The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: “Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd”

[TOBIAS]
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd
His skin was pale and his eye was odd

[JOHANNA & ANTHONY]
He shaved the faces of gentlemen
Who never thereafter were heard of again

[TWO POLICEMEN]
He trod a path that few have trod

[POLICEMEN, JOHANNA & ANTHONY]
Did Sweeney Todd

[POLICEMEN, JOHANNA, ANTHONY & TOBIAS]
The demon barber of Fleet Street

[BEGGAR WOMAN]
He kept a shop in London Town
Of fancy clients and good renown

[JUDGE TURPIN]
And what if none of their souls were saved?
They went to their maker impeccably shaved

[BEGGAR WOMAN, JUDGE TURPIN & POLICEMEN]
By Sweeney
By Sweeney Todd

[ALL THUS FAR]
The demon barber of Fleet Street

[PIRELLI & BEADLE]
Swing your razor wide, Sweeney!
Hold it to the skies!
Freely flows the blood of those
Who moralize!

[COMPANY]
His needs are few, his room is bare
He hardly uses his fancy chair
The more he bleeds, the more he lives
He never forgets and he never forgives
Perhaps today you gave a nod
To Sweeney Todd
The demon barber of Fleet Street

[WOMEN]
Sweeney wishes the world away
Sweeney's weeping for yesterday
Hugging the blade, waiting the years
Hearing the music that nobody hears
Sweeney waits in the parlor hall
Sweeney leans on the office wall

[MEN]
No one can help, nothing can hide you—
Isn't that Sweeney there beside you?

[COMPANY]
Sweeney wishes the world away
Sweeney's weeping for yesterday
Is Sweeney!
There he is, it's Sweeney!
Sweeney! Sweeney!
Sweeney! Sweeney!
There! There! There! There!
There! There! There!
There!

[SWEENEY TODD]
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd!

[COMPANY]
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd!

[SWEENEY TODD]
He served a dark and a hungry god!

[COMPANY]
He served a dark and a hungry god!

[SWEENEY TODD]
To seek revenge may lead to hell

[MRS. LOVETT]
But everyone does it, though seldom as well

[SWEENEY TODD & MRS. LOVETT]
As Sweeney

[FULL COMPANY]
As Sweeney Todd
The demon barber of Fleet—
Street!