The Hills of Tomorrow / Merrily We Roll Along (1980) / Rich and Happy

STUDENTS
Behold the hills of tomorrow!
Behold the limitless sky!
Fling wide the gates
To a world that waits!
As our journey starts,
Behold! Our hearts
Are high!

Beyond the hills of tomorrow
Are skys more beautiful still!
Behold! Begin!
There are worlds to win!
May we come to trust
The dreams we must
Fulfill!

VALEDICTORIAN
Now, it is my privilege to introduce our distinguished alumnus
who wrote that song here 25 years ago, the great songwriter and
film producer, Mr. Franklin Shepard.

(Applause as the speaker enters.)

FRANK (Older)
I am Franklin Shepard, and I also was my class valedictorian here 25 long years ago.
Are these kids swell? We don't have to
wonder what happened to the world's ideals any more.
This gang behind me has taken them all.
So, would I be hanged if I told
you young innocents a few realities?
I can save you guys so much pain and hurt if
I can make you understand today that life isn't
about doing the best; it's about doing the best you can.

FRANK (Younger)
No, it isn't. It's doing the best.

FRANK (Older)
A goal is something you aim for more than something you achieve.

A STUDENT
It's the old "tell it like it is" speech.

FRANK (Older)
I'm thinking you better start by hearing the word "practical," right here,
right now, today.

A STUDENT
Where's the exit?

FRANK (Older)
Some day I guarantee you'll know the word "practical" very well.

A STUDENT
Wow.

FRANK (Older)
Fate has a way of introducing us to "practical" eventually.

A STUDENT
Give us a break, Mr. Shepard.

FRANK (Older)
And it's the same with the word "compromise."

A STUDENT
Compromise? I haven't even started.

FIRST SOLO
Yesterday is done ... FRANK (Older)
Compromise is how you survive.

FRANK (Younger)
It's how you give up.
See the pretty countryside ...

FRANK (Older)
SECOND SOLO Compromise is the bottom line, let me tell you.
Merrily we roll along, roll along ...
And if you know beforehand —
Bursting with dreams ...
— if you know now that all you're intending to happen —
THIRD SOLO
Travelling's the fun ...
— ain't gonna happen the way you think it's gonna happen —

A STUDENT
It will.

A STUDENT
FOURTH SOLO C'mon, man.
Flashing by the countryside ...
FRANK (Older)
FIFTH SOLO — because life has some ideas about your intentions.
Everybody, merrily,

SIXTH SOLO
Merrily ...

ALL SIX Hey kids —
Catching at dreams ...
Listen to us "old guys" if you can. I know you don't see it, but some day you're
going to be us.
Rolling along ...
Rolling along ... FRANK (Younger)
Rolling along ... Not if I can help it.

FRANK (Older)
I understood the facts least of anybody when I was your age. I believe all I
dreamed of back then was to compose music. And I did, as you may
GROUP I remember.
Dreams don't die,
But keep an eye on your dream ... GROUP II
And before you know where you are,
There you are.
Time goes by
And hopes go dry,
But you still can try FRANK (Older)
For your dream ... Oh, yeah. Music was going to
sustain me, fulfill me, support
me.
SOLO GROUP
Tend your dream ... How does it happen? But "real life" came along. I had
Dreams take time ... When does it disappear? choices to make ...
Time goes by ... How can you get so far off the track?
Why don't you turn around and go back?
Bend your dream ... How does it happen?
Where is the moment?
With the road ... How can you miss it? Isn't it clear?
How can you let it slip out of gear?

ALL
(to the older Frank)
How did you ever get there from here?

GROUP I GROUP II
You roll ... How does it happen?
How does it happen?
You just roll ... When does it disappear?
Isn't it always clear?
Everybody roll ... How does it start to go?
How does it slip away slow ...

ALL
... So you never even notice
It's happening?

FRANK (Younger)
How did you get there from here, Mr. Shepard?

GUSSIE
What did you have to go through?

BETH
How did you get there from here, Mr. Shepard?

MEG
Boy, did they do it to you ...

MARY FRANK (Older)
Pick yourself a raod, If you want to hear something amazing, ask anybody here if where they are is
(with another girl) where they were headed. I'll bet you most of them won't even remember
Get to know where they were even headed at your age. If you knew how I've bounced
The countryside. around and been bounced around ...
(with the group)
Soon enough
You're merrily,
Merrily
Practicing dreams,

Dreams that will explode,
Waking up the countryside,
Making you feel merrily,
Merrily,
What can go wrong,
Rolling along?

ALL
Some roads are soft
And some are bumpy.
Some roads you really
Fly.
Some rides are rough
And leave you jumpy,
Why make it tough
By getting grumpy?
Plenty of roads to try.

GROUP I GROUP II
Some roads are soft One
And some are bumpy, Trip, all you get is
Some roads you really One quick ride,
Fly. Look around a bit.
Some roads are rough One quick ride
And leave you jumpy, Through the
Why make it tough Countryside,
By getting grumpy? Stay on the track.
Plenty of roads to try. FRANK (Older)
Some roads you really Better look back. ... And I am going
Fly. to bounce back.
Some leave you Because I know the
High and dry — rules, the rules
I'm trying to share
with you here today.

ALL
Better look back.
Better look back.
Better look back!
Better look back!
Better look —

FRANK (Younger)
How did you get there from here, Mr Shepard?
What did you have to go through?

ALL
How did you get there from here, Mr. Shepard?
How did you get to be you?

Bending with the road,
Gliding through the countryside.
Everybody merrily,
Merrily,
Sing 'em your song,
Rolling along!
Rolling along!
Rolling along!
Rolling a ...

TERRY
So we bough this little condominium ...

KATE
So we found this little Chinese gardener ...

JEROME
It's a clear case of studio politics ...

PHOTOGRAPHER
We were stuck on the freeway till half past six ...

FOUR GUESTS
(individually)
Great ...
Smog ...
Points ...

(A hefty snort of cocaine.)

ALL
Party!

FRANK
Life is swinging,
Skies are blue and bells are ringing.
Every day I wake up singing,
"Look at me, I'm rich and happy!"

Days are sunny,
Working hard for lots of money,
Filled with people smart and funny,
Filled with people rich and happy.

Who says, "Lonely at the top"?
I say, "Let it never stop!"
It's my time coming through,
All my dreams are coming true:
Gorgeous house, gorgeous wife,
Who wants any more from life?

Skies are beaming,
Future bright and prospects gleaming.
Best of all, I don't stop dreaming
Just because I'm rich
And famous
And therefore
Happy, too!

ALL
Party!

GUEST
Well, you must admit the movie's terrible ...

ANOTHER GUEST
I imagine Frank is feeling terrible ...

MARY
These are the movers,
These are the shapers,
These are the people
That fill the papers.

ALL
Terrible ...

MARY
These are the friends of Frank ...

ALL
Wasn't it just terrible?

MARY
They all have Frank to thank.

ALL
When you see a movie that bad,
What on earth can you say?
(to Frank)
Congratulations!

FRANK
Thanks.

MARY
These are the movers,
These are the shapers,
These are the people
That give you vapors ...

FRANK
Twenty years ago who'd have guessed,
Who'd have guessed
I'd be standing here,
Playing host to the very best,
All the powers that be?

ALL
Terrible ...

FRANK
Everybody I see ...

ALL
Wasn't it just ...

FRANK
And look who's one of them — me!

GROUP I
Terrible ...

GROUP II
Beautiful, Frank!
(to each other)
Wasn't it just terrible?

GROUP I
Beautiful, Frank!

ALL
When a movie's that bad,
What on earth can anyone say?

ALL
(except Mary)
Party!

Life is swinging,
Skies are blue and bells are ringing.
Every day I wake up singing,
"Look at me, I'm rich and happy!"
Days go zipping,
Sitting by the pool and tripping.

MARY
Everybody's flip or flipping.
Everybody's rich —

ALL
And happy!

FRANK
Who says all our dreams get burned?
Every bit of this was earned.
It's our time coming through —
All our dreams coming true!
ALl our days full of beans,

ALL
This must be what happy means!

Skies are beaming,
Future bright and prospects gleaming!
Best of all, we don't stop dreaming
Just because we're rich

FRANK
And famous

ALL
And suntanned

FRANK
And influential

ALL
And on the covers of magazines
And in the columns and on the screens
And giving interviews,
Being photographed,
Making all the important scense,
And —
At the parties cutting capers,
And on the talk shows and in the papers
And unbelieveably
Happy, too!