Agony lyrics by Stephen Sondheim - original song full text. Official Agony lyrics, 2025 version | LyricsMode.com
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Stephen Sondheim – Agony lyrics
Did I abuse her or show her disdain
Why does she run from me
If I should lose her how shall I regain
The heart she has won from me
Agony, beyond power of speech
When the one thing you want
Is the only thing out of your reach

High in her tower she sits by the hour
Maintaining her hair
Blithe and becoming and frequently humming
A light-hearted air
Ah
Agony, far more painful than yours
When you know she would go with you
If there only were doors
Agony, all the torture they teach
What's as intruiging or half so fatiguing
As what's out of reach

Am I not sensitive, clever
Well-mannered, considerate
Passionate, charming
As kind as I'm handsome
And heir to a throne?
You are everything maidens could wish for
Then why no
Do I know?
The girl must be mad
You know nothing of madness
'Til you're climbing her hair
And you see her up there as you're nearing her
And all the while hearing her
Ah
Agony, misery, though it's different for each
Always ten steps behind, always ten steps below
And she's just out of reach
Agony, that can cut like a knife
I must have her to wife

High in a tower like yours was but higher
A beauty asleep
All 'round the tower a thicket of briar
A hundred feet deep
Agony, no frustration more keen
When the one thing you want
Is a thing that you've not even seen

I've found a casket entirely of glass
No, it's unbreakable
Inside, don't ask it, a maiden alas
Just as unwakeable
What unmistakeable
Agony, is the way always hard
She has skin white as snow
Did you learn her name, no
There's a dwarf standing guard
Agony such that princes must weep
Always in thrall 'most to anything almost
Or something asleep

If it were not for the thicket
A thicket's no trick, is it thick
It's the thickest
The quickest is pick it apart with a stick
Yes but even one prick, it's my thing about blood
Well it's sick
It's no sicker than your thing about dwarfs
Dwarves
Dwarfs
Dwarves are very upsetting
Not forgetting
The task's unachievable, mountains unscalable
If it's conceivable but unavailable
Ah
Agony, misery, woe not to know what you miss
While they lie there for years
And you cry on their biers
What unbearable bliss
Agony that can cut like a knife
Ah well, back to my wife
×

Did I abuse her or show her disdain Why does she run from me If I should lose her how shall I regain The heart she has won from me Agony, beyond power of speech When the one thing you want Is the only thing out of your reach High in her tower she sits by the hour Maintaining her hair Blithe and becoming and frequently humming A light-hearted air Ah Agony, far more painful than yours When you know she would go with you If there only were doors Agony, all the torture they teach What's as intruiging or half so fatiguing As what's out of reach Am I not sensitive, clever Well-mannered, considerate Passionate, charming As kind as I'm handsome And heir to a throne? You are everything maidens could wish for Then why no Do I know? The girl must be mad You know nothing of madness 'Til you're climbing her hair And you see her up there as you're nearing her And all the while hearing her Ah Agony, misery, though it's different for each Always ten steps behind, always ten steps below And she's just out of reach Agony, that can cut like a knife I must have her to wife High in a tower like yours was but higher A beauty asleep All 'round the tower a thicket of briar A hundred feet deep Agony, no frustration more keen When the one thing you want Is a thing that you've not even seen I've found a casket entirely of glass No, it's unbreakable Inside, don't ask it, a maiden alas Just as unwakeable What unmistakeable Agony, is the way always hard She has skin white as snow Did you learn her name, no There's a dwarf standing guard Agony such that princes must weep Always in thrall 'most to anything almost Or something asleep If it were not for the thicket A thicket's no trick, is it thick It's the thickest The quickest is pick it apart with a stick Yes but even one prick, it's my thing about blood Well it's sick It's no sicker than your thing about dwarfs Dwarves Dwarfs Dwarves are very upsetting Not forgetting The task's unachievable, mountains unscalable If it's conceivable but unavailable Ah Agony, misery, woe not to know what you miss While they lie there for years And you cry on their biers What unbearable bliss Agony that can cut like a knife Ah well, back to my wife Explain Request ×



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Songwriters: Stephen Sondheim
Agony lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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Sondheim at 80 - Into the Woods - Agony

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