Lyr Req: Open a New Window (Jerry Herman)

Subject: Lyric to: "Open a New Window"
From: Charles Colyer
Date: 27 Dec 97 - 03:48 AM

Could you either provide me with the lyric for this song or tell me where I can locate it? I've tried several lyric sites and Dogpile with no success so far. I did manage to come up with several sites for Windows tricks and treatments!

Subject: Lyr Add: OPEN A NEW WINDOW (Jerry Herman)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Dec 97 - 01:44 PM

Well, if Elsie, bless her little heart, were still around, she would flame me most horribly for responding to two requests for non-folk songs in two days, but I DID send "Cockeyed Optimist" by e-mail; and this one was really hard to find because the musicals lyrics sites seem to have been shut down and it isn't in my fake books - but it IS in an obscure, out-of-print lyrics book, so here goes (Elsie, forgive me):

OPEN A NEW WINDOW
from "Mame," 1966
words and music by Jerry Herman

Open a new window,
Open a new door,
Travel a new highway
That's never been tried before,
Before you find you're a dull fellow
Punching a time clock,
Walking the same tightrope,
As everyone on the block-
The fellow you ought to be is three dimensional,
Soaking up life
Down to your toes,
Whenever they say you're slightly unconventional,
Just put your thumb up to your nose,
and show'em how to
Dance to a new rhythm,
Whistle a new song,
Toast with a new vintage,
The fizz doesn't fizz too long -
There's only one way to make the bubbles stay;
Simply travel a new highway,
Dance to a new rhythm,
Open a new window every day!

Corny though they are, I guess I have to admit this song and "Optimist" do a pretty good job of expressing how I like to live life. I hope we can all open new windows in the new year.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyric to:
From:
Date: 27 Dec 97 - 04:12 PM

It seems that, although Elsie hasn't stopped anyone from posting anything they wish, she sure has raised some awarenesses! Joe, for example, now needs to be forgiven after each transgression. Reminds me somehow of the Catholic tradition of sinning on weekdays and getting absolution on Sunday. If Elsie can grant forgiveness, I wonder if she can also do exorcisims. ;-)

Subject: RE: Lyric to:
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Dec 97 - 04:57 PM

Bless me Elsie, for I have sinned.....(grin)

I did a forum search once to satisfy my curiosity, it it seems that Elsie's reign of terror ended sometime last spring. The only messages she ever posted were flames, criticizing people for posting thinks that did not fit her definition of folk music. Never once did she contribute any actual information. Still and all, she WAS kind of entertaining, even if she did make some of us a bit gun-shy...
Oh, and with a degree in Tehology from a Catholic seminary, I can tell you that's not QUITE how confession is supposed to work, although it is a common misconception among Catholics.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyric to:
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 27 Dec 97 - 05:47 PM

Its always easier to obtain forgiveness than permission. Go, baby!

Subject: RE: Lyric to:
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 27 Dec 97 - 05:47 PM

Its always easier to obtain forgiveness than permission. Go, baby!

Subject: RE: Lyric to:
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Dec 97 - 09:09 PM

Well, Dick, the atmosphere of this forum has developed quite nicely over the last year. I think Elsie would be quite comfortable here, don't you? It's a warm, friendly place and we have a lot of fun, but we also exchange a lot of wonderful knowledge and get into some really heady discussions. It's amazing the amount of stuff some people here know.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyric to:
From: Barry
Date: 27 Dec 97 - 11:43 PM

Joe, the fourm search goes back only so far, Elsie posts were very enlighting, the so called flaming was an effort on her part & the part of others (myself included) to make an attempt to keep the fourm from turning away from folk music. I think it's stayed within it's mark, & I for one thank Elsie & wished she'd return. no apologies. Barry

Subject: RE: Lyric to:
From: Alice
Date: 28 Dec 97 - 11:35 AM

To the anon poster above and Joe, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa, but I can't help but chime in here that it is a misconception mostly among NON-CATHOLICS, not Catholics (you probably meant to type that, Joe) that the sacrament of confession was a blank check to sin. The "Act of Contrition", in which the latin words are found "mea culpa, through my fault", was said by the penitent while the priest said absolution. The penitent was taught that he must be truly sorry, and truly committed to not transgressing again. Confession (now called Reconciliation) acknowledges that we are all human and make mistakes, but it is NOT permission to deliberately break the commandments. Elsie isn't here to flame about nontraditional lyrics, so I will fill in to flame regarding misconceptions about Catholics. Alice in Montana ;-)

Subject: RE: Lyric to:
From: Alice
Date: 28 Dec 97 - 12:14 PM

Just an additional note, I was raised in Catholic school, but no longer participate in any church. My ten year old and I live by the greatest commandment from Jesus, "love one another", and the ten that Moses was given. I appreciate the traditions, but prefer to avoid the scrupulosity of dogma. It did give us alot of great art and music, though. a in mt

Subject: RE: Lyric to:
From:
Date: 28 Dec 97 - 07:23 PM

I didn't say that it was doctrine that it was ok to sin & be forgiven over & over- I'm sure that "The penitent was taught that he must be truly sorry, and truly committed to not transgressing again" - but I have known far too many who acted as if it was just a game one plays-like parking in a handicap spot "for just a minute" because it was raining--or eating the last piece of pie when no one is looking---or posting songs that have nothing to do with folk music in here with a cute disclaimer :-) None of these sins ever 'really' hurt anyone. It's just a common human trait to want to do whatever they please and not be bothered by burdensome rules.

Joe--that's 5 'Our Goodman's' and 10 'Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Heres' you owe. Go, thou, and sin no more.

Subject: RE: Lyric to:
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Dec 97 - 10:52 PM

Is this the "Our Goodman" you mean? I'd heard the story before, but didn't know it was a Child Ballad and am not familiar with the song. The tune and the lyrics don't seem to fit together right. Can somebody who knows it check the tune for me?
-Joe Offer, contritely bringing the discussion back to Traditional Folk Music ;) -

Subject: RE: Lyric to:
From: Charles Colyer
Date: 28 Dec 97 - 11:00 PM

Thank you, Joe, for the lyric to "Open a new window". I never thought this would open a window on compassionate culpability but that, I see, is one of the joys of this forum. I knew that, look though I may elsewhere without success, someone on the Mudcat Forum would have the answer to my request. And at sometime in the future, I also will be able to help someone else out with a lyric which I know or have access to. And now, with this lyric, I'll be able to launch a New Year's show for the residents/patients of the Riverview Health Centre with an optimistic tune to get them into the mood to face 1998 with, hopefully, a bit of confidence.

Charles

p.s. My 1923 Webster Dictionary does not include the word "sin".

Subject: RE: Lyric to:
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Dec 97 - 02:30 AM

Looking deeper, it appears that "Our Goodman" is another name for "Five Nights Drunk," which is actually seven nights drunk, but nobody will say what happened on the other two nights. Those other two nights have been the subject of long discussions on this forum. I'll start another thread to aske about the other "Goodman" song, which is "Bar the Door"
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyric to:
From:
Date: 29 Dec 97 - 06:22 PM

No Joe, the other two nights were posted here some time ago. Do a forum search under Seven Drunken Nights.

I thought Elsie was a little too strict in her definition of what consituted folk music, but she was probably right in that lyrics to Broadway musicals could be found elsewhere.

"Open A New Window" sounds like a good title for a song about MSIE 4. Seems that's all it does:)