Planet Earth, 1835 lyrics

NARRATOR
Planet Earth, 1835
Samuel Stratford sits behind a desk
A reporter for the New York Sun
A new newspaper trying to compete
But they're going down and everyone knows it

Young man with a pencil
Immigrant son with a heart made of gold
Young man with potential
Imagination, twenty-seven years old

[SAMUEL]
Planet Earth needs something different

[Chorus]
Samuel Stratford's flipping through a notebook

[NARRATOR]
Earnest, anxious, full of passion
Samuel wants to show his boss

[BENJAMIN]
He's gonna hate it, everyone knows it

[NARRATOR]
Samuel's best friend Benjamin knows it
[SAMUEL]
Benjamin, you need to see this
Rose and I have written something awesome

[BENJAMIN]
Every time you have that notebook
I know you are gonna cause a problem

[Chorus]
Benjamin, the editor
Keys to the press and keys to the door

[NARRATOR]
Best friend, the editor
He's had this conversation before

[SAMUEL]
There are fifteen hundred newspapers in New York City

[BENJAMIN]
No, there aren't

[SAMUEL]
I'm just saying-
The one that pays us to produce
Is one of many
Even if there's minor variations
In the way the story's told
The news is just the news
And the news is getting old
[Chorus]
In 1835
The news of the world has passed us by

[SAMUEL]
Now it will take a miracle
To keep our printing press alive

[Chorus]
When you look up 1835
Honestly, we would not be surprised
If there was not a single word
About our ultimate demise

[BENJAMIN]
But the Sun revolves 'round Planet Earth
And nothing's gonna change that

[SAMUEL, spoken]
The sun doesn't revolve around the Earth

[BENJAMIN, spoken]
The one from New York does

[SAMUEL]
Why not add a little bit of fiction?
Why not add a little bit of style?
Why not add a little bit of swagger?
Why not add adventure to the pile?
A featured story, it could be anything
Science, horror, myth, or magic
Future lands and future glories
[BENJAMIN]
I suppose you'd write the stories

[SAMUEL]
Well, you know that we have a few ideas...

[BENJAMIN, spoken]
We? You and Rose?

[SAMUEL]
My sister is incredible
Her imagination's just as big as mine

[BENJAMIN]
Your sister is incredible
But I'm telling you that this is not the time

[SAMUEL]
I promised Rose

[BENJAMIN]
It's for the best

[SAMUEL]
But this is good

[BENJAMIN]
Give it a rest
I am doing you a favor

[Chorus]
Our paper writes the news

[BENJAMIN]
Save your fantasies later

[NARRATOR]
Chester Thomas
Owner of the New York Sun
Opens his door
And stares at everyone

Standing tall as he projects
Power as he puffs his chest
But he's nervous as the rest

Imagination's been destroyed
In his mind, there is a void
Failure's made him paranoid

He can feel he's losing grip
Captain of a sinking ship
Still, he's sneering as he quips

[THOMAS]
The New York Sentinel

[THOMAS, Chorus]
Our rival

[THOMAS]
Have given us our daily pounding
Every day is a fight for

[THOMAS, Chorus]
Survival

[THOMAS]
I know that isn't news
But how often we lose
Is really quite astounding
Benjamin

[BENJAMIN, spoken]
Yes?

[THOMAS]
Our deadline has arrived
Do you have our articles together?

[BENJAMIN]
Almost ready, I'm just helping
Samuel fix his story on the weather

[SAMUEL, spoken]
The weather?

[BENJAMIN, spoken]
The weather

[SAMUEL, spoken]
But-

[BENJAMIN, spoken]
Not now

[NARRATOR]
Chester Thomas squints his eyes
He can tell that Samuel lies

[THOMAS]
This is not a trick, is it?
Not another trick, Samuel
Let me see your notebook

[SAMUEL]
... No

[THOMAS]
What?
Let me see your notebook

[BENJAMIN]
Please, sir, don't-

[THOMAS]
I've lost track of all the times
You come to me with grand designs
My orders always undermined
In the name of fiction
Tell me, do you think
That will save us from the brink?
That trash isn't worth the ink

[SAMUEL]
You're wrong!

[*The Chorus gasps.*]

[SAMUEL]
It is 1835
Sir, you've got to open your eyes
Simply being good is not enough, we must be wise
That readers in 1835
Don't just wanna live, they wanna feel alive

[THOMAS]
The only one not good enough is you, I've realized
Samuel, let me see your notebook

[Chorus]
Let him see your notebook

[THOMAS]
Let me see your notebook

[Chorus]
Let him see your notebook
Let him see your notebook
Let him see your notebook
Now

[THOMAS, spoken]
"Great Astronomical Discoveries..."

[NARRATOR]
Thomas tears the notebook in half
He shows Samuel to the door and laughs

[THOMAS, spoken]
(laughs) You're fired

[Chorus]
The Sun revolves 'round Planet Earth
And nothing's gonna change that

[THOMAS, spoken]
Everybody, back to work

[BENJAMIN, spoken]
Samuel... I'm sorry

[NARRATOR]
When the working day is through
Samuel walks the avenue
His footsteps' heavy as they hit the cobblestone

Manhattan is a gorgeous site
Broadway lit by candle lights
And the only city he's ever known

He wonders if his boss is right
If this is all a losing fight
There is one person who might change his mind...