Roll On (Whalesong Interlude III)

(spoken)
[ISHMAEL]
They all died. Fedallah first. Ahab second. Starbuck. Stubb. Flask. Tashtego. Daggoo. Pip. The blacksmith, Perth. The carpenter, whose name we never learn. And Queequeg-- my dear Queequeg died too. The last thing I remember was Tashtego and Daggoo, on the mast-head, sinking

[TASHTEGO]
Here, help me with this. The ship's flag came off

[DAGGOO]
Hey, watch out for that sky-hawk!

[TASHTEGO]
I see him!

[DAGGOO]
Damn! I thought you were gonna whack that bird

[TASHTEGO]
What? And drag the bird of heaven down with the ship?

[DAGGOO]
Yeah

[TASHTEGO]
No. We can change some things. Little things

[DAGGOO]
Still gonna die though

[TASHTEGO]
Everything dies

[Sperm whale clicking can be heard.]

More sperm whales. Moby Dick's children

[DAGGOO]
Do you have any kids, Tash?

[TASHTEGO]
No. I never did

[DAGGOO]
Yeah. Me neither. What are they singing?

[TASHTEGO]
Sperm whales don't sing-- they click. Each one on a different beat, but they come together. They intersect to make up a whole

[DAGGOO]
Like West African polyrhythms. They click
(sung)
The ship is not sinking
The ship is already sunk

The ship is not sinking
The ship is already sunk

The ship is not sinking
The ship is already sunk

The ship is not sinking
The ship is already sunk (repeated)

[TASHTEGO]
The great shroud of the sea rolls on
As it rolled five thousand years ago (repeated)

[CREW]
Roll on

[TASHTEGO]
Roll on

[CREW]
Roll on

[TASHTEGO]
Roll on

[CREW]
Roll on

[TASHTEGO]
Roll on (repeated)

[PIP & CREW]
Bye bye little fish
Bye bye
Bye bye
Bye bye

Bye bye little fish
Bye bye
Bye bye
Bye bye

[TASHTEGO]
The great shroud of the sea rolls on
As it rolled five thousand years ago

[PIP & CREW]
Bye bye little fish
Bye bye
Bye bye
Bye bye (repeated)

[CREW]
Come hither, broken hearted
Here is another life

[TASHTEGO]
Roll on

[CREW]
Roll on

[TASHTEGO]
Roll on

[CREW]
Roll on

[TASHTEGO]
Roll on

[CREW]
Roll on

[TASHTEGO]
Roll on

[CREW]
Roll on

[TASHTEGO]
Roll on

[CREW]
Roll on

[The cast exits the stage, leaving Tashtego alone, before he follows]

[TASHTEGO]
The great shroud of the sea rolls on
As it rolled five thousand years ago