Adamandi: a new musical by Melliot

lyrics:
VINCENT
TEN MINUTES ‘TILL LECTURE
A PATH TO RETRACE.
OTHER STUDENTS JOIN,
HEADED THE SAME EXACT PLACE.
POURING OUT OF BUILDINGS
MARCHING TO CLASS.
FILING THROUGH ARCHES.
REFLECTED IN GLASS.

ALL WALKING IN THE SAME DIRECTION, 
SPILL OUT OF A NARROW STREET AND CROSS THE ROAD.
FROM ABOVE, WE LOOK LIKE FLIES SURROUNDING SOMETHING THAT HAS DIED,
A CARCASS OVERFLOWED. 
I AM SCARED OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN AND I WISH I COULD STOP MOVING BUT I CAN’T TRY.
EVEN IF I DO, THE MINDLESS SWARM WILL SPLIT IN TWO AND PASS ME BY.


DO THEY NOT FEEL TRAPPED?
EVERY MOVEMENT MAPPED?
DO THEY FEEL MY STARE?
DO THEY EVEN CARE?
THE SWARM STARTS TO SEETHE (STUDENTS: AND IT’S HARD TO BREATHE)
AND IT’S HARD TO BREATHE (STUDENTS: AND IT’S HARD TO BREATHE)
WHERE CAN I RUN?

THEY DICTATE WHAT I DO AND I DICTATE WHAT THEY DO 
AS WE CONTROL THE MASS.
WE ARE AN ENDLESS STREAM OF FLESH SO ALL THE VEHICLES AROUND US WAIT FOR US TO PASS.
DRAWN INTO A VORTEX WHERE I CAN’T TELL IF I’M LEADING OR I’M BEING LED.
PART OF THEIR POTENTIAL, I CAN FEEL I HAVE A PURPOSE WAITING UP AHEAD

DO THEY NOT FEEL CAUGHT? 
IS THIS WHAT THEY’RE TAUGHT?
DO THEY NOT FEEL SMALL? 
DO THEY FEEL AT ALL?
DO THEY NOT FEEL LED? (STUDENTS: DO THEY NOT FEEL LED?)
DO THEY KNOW THEY’RE DEAD? (STUDENTS: DO THEY KNOW THEY’RE DEAD?)
WHERE CAN I RUN?

NO ONE WOULD NOTICE IF I EVER VANISHED
THEIR BODIES WOULD SUSTAIN
THIS NEVER-ENDING ARMY
LIKE BLOOD PUMPING THROUGH A VEIN.

NO ONE WOULD NOTICE IF ANYONE VANISHED. 
IF NATURE CULLED THE HERD.
THIS CROWD OF PULSING FOOTSTEPS
WOULD KEEP MOVING UNDETERRED.

(THE OTHER STUDENTS join in as they rush around VINCENT, who is standing still.)

NO ONE WOULD NOTICE IF I EVER VANISHED
THEIR BODIES WOULD SUSTAIN
THIS NEVER-ENDING ARMY
LIKE BLOOD PUMPING THROUGH A VEIN.
NO ONE WOULD NOTICE IF ANYONE VANISHED. 
IF NATURE CULLED THE HERD
THIS CROWD OF PULSING FOOTSTEPS
WOULD KEEP MOVING UNDETERRED.

(Suddenly, the students disperse. VINCENT is alone. )

BUT THE FOOTSTEPS PASS
HEADED OFF TO CLASS.
AND I’M LEFT BEHIND
SAYING I DON’T MIND.
I TRY NOT TO CARE,
BUT WHAT ELSE IS THERE?
IF I’M NOT TRAPPED HERE
I’LL JUST DISAPPEAR. 
WHEN IT’S SAID AND DONE,
WHERE CAN I RUN?

Where Can I Run (Adamandi Demo)

lyrics:
VINCENT:
DEAR MS. REPORTER, I’M HONORED TO BE HERE
OH, MS. REPORTER, I’VE HAD A BUSY YEAR
IF YOU WANT PARTICULARS
MY EXTRACURRICULARS
HAVE BEEN QUITE FULFILLING
AS I MADE A KILLING!

I’VE BEEN SILENT, QUICK, AND DEADLY
AS I FOUND EACH NOMINEE.
THIS PRIZE LIST’S GOTTEN SHORTER
AND IT’S ALL BECAUSE OF ME! 
I STARTED OFF EASY 
WITH THOSE JOCKS IN THE GYM.
I’M LUCKY IT WAS AMBROSE.
I MEAN, ANYONE WOULD KILL HIM!

OH MS. REPORTER, YOU LOOK A LITTLE FAINT.
WELL, MS. REPORTER, I’VE SHOWN GOOD SELF-RESTRAINT.
NO ONE ELSE SUSPECTS A THING
OR LOOKS AT ME IN STUDY HALL
OR ASKS ME WHERE I’M HEADED TO
IT’S LIKE THEY’VE NEVER CARED AT ALL.

HOW CAN THEY NOT NOTICE?
I’M SO NEAT AND PRECISE!
FEEDING THEM TO SQUIRRELS
OR THE LABORATORY MICE.
THE ADMIN WON’T STOP ME.
NO SURVEILLANCE INCREASED.
YOU WOULD THINK, REPORTER, 
THEY WOULD CANCEL CLASS AT LEAST! 

OH, MS. REPORTER, I’VE HID THEM QUITE WELL
AND, MS. REPORTER, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL
I COULD KILL THEM ON THE GREEN
OR LEAVE THEIR BODIES IN THE SQUARE
BURN STUTTON HALL TO ASHES
AND THE ADMIN WOULDN’T CARE!

AND I THINK THAT I’M THE PROBLEM
IT’S LIKE EVERY OTHER YEAR.
EVEN IF I TRY TO PLEASE THEM,
IT’S LIKE I WAS NEVER HERE.
ALWAYS PART OF SOMEONE’S SHADOW
ALWAYS PUT BACK IN MY PLACE
(to GHOST AMBROSE)
I’LL NEVER HAVE THE MONEY
OR THE BIRTHRIGHT, OR THE FACE. 
(GHOST AMBROSE mirrors VINCENT’s movements for the rest of the song) 
I’VE CHOKED THEIR RICH MACHINE WITH BLOOD
BUT THE WHEELS JUST KEEP ON TURNING.
THEY’D NEVER LET A COUPLE DEATHS
DISRUPT A PLACE OF LEARNING. 

OH, MS. REPORTER, I CAN’T SAY THIS TO YOU
BUT, MS. REPORTER, I MEAN, WHAT ELSE CAN I DO? 
WHAT ELSE COULD MAKE THEM WANT ME?
IS IT SOMETHING I CAN’T SEE? 
WOULD THEY NOTICE ANYTHING
IF IT WAS DONE BY ME? 
THERE’S NO MORE RULES TO TEMPT ME
OR CONTESTANTS TO PURSUE 
PLEASE, MS. REPORTER, 
PLEASE, MS. REPORTER,
PLEASE, DON’T TELL ME,
BUT WHAT ELSE CAN I DO? 
WHAT ELSE CAN I DO? 
WHAT ELSE CAN I DO? 
WHAT ELSE CAN I- 
WHAT ELSE CAN I-
WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?

Oh, Ms. Reporter (Adamandi Demo)

Litany of the Martyrs (Adamandi Demo)

Vocals by Lara Priya Sachdeva. Lyrics:
PORTIA:
TALKS ON THE ROOF.
WRITING IN THE DARK.
THEORY BY THE WINDOW, UNREAD.
WAITING OUTSIDE
TO THE SOUNDS OF CRYING...
LIFE ON THE BONES OF THE DEAD.
SEARCH FOR YOUR FRIEND.
TELL THEM THEY’LL BE FINE.
TRY TO MAKE THEM GO HOME, INSTEAD.
WEIGHING YOUR LIFE
LIKE A HEAVY POUR...
LIFE ON THE BONES OF THE DEAD.
YOU TRY TO BE GOOD.
TALK TO YOUR FRIENDS.
EVERY DAY FEELS LIKE YOUR LAST.
THEN IT ENDS.
WALKS IN THE SNOW.
WAITING FOR A TRAIN.
STRIPPING ALL THE SHEETS OFF YOUR BED.
HOW CAN YOU LEAVE,
IF SO MANY STAYED?
NO MORE OF THE BONES OF THE DEAD.
NO MORE OF THE BONES OF THE DEAD.

Bones of the Dead (Adamandi Demo)

This page is for our website portfolio; demos for in-progress projects are posted to https://soundcloud.com/elliotvalentinelee

We are Mel Hornyak (Book/Lyrics) and Elliot Valentine (Book/Lyrics/Music), two New York-based musical theater writers who work under the artist name Melliot. Our musicals use speculative genres like sci-fi, horror, and fantasy to defamiliarize power, love and identity.