War Paint the Musical - Necessity is the Mother of Invention Lyrics

Broadway 2017
WAR PAINT the Musical - Necessity is the Mother of Invention Lyrics

"Necessity is the Mother of Invention" is a song from WAR PAINT the musical performed by Christine Ebersole (Elizabeth), Patti LuPone (Helena), and other.

ELIZABETH ARDEN:
Low sales, high rent
no sandalwood for scent.
Well, pardon my dust,
but Arden isn't folding up her tent!

Necessity is the mother of invention!
I will think of new things to invent!
No silk for bows,
no nylon left for hose!
American ingenuity can compensate for those!

Necessity is the mother of invention!
And in war we must be on out toes!

HELENA RUBINSTEIN:
Launch our new lines,
new products made for war!
Bold new designs
they've never seen before!

For sea and then in the airfield,
a working women's corps!
The ladies who bolt the rivets
on the airplane factory floor!

ELIZABETH ARDEN:
Before I call it quits,
I'll give 'em my two bits!

BOTH:
What more have I ever needed than
the sharpness of my wits?

HELENA RUBINSTEIN:
America is in it!

ELIZABETH ARDEN:
Let working women win it!

BOTH:
In makeup of the minute women win!
Necessity is the mother of invention!
Let the fight of the century begin!

MR. LEWIS:
(spoken) Attention, all you brave gals pining at home or shipping overseas!
You've got a brand new ally and her name is Helena Rubinstein!

RUBINSTEIN:
All metal tubes and cases
for lipstick, rouge, and bases,
are needed now for bullets for the war!
New plastics I invented,
now lipsticks won't get dented,
not even when you drop them on the floor!
(spoken) Right!

MR FLEMING:
(spoken) Miss Elizabeth Arden, Patriot!

ARDEN:
With nylon stockings rationed,
I truly felt impassioned,
and cleverly refashioned women's hose!
Draw seams with eyebrow pencil,
and in between use stencil!
New leg tan in a formula that flows!
And once it dries it won't discolor clothes!

RUBINSTEIN & RUBINSTEIN GIRLS:
(spoken) You'll drone on there in Heaven Sent, a fragrance free of lead!

ARDEN & ARDEN GIRLS:
(spoken) A lipstick for your uniform called Montezuma Red!

RUBINSTEIN & RUBINSTEIN GIRLS:
(spoken) Assembly lines use Rubinstein's new Bulletproof Mascara!

ARDEN & ARDEN GIRLS:
(spoken) The rest use Arden's Combat Packs traversing the Sahara!

ALL:
You think a thing!
Manila to Berlin!

ARDEN & RUBINSTEIN:
Are helping defend our freedom from the enemy within!

ARDEN GIRLS:
America will make it!

RUBINSTEIN GIRLS:
No enemy can break it!

ARDEN & RUBINSTEIN:
With makeup made to take it on the chin!

ARDEN GIRLS:
(spoken) Yes, ma'am!

ALL:
Necessity is the Mother of Invention!
Brains and brawn (brain and brawn)
dusk to dawn (dusk to dawn)
Women win!

[Thanks to Chris Tomo for lyrics]
[Thanks to Chris Tomo for corrections]

Other Album Songs: War Paint the Musical Songs
Necessity is the Mother of Invention lyrics from War Paint the Musical