Never Surrender

[PATRICIA NIXON]
You pick, you choose
You win, you lose
You fight, you brawl
You try to rise above it all
And never surrender
Never give in
Surrender is the worst
Of all mortal sins

[TRICIA NIXON]
Mother, are you okay?

[PAT]
You fix your face
And stand in place
Don’t blink, don’t shrink
And don’t betray the thoughts you think
And never surrender
Guard what you own
And to save your tears for later
When you’re alone

And when the one you love begins to falter
When he’s kicked so many times,
He cannot stand
When he medicates himself with too much liquor
Starts to mumble, starts to yell
At his crappy world of hell
Take his hand, take his hand
Don’t let him surrender
Hard as it seems
And shoulder through the flames
Of your burning, dying dreams

I picked, I chose
Your turn, who knows?
You pick, you choose
You’ll win or lose
But never, never, never surrender

[HANNAH MILHOUS NIXON]
I will go visit Richard now
He will need my advice

[PAT]
I’ll fight you

[HANNAH]
Good

[TRICIA]
Mother, what should I do?

[PAT]
This is your day, Tricia
I want you to be happy,
Feel happiness
Even for a moment
Happiness

[JULIE NIXON]
If you want my opinion,
I think you should take the chairs...

[PAT]
Julie, remember what Grandmother Hannah would say

[JULIE]
When life gives thee lemons,
Make lemonade
Where are you going?

[PAT]
To your father, of course
He’s giving away the bride
In five minutes

[JULIE]
But what should I do?

[PAT]
Choose

Oh dear, five minutes
Inside or out
It’s just a little wet out
And Martha Mitchell’s organza will be ruined
Out go the chairs
In
Out
In