Last Midnight

"Last Midnight" is the 7th song of act II of Into The Woods. It is the 25th song in the final vocal score, though paired with "Your Fault" in the Original Broadway Cast Recording.

Just before this number, the group - Baker, Jack, Little Red Riding Hood, and Cinderella start blaming eachother, pointing fingers at the Witch too. Even though they settle on someone to blame - the Baker's father - they start it up again not being satisfied by this conclusion to end up on the Witch again. ("Your Fault")

The first live performance for this was in September 29, 1987 sung by Bernadette Peters. The demo song for this was "Boom, Crunch!" performed in the Old Globe Production by Ellen Foley and then Bernadette Peters in the Original Broadway Production until being replaced. It was rumoured this change was made to give Bernadette Peters a 'showstopper,' however this has been denied by Sondheim as simply the song needed reworking such as other songs especially character solo pieces in the musical.

Lyrics[]

[WITCH]
Shh!

It's the last midnight.
It's the last wish.
It's the last midnight,
Soon it will be boom-

(Stamps her foot)

Squish!

(Grinds it into the ground)

Told a little lie,
Stole a little gold,
Broke a little vow,
Did you?

Had to get your Prince,
Has to get your cow,
Have to get your wish,
Doesn't matter how-
Anyway, it doesn't matter now.

It's the last midnight,
It's the boom-
Splat!
Nothing but a vast midnight.
Everybody smashed flat!

Nothing we can do-
Not exactly true:
We can always give her the boy...

They protect Jack as she reaches for him.

No?
No, of course what really matters
Is the blame,
Somebody to blame.
Fine, if that's the thing you enjoy,
Placing the blame,
If that's the aim,
Give me the blame-
Just give me the boy.

[THE OTHERS]
No!

[WITCH]
No...

You're so nice.
You're not good,
You're not bad,
You're just nice.
I'm not good,
I'm not nice,
I'm just right.
I'm the Witch.
You're the world.

I'm the hitch.
I'm what no one believes,
I'm the Witch.
You're all liars and theives,
Like his father,
Like his son will be, too-
Oh, why bother?
You'll just do what you do.

It's the last midnight,
So, goodbye all.
Coming at you fast, midight-
Soon you'll see the sky fall.

Here, you want a bean?

(Starts to scatter beans)

Have another bean.

They scramble to collect the beans as she scatters them.

Beans were made for making you rich!
Plant them and they soar-
Here, you want some more?
Listen to the roar...
Giants by the score-!
Oh well, you can blame another witch.

It's the last midnight.
It's the last verse.
Now, before it's past midnight,
I'm leaving you my last curse:

I'm leaving yo alone.
You can tend the garden, it's yours.
Separate and alone,
Everybody down on all fours.

(Looks up at the sky)

All right, mother, when?
Lost the beans again!
Punish me the way you did then!
Give me claws and a hunch,
Just away from this bunch
And the gloom
And the doom
And the boom
Cruuunch!

She disappears.