Sheep Dance

libretto by Jeff Goode
music by Jonathan Price

from Saint George & the Dragon

The Sheep of the village hold an Election and an Innaugural Ball.
  • Lyrics:
(The sheep of the shire flock to the village square for the vote. GEORGE and the MINSTREL follow SHEEP into the crowd.)

(POLL SHEEP rises and bangs a gavel to call the vote.)

POLL SHEEP
All in favor say, "Meh."

(Various shire sheep bleat "Meh," building in volume.)

POLL SHEEP
Opposition say "Bah."

(But most of the sheep are still Meh-ing--some of them don't seem to know what they're voting for, but everybody else is doing it--the Meh-ing continues to build until the vote is unanimous.)

POLL SHEEP
The motion is carried and adopted withal.
Now it's time for the inaugural ball!

(The Ewes and Rams line up at opposite sides of the square, facing each other, bouncing nervously in anticipation, but no one seems to want the first dance.)

GEORGE
Pardon me asking...
Why is nobody dancing?

SHEEP
No one knows how to lead. Think about it, we're sheep.
Even one tiny step is a big giant leap.

GEORGE
Well... Nothing worth doing is easy to do.
Let me be the sheep. You just have to be ewe.

SHEEP
A ewe?

GEORGE
I'm not taking "Bah" for an answer, my steed.
You're a natural hoofer. Just follow my lead!

(George grabs Sheep and drags him out on the dance floor.)

SHEEP
Whoa!

(George starts dancing the Sheep around the square with him.)

(Minstrel also grabs a male sheep and dances him around the square.)

(George spins Sheep into a Ewe and the momentum carries the new couple out onto the dance floor.)

(Minstrel spins her partner into a crowd of Ewes, as well, and grabs another surprised partner.)

(Soon the whole village is dancing! Minstrel leads the Lambs in a circle through the square. Various sheep YIP and BLEAT happily.)

(They all finish with their hooves in the air!)

ALL SHEEP
Huzzah!