[Intro] [Ringmaster, dry and theatrical, spoken over a single soft organ flute stop and a slow snare tap at march tempo, distant crowd murmur. Quiet. Two bars. A short chromatic piccolo flourish and a brass bell on "The Strong One!"] Ladies and gentlemen boys and girls Feast your eyes on the center ring Never late, never tired Never once seen to blink an eye The Strong One! [Brief applause, then quiet again.] [pause] [Verse 1] [D minor, standard march tempo. Male tenor, dry and smirking, close to the mic. One soft organ flute stop, a plucked pedal note on beats one and three, rim clicks. Very sparse, lots of air.] She juggles plans she never made She spins every plate but her own Watch her catch the dinner, the deadline, the birthday card All at once, and never drop her smile [pause] [Pre-Chorus] [Same voice, mock-confidential. The tempo starts to creep up. Organ stops added one rank at a time, rising chromatic scale runs in piccolo and flute, a snare roll building, the crowd murmur swelling like a clown car about to open.] Don't look at the net, ladies and gentlemen There isn't one That's part of the act [pause] [Chorus] [F major, medium level, back to march tempo. Organ with pedal bass, a short brass fanfare, handclaps. A small crowd chants only on the two "You look great" lines. Leave space after each line.] You look so great, you look so grand Everybody says so You look so great, you look so grand So nobody has to know [Crowd shout, one organ stab] The Strong One! [pause] [Verse 2] [Back to D minor, march tempo. Male tenor, dry. One soft flute stop and rim clicks, a faint xylophone tap. Slightly more movement.] Fired from a cannon into everyone's crisis She lands on her feet and takes a bow Tames the lions in the group chat Face still painted on from last night's show [pause] [Pre-Chorus] [Same voice. Faster than the first time. More stops, chromatic runs rising and tightening, snare roll, crowd murmur.] Don't look at the net, ladies and gentlemen There isn't one That's part of the act [pause] [Chorus] [F major, fuller, bigger organ and brass, crowd louder. Still not the biggest moment.] You look so great, you look so grand Everybody says so You look so great, you look so grand So nobody has to know [Crowd shout, one organ stab] The Strong One! [pause] [Bridge] [Ringmaster, hushed and theatrical. A chromatic run tumbles downward and stops dead. Only one long, low organ pedal tone remains, slowly swelling. On "hold your applause" a soft snare drum roll begins and builds for suspense.] And now, the most dangerous act in the history of the circus Ladies and gentlemen, hold your applause She will attempt to ask for help [Death-defying drum roll: snare and timpani rolling together, building from soft to thunderous over four bars, cymbal swell rising, crowd gasps, a single nervous cough, the organ pedal tone climbing underneath. The roll cuts dead on the last beat.] [Ringmaster, deadpan, completely flat after the cut] ...She'd rather do the fire hoops [pause] [Final Chorus] [F major, screamer tempo, much faster. Full organ with every stop pulled, piccolo chromatic runs whirling, xylophone, snare, cymbals, the loudest and most frantic moment in the song, and still cheerful. Crowd chants on every line. Nothing changes except the words.] You look so great, you look so grand I typed the truth, I sent a heart You look so great, you look so grand And the whole tent sent one back [Crowd shout, one organ stab] The Strong One! [pause] [Outro] [Back to quiet and march tempo. Ringmaster, spoken, cheerful, over fading applause and one soft organ flute stop.] Thank you, ladies and gentlemen Please remember, the Strong One is not available for comment She'll be here again tomorrow She's always here again tomorrow [Brass bell, one ding. Applause fades to silence.] [End]
