Original Cast of OZ: A New Musical - In Other Lands Than Ours Lyrics

LET'S GO ON AN ADVENTURE.
A TRIP 'ROUND THE WORLD MIGHT BE GRAND.
I concur, Mr. Baum.
LET'S GO ON AN ADVENTURE,
THE PLACES AND SIGHTS WE HAVE PLANNED,
ME AND MY DREAMER
ON A LUXURY STEAMER
OFF TO FOREIGN LANDS...
AND WE'RE OFF.
AND WE'RE OFF.
Look, Marie. It really is him.
AND WE'RE OFF
ON THE PRINCESS IRENE.
I FEEL LIKE A QUEEN.
THEY SERVE EIGHT MEALS A DAY.
THE SEA IS ROUGH,
BUT HERE MID-ATLANTIC
OUR WORLD IS LESS FRANTIC.
IT'S A GREAT GET AWAY.
AT NIGHT WE LAUGH AND SIP FINE GIN,
PLAY CARDS AND DANCE TO VIOLIN.
I FIND I'M FEELING LIKE MYSELF AGAIN
IN OTHER LANDS THAN OURS.
OH THE SIGHTS!
GIBRALTAR'S ENORMOUS,
THOUGH A LADY INFORMED US
IT'S PEELING AWAY.
LATE AT NIGHT
I JOT DOWN SOME RAMBLINGS
IN LETTERS TO FAMILY.
OH HOW TO CONVEY
ALL OF THESE THOUGHTS SWIMMING THROUGH MY HEAD,
TO BE IN THE PLACES OF WHICH I'VE READ.
SOME NIGHTS I HAVE TO FORCE MYSELF TO BED
IN OTHER LANDS THAN OURS.
Excuse me, sir. My aunt says you're Mr. L. Frank Baum. Are you really?
I am. How may I be of service?
The Mr. Baum who wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The very same.
Marie! There you are. I'm so sorry Mr. Baum.
Come along Marie. Let's leave the poor man to his holiday.
It's no trouble at all, madame.
I'm Emily.
Marie! You didn't tell me you had an Aunt Em.
You're always so clever Mr. Baum. And the way the illustrations blend with the words on the page. They're really quite modern.
Thank you Mr. Baum.
AND SHE'S OFF.
Well she was charming. We'll have plenty of that over the next few months, I'm sure. Tonight will it be cards then dancing, or dancing then cards? Frank?
AND HE'S OFF.
I couldn't have known it then, but at that very moment he was thinking of the opening scene of his next book. An unassuming girl from Kansas named Dorothy on the deck of a ship not unlike this one.
AND WE'RE OFF,
UNCLE HENRY AND ME.
WE'RE SAILING AT SEA
AS THE SKIES TURN TO GREY.
I AM TOSSED
OVERBOARD IN A SNAP.
HENRY'S TAKING A NAP
AS I'M FLOATING AWAY.
I KNOW THERE'S DANGER ALL AROUND,
YET I FEEL ADVENTURE BOUND,
LIKE WHEN OUR FARMHOUSE TOOK ME MILES AWAY
TO OTHER LANDS THAN OURS.
I'M ON AN ADVENTURE,
WHERE YELLOW BRICK ROADS NEVER END.
I'M ON AN ADVENTURE,
AND OZMA IS MY NEW BEST FRIEND -
A MARVELOUS PLACE WHERE YOUR DREAMS COME ALIVE
RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES
FOOD AND DRINKS
AT THE SHEPHERD'S HOTEL
IN CAIRO FOR A SPELL.
OH THIS COUNTRY'S SUBLIME.
SAW THE SPHINX
AND HER COUNTENANCE CALM,
AND RAMSES EMBALMED,
STARING BACK FOR ALL TIME.
WE TRAVEL THE DESERT BY CARAVAN
AND WATCH THE MOON RISE FROM A SEA OF SAND,
MARVELING AT THESE EMPIRES BUILT BY HAND,
IN OTHER LANDS THAN OURS.
Come on, Frank. I'll race you to the top.
I'll watch from here and make your picture if you make it all the way.
I'm sure you mean when I make it all the way.
CLIMBED TO THE TOP OF THE GREAT PYRAMID.
I DID. YES, I DID.
My feet hurt.
BUT I HIKED UP MY SKIRT AND I DID. YES I DID.
FIVE-HUNDRED-FIFTEEN FEET ABOVE GROUND,
BUT THERE AT THE TOP
I COULD SEE ALL AROUND -
THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION.
MY GOD THIS IS QUITE A VACATION!
LINKED TO THE PRESENT AND PAST.
Frank, take a picture.
I NEED THIS MOMENT TO LAST.
All aboard the Steamship Ramses for all points of archeological interest along the Nile. First stop Sakkara, site of the ancient city of Memphis.
I'M AMAZED AT THE WAYS WE LEAVE OUR NAME BEHIND,
MEN OF THE THRONE CARVED INTO STONE FOR ALL TIME.
HIEROGLYPHS SHOWING US EVERYDAY LIFE,
BUILDING A HOME WITH YOUR CHILDREN AND WIFE.
ON PAPER OR CLAY, THIS IS THE WAY
THEIR LEGACY'S ENSHRINED.
AS THE YEARS PASS ON,
HOW WILL WE BE REMEMBERED WHEN WE'RE GONE.
WE'RE ON AN ADVENTURE,
TOMORROW A CRUISE DOWN THE NILE.
WE'RE ON AN ADVENTURE.
WE'LL BE PHARAOH AND QUEEN FOR A WHILE.
HISTORY'S BREATHING AND COMING ALIVE
RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES.
OFF WE GO.
HEAR VESUVIUS ROAR.
LAVA REACHES THE SHORE
AS ITS FLAMES SPARK THE SKY.
JUST LIKE SNOW,
ALL IS COVERED IN ASH,
INCLUDING MY MUSTACHE,
AND IT SINGES MY EYES.
WE TRAVEL THROUGH STREETS THAT ARE ANKLE DEEP,
A CITY IN SMOKE AS THE SHOVELS SWEEP.
IT'S QUITE A MEMORY WE COULD NOT HAVE PLANNED
IN OTHER LANDS THAN OURS.
I reckon Mt. Vesuvius smokes almost as much as I do.
I'M AMAZED AT THE WAYS WE LEAVE OUR NAME BEHIND.
ONE DAY IN POMPEII, FIRE POURED DOWN FROM THE SKY.
A LOOK TO THE PAST OF EVERYDAY LIFE,
BUILDING A HOME WITH YOUR CHILDREN AND WIFE.
FROZEN IN TIME.
THEIR STORIES LEFT BEHIND.
Aren't you having fun on your adventure Mr. Baum?
I think it's just a lot to take in, so many unbelievable things all at once.
I know what you mean.
I suppose if anyone does, it's you. I think I am beginning to be able to distinguish one great Renaissance Master from the next.
That's a very clever trick. How do you do it?
I read the name on the little plaque next to the masterpiece.
Don't you want to go home yet, Mr. Baum? Don't you miss it?
AND WE'RE OFF.
BON APRES-MIDI.
WE ARE NOW IN PAREE
WHERE LOVE'S NEVER PASSE.
THE EIFFEL TOWER
AND THE ROSES IN BLOOM,
SAW NAPOLEON'S TOMB.
FOUND A CHARMING CAFE.
THE LOUVRE HAS DE MILO AND ALL HER CHARMS.
HER EYES ARE SO LIFELIKE,
But she has no arms.
AT SUNSET WE BOTH STROLL ALONG THE SEINE
AGAIN AND AGAIN,
IN OTHER LANDS THAN OURS.
WE'RE ON AN ADVENTURE
THE RINGING OF NOTRE DAME'S BELLS.
WE'RE ON AN ADVENTURE
I STOOD RIGHT IN ANTOINETTE'S CELL.
HISTORY'S BREATHING AND COMING ALIVE RIGHT
BEFORE MY EYES.
No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful.
If your heads were stuffed with straw like mine, you would probably all live in beautiful places, and then Kansas would have no people at all. It is fortunate for Kansas that you have brains.
Did you figure out how I make it home this time?
Magic belt.
How clever. And the grown up book?
That one's a bit trickier.
THERE'S LADY LIBERTY GUIDING US HOME.
WE'RE HERE AT LAST.
OH WHAT ADVENTURES FROM CAIRO TO ROME,
BUT WE'RE BACK HOME.
LOOK THERE'S THE HOUSE AND THE BOYS ON THE LAWN
OH HOW I MISSED THEM WHEN WE WERE GONE.
OUR TRAVELS I WILL OFTEN CALL UPON.
TO OTHER LANDS,
ON AN ADVENTURE
VAST AND GRAND,
BUT THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.