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Nanette became known to Bette Midler fans during the 1976 "Depression Tour." Sadly, it was the only tour she ever appeared in, but her story remains preserved on the album "Live At Last," and was shown on the HBO special "The Fabulous Bette Midler Show." Nanette was a very kind and sweet lady, but she suffered from dementia and lived in her own little world - which she brought the audience into. She would sing songs about being unknown and lonely, how nobody knew her...
only to realize it was because nobody had ever met her. She spent her evenings
going from bar to bar, drinking herself into a stupor and singing sad torch songs, while making telephone calls to strangers and leaving poignant messages on their
machines. Nanette would often sober up by the end of the evening, totally overcome with hope and bliss. She would dance all over the bar,
spreading joy and telling everybody that she was ready to start all over again, fresh and new. Sadly though, Nanette would quickly come back to her reality and realize it had all just been a big fantasy. Her mood would soften again and she'd drift
back to the bar and start drinking again. She became a very memorable character, and during the 1978 World Tour, Bette took the characteristics of Nanette and created
The Magic Lady. |
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SONG LYRICS
based on live performances
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Nanette
Howard Dietz
Whoa-oh, Nanette!
Whoa-oh, Nanette!
They talk to me,
but they don't listen to,
Nanette!
Not a sound, not a sigh,
the world rushes by,
no one thinks of Nanette.
No one sighs for Nanette.
Nobody cries for Nanette.
Through the night, through the day,
people rush on their way,
with never a sigh or regret.
And they are laughing and drinking,
So heedless and unthinking of
Nanette, Nanette, Nanette!
The cowboy rides and roasts his steer,
and rolls and cigarette.
But of all the cowboys, and all the plains,
not one of them thinks of Nanette.
The sailors sail on the bounding main,
of seven seas and yet.
Of all the sailors on schooners and whalers,
not one of them thinks of Nanette.
In China, the Chinkie no thinkie of Nanettie.
In Italy, they go on and on and on
without a thought of Piccolo-Nanetta.
To the East, to the West,
to the North, to the South.
Ireland, Scotland,
England and Whales
They don't forget me,
or remember me,
cause no one ever met me.
Alabama Song
Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weil
Oh, show me the way to the next whiskey bar.
Oh, don't ask why. Oh, don't ask why.
Cause I must find the next whiskey bar.
If I don't find the next whiskey bar,
I tell you I will die, I tell you I will die.
I tell you, I tell you, I tell you I will die.
Oh, moon of Alabama, so high up in the sky.
I lost him, I lost my lover.
I need a drink. Do you know why?
Oh, moon of Alabama, so high up in the sky.
I lost him, I lost my baby.
I need a drink, do you know why?
Do you know why? Do you know why?
Drinking Again
Doris Tauber, Johnny Mercer
Drinking again.
Thinking of when you,
when you loved me.
Having a few.
And Jesus, I'm wishing
that you, you were here.
Making the rounds.
Buying a round for total strangers.
Just being a fool,
cause I keep hoping, hoping,
hoping you'll appear.
Sure I can borrow a smoke.
Say I can sit here all night
and tell these jokers some jokes,
but who wants to laugh, tell me who,
who wants to laugh at a broken heart?
My heart is aching, I swear it's breaking.
And I'm drinking again.
Thinking of when you, when you loved me.
Trying to get home.
and I got nothing, I got nothing but a memory.
Who me? I'm trying to get home,
dying to get home.
And I, I got nothing but a six back of buds,
and just my memory.
The Way We Were
A.Bergman, M.Bergman & M.Hamlisch
Memories,
like the corners of my mind.
Misty water-colored memories,
of the way we were.
Scattered ribbons,
wrapped around his hair.
How I loved you,
when he wasn't there.
No that's not it, is it?
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Mr. Rockefeller
Bette Midler, Jerry Blatt
Mr. Rockefeller, how are you?
Mr. Rockefeller, having fun?
Mr. Rockefeller I could use a few
if you'd like to send a few down my way.
Hey, Mr. Rockefeller, I get the magazines,
I seen you on the TV too.
Oh Mr. Rockefeller, they tell me,
they tell me all about it,
but they don't tell me how are you.
Hey, Mr. Rockefeller, I'm wishing you the best.
and I hope you're feeling happy,
and you're getting lots of rest
Me, I'm waiting on the wire,
and I'm ragged to the bone.
Mr. Rockefeller won't ya,
won't ya please pick up the phone
The reason I'm calling is to say
I'm not feeling too good.
I'm all broken down.
My family is nervous,
I've been down so long.
No one wants to help me,
so I thought I'd let you know.
Hey, won't you answer me?
Say, won't you take the time?
You know the next call is going to be collect,
because that was my last dime.
I am waiting on the wire,
and I'm ragged to the bone.
Oh, Mr. Rockefeller
won't you, won't you, won't you
please pick up the phone.
Mr. Rockefeller, please, Mr. Rockefeller.
Mr. Rockefeller, whoooh.
Mr. Rockefeller, please, Mr. Rockefeller.
Mr. Rockefeller, oooh.
Mr., Mr. Rockefeller,
Oh, wouldn't it be nice to be Mr. Rockefeller?
Oh, save me, save me, Mr. Rockefeller.
Why don't you save me?
Mr., Mr., Mr., Mr.
What's it all about Rocky?
Ready To Begin Again / Do You Want To Dance?
Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller / Bobby Freeman
When my teeth are at rest, in a glass by my bed,
and my hair lies somewhere in a drawer.
The world doesn't seem like a very nice place,
not a very nice place anymore.
But I put in my teeth, and I slap on my hair,
and a strange thing occurs when I do.
Cause my teeth start to feel like my very own teeth,
and my hair like my very own too.
And I'm ready to begin again.
Ready to begin again.
Reaching for the soap,
my heart is full of hope
again, again.
Ready to begin again!
Looking fine and young I trust.
Ready to begin again,
cause everybody must.
Oh gee, I do hate to inconvenience you, I know it's late in the evening, and I wouldn't ask you unless I really needed a hand. Would you won't ya, do ya don't ya . .
Hey, do you wanna dance, and hold my hand?
Tell me, tell me, you're my lover man.
Baby, baby, do you wanna dance with me?
Do ya? Do ya? Hey, do you wanna dance?
Come on. Come on. Do you want to dance?
Do ya? Do ya? Oh, Dance with me.
Oh, my favorite part.
Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh!
AHHHHHHHH!
We could dance, under the moonlight.
Hug and kiss baby, all through the night.
Baby. Baby. Tell me, Tell me, Tell me.
Do you wanna dance, do you wanna dance?
Say it, say it, yeah.
Do you wanna dance, do you wanna dance?
Say it, say it, yeah.
Do you wanna dance, do you wanna,
do you wanna . . . dance dance with me baby?
Make romance. Dance with me baby, make romance.
Oh I would have been so grateful.
I would have been ready to begin again
Oh, looking young and bright I trust.
Ready to begin again,
as everybody must. |
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