"Ever After" is the 17th song of act I of Into The Woods. It is the 11th song in the Original Broadway Cast Recording.
The Baker and his Wife locate the four objects and break the Witch's spell. The Witch regains her beauty but in return loses her magical powers. Jack comes back from another trip to the Giant's Kingdom and cuts down the Beanstalk, killing the Giant. Cinderella's Stepmother and her Stepsisters attempt to fit into her shoe but fail to fool the prince, ending with Cinderella with her Prince. They ride off. Rapunzel joins her prince, leaving the Witch alone. Florinda and Lucinda, attending Cinderella's wedding, are blinded by birds who peck out their eyes. The Wife enters, very pregnant, followed by the Baker. [1] This number is shown into four-five sections. Technically, the first section would be labelled "Careful, My Toe" which is in song for putting Cinderella's step family struggling to fit into the shoe. The main four are "So Happy - short version", "Happy Ever After", "Unhappy Ever After" and "Into the Woods (Reprise)".
Lyrics[]
[NARRATOR]
And it came to pass, all that seemed wrong was now right, and those who deserved to were certain to live a long and happy life ever after...
[COMPANY]
Ever after!
[NARRATOR]
Journey over, all is mended
And it's not just for today
But tomorrow, and extended
Ever after!
[COMPANY]
Ever after!
[NARRATOR]
All the curses have been ended
The reverses wiped away
All is tenderness and laughter
For forever
After!
[COMPANY]
Happy now and happy hence
And happy ever after!
[NARRATOR]
There were dangers—
[COMPANY]
We were frightened—
[NARRATOR]
And confusions—
[COMPANY]
But we hid it—
[NARRATOR]
And the paths would often swerve
[COMPANY]
We did not
[NARRATOR]
There were constant—
[COMPANY]
It's amazing—
[NARRATOR]
Disillusions—
[COMPANY]
That we did it
[NARRATOR]
But they never lost their nerve
[COMPANY]
Not a lot
[NARRATOR & MEN]
And they (we) reached the right conclusions
[WOMEN]
And we got what we deserve!
[COMPANY]
Not a sigh and not a sorrow
Tenderness and laughter
Joy today and bliss tomorrow
And forever after!
[FLORINDA]
I was greedy
[LUCINDA]
I was vain
[FLORINDA]
I was haughty
[LUCINDA]
I was smug
[FLORINDA & LUCINDA]
We were happy
[LUCINDA]
It was fun
[FLORINDA]
But we were blind
[FLORINDA & LUCINDA]
Then we went into the woods
To get our wish
And now we're really blind
[WITCH]
I was perfect
I had everything but beauty
I had power
And a daughter like a flower
In a tower
Then I went into the woods
To get my wish
And now I'm ordinary
Lost my power and my flower
[FLORINDA & LUCINDA]
We're unworthy
[FLORINDA, LUCINDA & WITCH]
We're (I'm) unhappy now, unhappy hence
As well as ever after
Had we used our common sense
Been worthy of our discontents—
[WOMEN]
To be happy, and forever
You must see your wish come true
[COMPANY]
Don't be careful, don't be clever
When you see your wish, pursue
It's a dangerous endeavor
But the only thing to do—
[GROUP 1, GROUP 2, GROUP 3]
Though it's fearful
Though it's deep
Though it's dark
And though you may
Lose the path
Though you may
Encounter wolves Though it's fearful
Though it's deep
You mustn't stop Though it's dark
You mustn't swerve And though you may
Lose the path
You mustn't ponder Though you may
Encounter wolves Though it's fearful
Though it's deep
You have to act! You mustn't stop Though it's dark
When you know your You mustn't swerve And though you may
Wish Lose the path
You have to act! Though you may
If you want your wish Encounter wolves
You can have your wish You can have your wish You mustn't swerve
Or ponder
But you can't just wish— But you can't just wish— You can't just wish—
No, to get your wish No, to get your wish No, to get you wish
[COMPANY]
You go into the woods
Where nothing's clear
Where witches, ghosts
And wolves appear
Into the woods
And through the fear
You have to take the journey
Into the woods
And down the dell
In vain perhaps
But who can tell?
[MEN]
Into the woods to lift the spell
[WOMEN]
Into the woods to lose the longing
[MEN]
Into the woods to have the child
[WOMEN]
To wed the Prince
[MEN]
To get the money
[WOMEN]
To save the house
[MEN]
To kill the wolf
[WOMEN]
To find the father
[MEN]
To conquer the kingdom
[COMPANY]
To have, to wed
To get, to save
To kill, to keep
To go to the Festival!
Into the woods
Into the woods
Into the woods
Then out of the woods
And happy ever after!
[NARRATOR]
As for the Prince, he began his search for the foot to fit the golden slipper.
Cinderella's Prince and his Steward enter.
[NARRATOR]
When he came to Cinderella's house, Cinderella's stepmother took the slipper into Florinda's room.
Florinda tries on shoe; the Stepmother struggles to help cram her toe into it.
[FLORINDA]
Careful, my toe—!
[STEPMOTHER]
Darling, I know—!
[FLORINDA]
What'll we do?
[STEPMOTHER]
It'll have to go.
(Florinda reacts.)
[STEPMOTHER]
but when you're his bride
You can sit or ride.
You'll never need to walk!
She looks at her encouragingly and cuts off her toe.
The Prince puts the shoe on Florinda's foot and lifts her onto the back of his horse. As they travel in the woods, they pass Cinderella's Mother's grave.'
[CINDERELLA'S MOTHER]
Look at the blood within the shoe.
This one is not the bride that's true.
Search for the foot that fits.
The Prince looks at Florinda's foot and sees blood trickling from the shoe. They return to Cinderella's home.
The Stepmother takes the shoe and tries forcing it onto Lucinda's foot.
[LUCINDA]
Why won't it fit?
[STEPMOTHER]
Darling be still.
Cut off a bit
Of the heel and it will.
And when you're his wife
You'll have such a life,
You'll never need to walk!
Stepmother looks at her encouragingly and cuts off heel. The Prince puts the shoe on Lucinda's foot and lifts her onto the back of his horse. As they travel in the woods he notices the blood trickling from the shoe.
He removes the foot from Lucinda's foot and, ashen, returns Lucinda to the Stepmother.
[CINDERELLA'S PRINCE]
Have you no other daughters?
[NARRATOR]
To which the woman replied:
[STEPMOTHER]
No, only a little stunted kitchen wench which his late wife left behind, but she is much too dirty; she cannot present herself.
[CINDERELLA'S PRINCE]
I insist.
Cinderella appears.
[NARRATOR]
And when Cinderella presents herself and tried on the blood-soaked slipper, it fit like a glove.
[CINDERELLA'S PRINCE]
This is the true bride!
[NARRATOR]
And much to the dismay of the stepmother and her daughters, he took Cinderella on his horse and rode off.
Cinderella's Prince and Cinderella ride by the grave.
[CINDERELLA'S MOTHER]
No blood at all within the shoe.
This is the proper bride for you,
Fit to attend a prince.
[CINDERELLA]
I didn't think I'd wed a prince.
[CINDERELLA'S PRINCE]
I didn't think I'd ever find you.
[CINDERELLA, CINDERELLA'S PRINCE, BAKER, WIFE]
I didn't think I could be so happy!...
The company comes onstage. (Ever After)
[FLORINDA]
I was greedy
[LUCINDA]
I was vain
[FLORINDA]
I was haughty
[LUCINDA]
I was smug
[BOTH]
We were happy
[LUCINDA]
It was fun
[FLORINDA]
But we were blind
[BOTH]
Then we went into the woods
To get our wish
And now we're really blind
[WITCH]
I was perfect.
I had everything but beauty.
I had power,
And a daughter like a flower,
In a tower.
Then I went into the woods
To get my wish
And now I'm ordinary.
Lost my power and my flower.
[FLORINDA, LUCINDA]
We're unworthy
[FLORINDA, LUCINDA, WITCH]
We're (I'm) unhappy now, unhappy hence,
As well as ever after.
Had we used our common sense,
Been worthy of our discontents—
[ALL]
To be happy, and forever,
You must see your wish come true.
Don't be careful, don't be clever.
When you see your wish, pursue.
It's a dangerous endeavor,
But the only thing to do—
"[ALL]
(In groups, in canon)
Though it's fearful,
Though it's deep, though it's dark,
And though you may lose the path,
Though you may encounter wolves,
You mustn't stop,
You mustn't swerve,
You mustn't ponder,
You have to act!
When you know your wish,
If you want your wish,
You can have your wish,
But you can't just wish—
No, to get your wish
(In unison)
You go into the woods,
Where nothing's clear,
Where witches, ghosts,
And wolves appear.
Into the woods
And through the fear,
You have to take the journey.
Into the woods
And down the dell,
In vain perhaps,
But who can tell?
Into the woods to lift the spell.
Into the woods to lose the longing.
Into the woods to have the child,
To wed the Prince,
To get the money,
To save the house,
To kill the wolf,
To find the father,
To conquer the kingdom,
To have, to wed,
To get, to save,
To kill, to keep,
To go to the Festival!
Into the woods
Into the woods
Into the woods
Then out of the woods—
A giant beanstalk emerges from the ground and stretches to the heavens; none of the characters see it.
[NARRATOR]
To be continued...
[ALL]
—And happy ever after!
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ "Look I made a hat: collected lyrics (1981 - 2011) with attendant comments, amplifications, dogmas, harangues, digressions, anecdotes and miscellany" by Stephen Sondheim, book published 2011. Page 81 - 84