THE VOICES House Wet Vaults Caissons We breathe
OF THE Undercroft Abutments Stones Wood Breathe
HOUSE Buttresses Bressumers Spandrels We Breathe
Columns and Pillars Shafts Arches Capitals Breathe
We breathe We are waiting
We rise We are waiting
We are Usher House of Usher
Pilasters Quoins Piers
Spandrels and columns that shaft through the years
House of Usher
Wainscots Stairs Balusters Cusps and Cornices
Spandrels and Columns the capital years
House of Usher
We breathe We are waiting
We rise We are waiting
We are Usher House of Usher
Beams Corbels Joists Kingposts
Copings and Chimney-shafts
Ridge-ribs Struts Stanchions Parapets
Pediments Mansards and Gargoyles
The eaves The dripping eaves
Cupola Finials Gables Tiles Lead
We breathe We are waiting
We rise We are waiting
We are Usher House of Usher
We are Keystone We are Usher
RODERICK USHER
("The Sleeper") The lady sleeps oh, may her sleep
which is enduring so be deep!
Heaven hold her in its sacred keep!
This chamber changed for one more holy,
this bed for one of melancholy
I pray to God that she may lie
forever with unopened eye
while the dim, sheeted ghosts go by
My love, she sleeps Oh, may her sleep
as it is lasting so be deep!
Soft may the worms around her creep!
Far in the forest, dim and old,
now may some tall vault enfold her;
some vault that oft hath flung its black
and winged panels fluttering back
triumphant o'er the crested palls
of her grand family funerals
USHER MONTRESOR

I didn't mean to interrupt
Montresor, you came!
Did you think I'd ignore your letter?
Montresor, you're here!
Come let me help you with your coat
Sit down and rest yourself
Oh, it's so good to see you here!
Now tell me all your news
I see you've changed a bit, my friend
Now won't you have a drink
Yes, yes
but one thing at a time!
First you must tell me what
But I expect I too have changed
How many years could it be now
since last we said farewell?
It must be ten years
since our last meeting,
Yes, it must be ten years
since our last meeting since our last meeting
Tell me what is wrong?
Your letter spoke
of a malady;
some desperate trial
you could not face alone
Oh, no, you tell me all your doings!
Tell me
Tell me
how you pass your days how you pass your days
Tell me
from the beginning from the beginning
Tell me
everything everything
that's happened
since we went our since we went our
separate ways separate ways
Look at me
I have not left these walls
these three years,
I do not dare to do so!
I am imprisoned and fear is my gaoler
Each word I speak
seems too dangerous
My slightest act could bring about
the very thing I fear
But fear of what?
Hush, and I shall tell you
tell you
USHER I shun the light,
creep in the gloom like a toad, a white worm,
tortured by the faintest gleam of sun
I hear
oh God, if you could only know the things I hear!
I hear the lake sucking at the walls,
I hear bats breathing
I hear the sky moan to join with the slime!
And this,
all this like thunder to me,
like thunder!
My senses scream at me:
Sight Touch Sight Touch
Sound and Taste Sound and Scent,
All torment and claw at my sanity
There is no hiding place for me,
for even in the quietest of my rooms,
I hear the walls in conversation;
I hear the palpitations of my heart;
I feel all that lives and does not move
and know it knows my feeling
My only peace lies in my music
and then only because it drowns out
all other sounds and souls
You may think that I am mad, but it is not so
My senses reel beneath the blow of feathers falling
and more
But no, I see you do not understand
MONTRESOR Oh, my poor dear friend,
you must see you are not well
I've read of this before,
I think it's called Hyperaesthesis
I'm no doctor, but it's clear
your nerves have gone to pieces
You need to get away,
you need a holiday,
you need a change of air!
You need an ocean cruise,
you need to be amused!
I tell you plain, this House
to me seems most unhealthy
You're unattached, you're free to go, you're wealthy
USHER MONTRESOR THE CHORUS

Leave this House
Leave this House
Leave this House
and come away
Leave this House
I cannot!
Leave this House!
I cannot!
Leave this House!
Here I must stay
Here I must stay
You are wasting
your time
He will never
leave
I can never
leave here
therefore do
not ask me
say no more I've heard of this before
and let me be I think it's called Hyperaesthesis
I can never I'm no doctor but it's clear
leave here your nerves have gone to pieces
therefore do your nerves have gone to pieces
not ask me
Say no more
and let me be
I cannot leave
He cannot leave
The House is I
The House is he
We are as one
They are as one
And I would die
and so must die
Now you must leave
I He cannot leave
cannot Now you must fly
leave The House is he
Now you must run
The They are as one
House is No-one will die
I And so must die
I cannot leave
Now you must leave
He cannot leave
The House is I
Now you must fly
The House is he
We are as one
Now you must run
and so must die
and so must die
No-one will die
USHER MONTRESOR THE HOUSE

We shall
not let
him go!
We shall not
Leave let him go!
Do not torture me! this We shall not
Do not try to persuade! House let him go!
We shall not
Leave let him go!
It only brings me grief this We shall not
House let him go!
Leave this House We shall not
I cannot leave let him go!
We shall not
let him go!
shall not let him go!
USHER MONTRESOR THE CHORUS THE HOUSE
Leave this House
I cannot
Leave this House
I cannot
Leave this House Leave this House
and come with me We shall not
let him go
Leave this House
I cannot Never, never
Leave this House never!
I cannot
Leave this House
and come with me Never! Never, never,
never!
Never! Never, never,
never!
I can never We are bound
leave here together
therefore do for the last time so never
not ask me I entreat you He shall he shall
say no more never leave never leave
and let me be We are bound
together
for the last time so never
I entreat you He shall he shall
Leave! never leave never leave
Do not
talk to me Never
do not try never
to persuade Leave! never
He shall never
never leave
Leave this house
Oh Montresor never never
I beg of you never never
I can never never
never leave never never
I can never never never
leave this house Leave this house never never
I can never You are wasting never never
leave this house Leave this house you time never never
I can never he will never never never
leave this house Leave! leave never never
never!
The House
is I
End of Act Two