The Beat Goes On by Original Broadway Cast of The Cher Show Lyrics
[BABE]
And the beat goes on, the beat goes on
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La de da de de, la de da de da
(spoken) Hiya, fellas. Back me up, would ya?
Broadway's always been the rage, uh huh
Look at me, I'm on the stage, uh huh
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Oh, to be happy in your work
[BABE]
Cher won't be on Broadway, anymore
[BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT, spoken]
That was fast
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Why?
[BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT, spoken]
What happened?
[BABE]
'Cause there's Mike Nichols standing at the door
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Did you say, Mike Nichols?
[BABE]
Uh huh
(spoken) And he offers me a movie role!
[BOB MACKIE AND BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT]
Uh huh
[BABE, spoken]
In Silkwood!
[BOB MACKIE AND BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT]
And the beat goes on
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Not in that coat it doesn't
[BOB MACKIE AND BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT]
Off! It's gone!
[BOB MACKIE, BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT AND ENSEMBLE]
The beat goes on, on, on, on, on
[BABE, spoken]
So I leave the theatre to make it in the movies. And I'm hanging out with the Gods!
And when Silkwood's all finished, Nichols says the trailer's playing in L.A. and I should check it out. So I did
So I'm standing at the back of the theatre, and Meryl Streep's name comes up on the screen. And everyone goes-
[ENSEMBLE, spoken]
Ooh!
[BABE, spoken]
And Kurt Russell's name comes on. And everyone goes-
[ENSEMBLE, spoken]
Ahh!
[BABE, spoken]
And then Cher comes up on screen! And everyone starts laughing. I bit the inside of my cheek so I wouldn't cry
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Well, now it's Oscar season and no one's laughing anymore
[GROUP 1 (GROUP 2)]
And the beat goes on, on (And the beat goes on, the beat goes on, on, on)
The beat goes on, on (And the beat goes on, the beat goes on, on, on)
[BABE, spoken]
And of course it's a great honor just to be nominated
[ANNOUNCER, spoken]
And the 1984 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress goes to...
Linda Hunt
[BABE, spoken]
Well, what diva doesn't have her ups... and downs
(sung) Two long years till my next part
[ENSEMBLE]
Uh huh!
[BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT, spoken]
Which movie?
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Mask!
[ENSEMBLE]
Doo doo doo
[BABE]
Leading role with lots of heart
[ENSEMBLE]
Uh huh!
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Oscar buzz is building all over town!
[ENSEMBLE]
Doo doo doo
[BABE]
Cast so great I wanna scream
[ENSEMBLE]
Uh huh!
[BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT, spoken]
And, you rocked that motorcycle jacket, sis
[BABE]
God, it's good to live the dream
[BABE AND ENSEMBLE]
Uh huh!
[BABE, spoken]
And the movie comes out
[GROUP 1 (GROUP 2)]
And the beat goes on, on (And the beat goes on)
[BABE, spoken]
And it's a hit!
[GROUP 1 (GROUP 2)]
(On, on, on)
The beat goes on, on (And the beat goes on, the beat goes on, on, and on)
[BABE, spoken]
But the Academy doesn't approve of me. I'm the bad girl with the big mouth. So this time, I don't even get nominated
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Well, that's show biz, I guess
[BABE, spoken]
They ask me to present an award instead. That's show biz
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Hey, it's still an honor to be a presenter
[BABE, spoken]
Oh yeah, it's a big honor, Bob. And I wanna go big, right back
[ENSEMBLE]
And the beat goes on
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Just how big do you want it, Cher?
[ENSEMBLE]
The beat goes on
[BABE, spoken]
Let's put it this way: when you think you've gone too big, Bob- go bigger!
[ENSEMBLE]
And the beat goes on
The beat goes on
The beat goes on, on, on
The beat goes on
The beat goes on
The beat goes on, on, on
[STAR, spoken]
As you can see, I did receive my Academy handbook on how to dress like a "serious actress." Okay, back to you, Kid
[ENSEMBLE (BABE)]
Gotta pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues
'Cause you know, it don't come easy (Easy)
You don't have to shout or shimmy all about (The beat goes on and on)
Even though it all comes easy (The beat goes on)
[BABE, spoken]
Oh, I paid my dues alright. And two years later
[ANNOUNCER, spoken]
And the winner of the 1988 Academy Award for Best Actress is...
Cher for "Moonstruck"
[STAR, spoken]
Oh, Babe, see what happens when you high-kick fear in the butt!
[BABE, BOB MACKIE AND BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT]
The beat goes on
The beat goes on
On and on and on
Yeah, the beat goes on
[BABE]
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La de da de de, la de da de da, uh!
And the beat goes on, the beat goes on
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La de da de de, la de da de da
(spoken) Hiya, fellas. Back me up, would ya?
Broadway's always been the rage, uh huh
Look at me, I'm on the stage, uh huh
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Oh, to be happy in your work
[BABE]
Cher won't be on Broadway, anymore
[BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT, spoken]
That was fast
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Why?
[BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT, spoken]
What happened?
[BABE]
'Cause there's Mike Nichols standing at the door
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Did you say, Mike Nichols?
[BABE]
Uh huh
(spoken) And he offers me a movie role!
[BOB MACKIE AND BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT]
Uh huh
[BABE, spoken]
In Silkwood!
[BOB MACKIE AND BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT]
And the beat goes on
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Not in that coat it doesn't
[BOB MACKIE AND BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT]
Off! It's gone!
[BOB MACKIE, BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT AND ENSEMBLE]
The beat goes on, on, on, on, on
[BABE, spoken]
So I leave the theatre to make it in the movies. And I'm hanging out with the Gods!
And when Silkwood's all finished, Nichols says the trailer's playing in L.A. and I should check it out. So I did
So I'm standing at the back of the theatre, and Meryl Streep's name comes up on the screen. And everyone goes-
[ENSEMBLE, spoken]
Ooh!
[BABE, spoken]
And Kurt Russell's name comes on. And everyone goes-
[ENSEMBLE, spoken]
Ahh!
[BABE, spoken]
And then Cher comes up on screen! And everyone starts laughing. I bit the inside of my cheek so I wouldn't cry
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Well, now it's Oscar season and no one's laughing anymore
[GROUP 1 (GROUP 2)]
And the beat goes on, on (And the beat goes on, the beat goes on, on, on)
The beat goes on, on (And the beat goes on, the beat goes on, on, on)
[BABE, spoken]
And of course it's a great honor just to be nominated
[ANNOUNCER, spoken]
And the 1984 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress goes to...
Linda Hunt
[BABE, spoken]
Well, what diva doesn't have her ups... and downs
(sung) Two long years till my next part
[ENSEMBLE]
Uh huh!
[BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT, spoken]
Which movie?
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Mask!
[ENSEMBLE]
Doo doo doo
[BABE]
Leading role with lots of heart
[ENSEMBLE]
Uh huh!
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Oscar buzz is building all over town!
[ENSEMBLE]
Doo doo doo
[BABE]
Cast so great I wanna scream
[ENSEMBLE]
Uh huh!
[BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT, spoken]
And, you rocked that motorcycle jacket, sis
[BABE]
God, it's good to live the dream
[BABE AND ENSEMBLE]
Uh huh!
[BABE, spoken]
And the movie comes out
[GROUP 1 (GROUP 2)]
And the beat goes on, on (And the beat goes on)
[BABE, spoken]
And it's a hit!
[GROUP 1 (GROUP 2)]
(On, on, on)
The beat goes on, on (And the beat goes on, the beat goes on, on, and on)
[BABE, spoken]
But the Academy doesn't approve of me. I'm the bad girl with the big mouth. So this time, I don't even get nominated
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Well, that's show biz, I guess
[BABE, spoken]
They ask me to present an award instead. That's show biz
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Hey, it's still an honor to be a presenter
[BABE, spoken]
Oh yeah, it's a big honor, Bob. And I wanna go big, right back
[ENSEMBLE]
And the beat goes on
[BOB MACKIE, spoken]
Just how big do you want it, Cher?
[ENSEMBLE]
The beat goes on
[BABE, spoken]
Let's put it this way: when you think you've gone too big, Bob- go bigger!
[ENSEMBLE]
And the beat goes on
The beat goes on
The beat goes on, on, on
The beat goes on
The beat goes on
The beat goes on, on, on
[STAR, spoken]
As you can see, I did receive my Academy handbook on how to dress like a "serious actress." Okay, back to you, Kid
[ENSEMBLE (BABE)]
Gotta pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues
'Cause you know, it don't come easy (Easy)
You don't have to shout or shimmy all about (The beat goes on and on)
Even though it all comes easy (The beat goes on)
[BABE, spoken]
Oh, I paid my dues alright. And two years later
[ANNOUNCER, spoken]
And the winner of the 1988 Academy Award for Best Actress is...
Cher for "Moonstruck"
[STAR, spoken]
Oh, Babe, see what happens when you high-kick fear in the butt!
[BABE, BOB MACKIE AND BOB MACKIE'S ASSISTANT]
The beat goes on
The beat goes on
On and on and on
Yeah, the beat goes on
[BABE]
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La de da de de, la de da de da, uh!