It's In Your Hands Now - Stephen Sondheim

Come close, boys.

Listen

With the dawning of a new century, your work begins.

The work of determining

what type of nation we shall be.

Behind you, at your back, the boundless riches

of a mighty land.

Before you, unfolding at your feet…

(sung)

There’s a road, straight ahead

There’s a century beginning

There’s a land of opportunity and more

It’s in your hands now

There are dreams to be fed

There’s a world that’s worth the winning

There’s a legacy of riches that’s in store

Now it’s up to you

And you’ll see it through

If you stay on track

And you don’t look back

It’s in your hands now

Time to start your journey now

Never falter, never rest

Until you know

You’ve achieved the very best

That you can be

Never pausing in your quest

For something better just around the corner

Up to you to set the course

Of where we’ll go

With the limitless resources

You can plumb

Keep your eyes on what’s afar

Not on what we are

But what we can become!

Follow on where we’ve led

Make the past an underpinning

For the future, for the road you must explore

As the road extends

It gets rough as it ascends

And it often bends

But it never, ever ends

It will take you anywhere you want

If you know where you’re going

It’s in your hands now, boys

Make of it what you will, but make me proud

Make me proud…

(Papa falls back on the pillows, dead.)