My Life: Act 7: Just The Way You Are

Scene: Captain Jack: Tony decides to quit school frustrated with how things worked out with Leyna, thinking he wasn’t good enough. Goes into Zanzibar for a drink.

Tony

Saturday night and you’re still hangin’ around

Tired of living in your one horse town

You’d like to find a little hole in the ground

For awhile

Captain Jack will get you high tonight

And take you to your special island

Captain Jack will get you by tonight

Just a little push, and you’ll be smilin’

Your sister’s gone out, she’s on a date

You just sit at home and masturbate

Your phone is gonna ring soon

But you just can’t wait

For that call

So you stand on the corner in your New English clothes

And you look so polished from your hair down to your toes

Ah but still your fingers gonna pick your nose

After all

So you got everything, ah, but nothing’s cool

They just found your father in the swimming pool

And you guess you won’t be going back to school

Anymore

So you play your albums, and you smoke your pot

And you meet your girlfriend in the parking lot

Oh but still you’re aching for the things you haven’t got

What went wrong

And if you can’t understand why your world is so dead

Why you’ve got to keep in style and feed your head

Well you’re 21 and still your mother makes your bed

And that’s too long

My Life: Act 7: Just The Way You Are

SCENE Goodnight Saigon: Scene between Tony and John at the bar who gives him some much needed advice

Tony

Hey Serg. How about a long island iced tea?

Sergeant O’Leary

Seems a little early for that. 

Tony

I’m in a New York State of Mind.

Sergeant O’Leary 

Shouldn’t you be in school?

Tony

Nah I’m not going back. College is a scam anyways.

Sergeant O’Leary

Is that so? 

Tony

Yeah I guess I’ll just move home. Davy made a good case for setting off at sea.

Sergeant O’Leary

Seems like you got it all figured out. 

Tony 

I just don’t want to end up like my old man stuck in this town. Just to end up face down in the swimming pool.

Sergeant O’Leary

This place ain’t so bad. 

Tony

I’d like to be just about anywhere but here right about now .

Sergeant O’Leary

I probably would’ve done anything to get to go home when I was your age.

Tony

You were my age? 

Sergeant O’Leary 

Ya wiseguy. Ever been to Saigon

Tony

I didn’t know you fought in the war? 

Sergeant O’Leary

I don’t know how you’d really call it a war. We were a bunch of kids, just about your age, who didn’t know what we signed up for.

Tony

You enlisted in Vietnam?

Sergeant O’Leary

We didn’t sign up to murder Vietnamese people if that’s what your asking.

Tony

They call it Ho Chi Minh City these days. 

Sergeant O’Leary

See this is why you go to college.

Tony

College isn’t for everyone.

Sergeant O’Leary

You know how many people come in here tell me their problems every goddamn day. 

Tony

You’re wise beyond your years Srg.

Sergeant O’Leary

Wait till you’ve been disappointed a few more times in your life. 

Tony

Why is this such a big deal to you? It’s not like you went to school.

Sergeant O’Leary

We sent our friends home in body bags. We would’ve given anything to go to school.

Tony

Why are you telling me this?

Sergeant O’Leary

Because you’re wasting it Tony! A lot of people are losing their lives.

Tony

To COVID? 

Sergeant O’Leary 

You’re a fool if you waste a minute of time.

My Life Act 7: Just The Way You Are

Scene: Goodnight Saigon: Sergeant John O’Leary’s response to Tony quitting school. He talks about Vietnam and all his friends that didn’t come back. He reassures Tony that these are just patterns and processes through history.

My Life: Act 7: Just The Way You Are

Scene: Tell Her About It: Tony runs into Johnny and Bobby at the bar who tell him to get his act together to win Leyna back and that they might be able to finagle it such that Colby will pay for his MBA if he finishes his work study. 

My Life: Act 7: Just The Way You Are

Scene: Just The Way You Are: Tony returns to school running straight to the post office telling Leyna about the MBA program and to his surprise she’s just happy he’s back. She’s content collecting knowledge and doesn’t even know what she wants to be when she grows up anyways! Duet sung by Leyna and Tony

Leyna

Don’t go changing to try and please me

You never let me down before

Tony

Don’t imagine you’re too familiar

And I don’t see you anymore

Leyna

I wouldn’t leave you in times of trouble

We never could have come this far

I took the good times; I’ll take the bad times

I’ll take you just the way you are

Tony

Don’t go trying some new fashion

Don’t change the color of your hair

Leyna

You always have my unspoken passion

Although I might not seem to care

Tony

I don’t want clever conversation

I never want to work that hard

I just want someone that I can talk to 

Leyna

I want you just the way you are

Tony

I need to know that you will always be

The same old someone that I knew

What will it take till you believe in me

The way that I believe in you?

Leyna

I said I love you and that’s forever

And this I promise from the heart

I could not love you any better

I love you just the way you are

My Life: Act 7: Just The Way You Are

Scene: Christie Lee: Rosalinda’s Graduation Party

Josephine

We couldn’t be prouder of you Rosalinda 

Leyna

A covid graduation is memorable if anything.

Rosalinda 

It means the world that you guys would pull something like this together.

Leyna

I bet you won’t miss the paper thin walls. 

Laura

What’s she on about?

Josephine

There’s this guy who practices his saxophone each night. 

Rosalinda

There’s this one song that he plays that Leyna can’t get enough of. 

Leyna

It’s true we’ve decided to embrace it. 

Laura

What’s the song called? 

Rosalinda

It’s called Christie Lee!

My Life: Act 7: Just The Way You Are

Scene: I’ve Loved These Days: Leyna laments over her friends leaving. While Rosalinda is graduating, Leyna still has time left. In spite of the pandemic, Leyna finds she has loved these days.

Leyna

Now we take our time

So nonchalant

And spend our nights

So bon vivant

We dress our days

In silken robes

The money comes

The money goes

We know it’s all a passing phase…

We light our lamps

For atmosphere

And hang our hopes

On chandeliers

We’re going long

We’re gaining weight

We’re sleeping long

And far too late

And so it’s times

To change our ways

But I’ve loved these days

Now as we indulge

In things refined

We hide our hearts

From harder times

A string of pearls

A foreign car

Oh we can only go so far

On caviar and Cabernay

We drown our doubts

In dry champagne

And soothe our souls

With fine cocaine

I don’t know why I ever care

We’ll get so high

And get nowhere

We’ll have to change our jaded ways…

But I’ve loved these days

So before we end

And then begin

We’ll drink a toast to how it’s been

A few more hours to be complete

A few more nights on satin sheets

A few more times that I can say…

I’ve loved these days