice the former price
What he counts on his lord to protect with his sword:

ALL
The rice!

RECITER
They eat the rice and then
The day begins again,

ALL
And kings are burning somewhere,
Not here!

The advantages go on and on
In the middle of the sea.
As the centuries have come, they've gone
In the middle of the sea.
Days arise to be replaced,
Lines are drawn and lines erased.
Life and death are but verses in a poem.
Out there blood flows ...
Who knows?
Here we paint screens,
Plant the rice,
Arrange the flowers,
View the moon,
Exchange the gifts,
Plant the rice,
Arrange tomorrow like today to float,
Slide the screens,
Exchange the poems,
Stir the tea,
Exchange the bows,
Plant the rice,
Arrange tomorrow to be like today,
To float.

The viewing of the moon,
The planting of the rice,
The stirring of the tea,
The painting of the screens.
We float.

The viewing of the moon,
The stirring of the tea,
The planting of the rice, The folding of the fans.
The weaving of the mats, We float.
The placing of the stones,
We float. The painting of the sliding screens,
The viewing of the moon, The wrapping of the gifts,
The planting of the rice, The sliding of the painted screens,
The catching of the fish, We float.
The weaving of the mats,
The painting of ... The stirring of the tea,
We float ... We float ...

RECITER
We float.