The Egg

[ADAMS, spoken]
Nothing to fear. It's a masterpiece! I am to be congratulated

[FRANKLIN, spoken]
You?

[ADAMS, spoken]
For making him write it

[FRANKLIN, spoken]
Oh, of course

[ADAMS]
It's a masterpiece, I say
They will cheer every word, every letter

[JEFFERSON]
I wish I felt that way

[FRANKLIN]
I believe I can put it better
Now then attend, as friend to friend
Our Declaration Committee
For us I see immortality

ADAMS, JEFFERSON & FRANKLIN]
In Philadelphia city

[FRANKLIN]
A farmer, a lawyer, and a sage
A bit gouty in the leg
You know, it's quite bizarre
To think that here we are
Playing midwives to an egg

[ADAMS, spoken]
Egg? What egg?

[FRANKLIN, spoken]
America. The birth of a new nation

[JEFFERSON, spoken]
If only we could be sure of what kind of a bird it's going to be

[FRANKLIN, spoken]
Tom has a point. What sort of bird shall we choose as the symbol of our new America?

[ADAMS, spoken]
The eagle

The eagle

The eagle

The eagle is a majestic bird!

The turkey?

The eagle!

[JEFFERSON, spoken]
The dove

The dove

The eagle

The eagle!

[FRANKLIN, spoken]
The turkey

The turkey

The eagle's a scavenger, a thief, and a coward!
A symbol of over ten centuries of European mischief!

The turkey is the truly noble bird. Native American. Source of sustenance of our original settlers. An incredibly brave fellow who will not flinch at attacking a regiment of Englishmen! Singlehandedly!
Therefore, the national bird of America is going to be:

The eagle!
[ADAMS]
We're waiting for the —

[ADAMS, JEFFERSON & FRANKLIN]
Chirp, chirp, chirp
Of an eaglet being born
Waiting for the chirp, chirp, chirp
On this humid Monday morning in this
Congressional incubator

[FRANKLIN]
God knows the temperature's hot enough
To hatch a stone, let alone an egg

[ADAMS, JEFFERSON & FRANKLIN]
We're waiting for the
Scratch, scratch, scratch
Of that tiny little fellow
Waiting for the egg to hatch
On this humid Monday morning in this
Congressional incubator

[ADAMS]
God knows the temperature's hot enough
To hatch a stone

[JEFFERSON]
But will it hatch an egg?

[ADAMS, spoken]
The Declaration will be a triumph, I tell you, a triumph! If I was ever sure of anything, I'm sure of that. A triumph. And if it isn't, we've still got four days left to think of something else

(sung)
The eagle's going to crack the shell
Of the egg that England laid

[ADAMS, JEFFERSON & FRANKLIN]
Yes, sir, we can
Tell, tell, tell
On this humid Monday morning in this
Congressional incubator

[FRANKLIN]
And just as Tom here has written
Though the shell may belong to Great Britain
The eagle inside belongs to us

[ADAMS & FRANKLIN]
And just as Tom here has written

[ADAMS, JEFFERSON & FRANKLIN]
We say, "To hell with Great Britain!"
The eagle inside belongs to us!