Citizens of Venice

[Clown MC]
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We shades of the city of Venice ask you to follow us.
If you dream of peace, follow us.
If you dream of freedom, follow us.
If you know that these are not the same thing, well...
Are you ready?
All I hear is --

[All]
Left right left right left right

[Clown MC]
All I hear is...

[All]
Left right left right left right

[Clown MC]
All I hear is...

[All]
Left right left right left right

[Clown MC]
All I hear is...

[All]
Left right left

[Clown MC]
Let me tell you a story
Let me paint you a picture
Let me -- let you in on the world I envision
It might be strange to you
Or maybe similar to your own world --
Might feel the same to you

I am your lifeline
Your forward and hindsight
Reporter of order of story
Your timeline
To tell this story is a means of resistance
So my ears for the night --
I need your assistance

[All]
Sh sh sh sh

[Clown MC]
Keep it quiet -- I need you to listen
Many no longer living
For not keeping themselves hidden
And while I grew up in Venice afraid to rise
This story needs a voice so I will oblige

[All]
We the citizens of Venice
Are exhausted
Once had freedom, then we lost it
What's the price of living this life?
What the cost is?

[Clown MC]
No safety on these streets
We are constantly accosted

[Women]
Once a light unto the nations
Darkness fell our freedom taken
Venice once was our salvation
Didn't think we'd be forsaken
Oh my -- oh my
The military stole my life
This occupation never dies

[Clown MC]
Under that military's watchful eyes

[Soldiers]
If you see something -- say something
If you see anything at all
Then you know just who to call
If you see something -- say something
Anything suspicious report it this instant

[Clown MC]
We were taught to be proud to be from here
Till the day that bout back twenty years
Terror hit the city twenty thousand tears
Then everyone that could up and disappeared

The government dissolved
And a corporation crept
Westbrook was the name on the military's chest
They said it'd be good, that they'd root out terror
But twenty years of occupation has taught us better

[All]
We the citizens of Venice

[Clown MC]
Have been locked up, locked down

[All]
Caged and shot down
We the citizens of Venice

[Clown MC]
Have been chained and blocked out

[Women]
Left to rot now

[All]
We've been left for dead
Stuck here while the wealthy fled
Drained our lives and fucking bled
Bombs exploded round our heads --
Get some rest

We're tired -- wired -- uninspired -- disregarded -- by departed
Souls who'll never know
The hell they've left, our hearts are hardened
Souls who'll never know
That life is over 'fore it started

[Clown MC]
If this was the story that I needed to tell
You could all go home and we could bid farewell
But it's not -- watch
Meet Venice Monroe
A leader emerging -- a glimmer of hope

[Venice]
We have watched our fellow man
Stripped and shackled at your hand
Motherless children who don't know the difference
Please understand
If we don't demand more from our lives
How can we expect our kids to thrive?
Separate we are powerless
But together we can rise

[Citizens]
Venice fight for us!
Venice speak for us!
Can we start to trust?
After all these years and all these fears

[Venice]
Follow me

[Citizens]
Tonight we

[Venice]
Fight with me

[Citizens]
We'll fight we
Wanna believe you

[Venice]
Change is gonna come
We can stand and chant as one!
Follow me

[Citizens]
Venice help us see (Dear Venice)
What it means to be (Dear Venice)
Truly free help us to believe
That I can see the light

[Clown MC]
Meanwhile outside the city walls
A girl runs home to answer the city's calls
She left long ago, now she's planning her reunion
On her way to joining Venice's revolution

[Willow]
Dear Venice,
Can you feel me coming?
I've been making my plans
Waiting to run for oh so long

Dear Venice,
This is my last letter
After all of these years writing to you --
I'll finally be home
By your side
It's been twenty years since my parents died
Tonight
We can finally finished what they tried
Finally getting to act, to do, to make our dreams come true
I love you too
Willow

[Clown MC]
As news spread that Willow fled
The leader of the safe zone rears his head

[Theo]
My father promised me, and my father never lied
No he never lied
My father promised, on the day that that man died
All my life he told me
Boy when you get older
You must marry Willow
And keep her on your shoulder
I can't lose her
I'll lose everything
For me to rule this country
She needs to wear my wedding ring

[Venice] (Willow) {Theo} (All)
For all those who have died (By your side) {She need to wear my wedding ring}
For all those who have died (By your side) {She need to wear my wedding ring}

And we won't (Finally getting to) {Boy when you get older} (Will you help us see)
Compromise (Act, to do, to make) {You must marry Willow} (What it means to be)
Until the city thrives (Our dreams come true) {I can't lose her} (Truly free)
We got a long way to go {I'll lose everything} (Help us to believe)
But I can (I love you too) {For me to rule this}
{Country she needs to}
I can see (I can see) {Wear my wedding ring} (That I can see)
{Wear my wedding ring}
The light (The light) {Wear my wedding ring} (The light)

[All]
Dear Venice can you feel me coming?
Is this the day that we can say you paved the way?
Dear Venice can you feel this moment?
Today is the day that we find out our fate

[Willow]
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

[Clown MC]
And right then and there
The crowd parted slow
I lifted up my eyes
From the ground below
My skin got chills
What a wonderful sight
Home at last our children reunite

[Willow]
Dear citizens of Venice
I am humbled in your presence
I've been gone for so long
Now I'm finally home
To see the sun and stand with you
Fulfill a dream our parents knew
A divided nation torn in two
Demands reunion
We can be one
We have lingered in darkness
So lets tears down these walls
And together we will see the sunrise

[Willow] (Theo) {Venice} (Ensemble)
Tonight (Tonight) {I can visualize} (I can see the sunrise)
I wanna be with you (I wanna be with you) {A changing of the}
And hold you tight (And hold you tight) {Times} (When I close my eyes)
Finally getting to act (Will help us see)
To do (Boy when you get older) {And we won't}
(You must marry Willow) {Compromise} (What it means to be)
To make our dreams {Until the city thrives} (Truly free help us to)
Come true (I can't lose her) (Believe)
(I'll lose everything) {We got a long way}
(For me to rule this){To go} (That)
I love you too (Country she needs to)
(Wear) {I can}
I can see the (My wedding ring) {I can see the}
Light (I can see the light) {Light} (I can see the light)

[All]
Dear Venice can you feel this moment?
We'll take the nation back -- now that you are here -- now the day is here

[Clown MC]
Welcome everybody to Venice
I hope you let us
Tell you a little story exploding onto the present
I promise you won't regret it
Today is the day let's get it

[All]
We are all the citizens of Venice!