Montage, Part Four- Gimme The Ball

"Montage, Part Four: Gimme The Ball" is the ninth musical number in A Chorus Line, and is performed by the whole company.

Lyrics
Judy: It was the first time I ever saw a dead body! But then when I was fifteen the most terrible thing happened, The Ted Mack Amateur Hour held auditions in St. Louis And I didn't hear about it till after they'd gone And I nearly killed myself! I nearly killed myself! I tried to walk in front of a speeding streetcar! And I remember noticing boys for the first time. Anyway, I do remember practicing kissing with Leslie. She was my best girlfriend. Did any of you ever practice kissing with another girl? So when the time came you'd know how to? No? Oh! Kristine: Judy? Judy: Did you girl? Kristine: Only a couple of times. Sheila: Oh, count me in! Judy: Thank God! Anyway, I do remember...

Greg:...the worst thing in school was that every time the teacher called on me I'd be hard! I'd be hard! Really! I mean, I had to lean against the desk, like this. And the teacher would say "Stand up straight!" I can't, I have a pain in my...side Stand up straight! Or walking down the halls, you'd have to walk, like this, With all your books stacked up in front of you. Mike: Yeah, I did too. I thought I was a sex maniac! Connie and Maggie: You are!! Bobby: Me too. It didn't go down for three years. Greg: Oh, and the bus. The bus was the worst. I'd take even one look at a bus and... Bingo! And then there was the time I was making out with Sally Ketchum in the back seat of the car. We were kissing and necking and I was feeling her boobs. And after about an hour or so, she said, Ohhh, don't you wanna feel anything else? And I suddenly thought to myself, "No, I don't." Zach: Did this come as a surprise to you?

Greg: Well, I guess yeah, because it was the first time I realized I was homosexual. And I got so depressed, because I thought being gay meant being a bum all the rest of my life. And I said, Gee, I'll never get to wear nice clothes! And I was really into clothes! I had these pink and powder blue gabardine pants...

All: Goodbye twelve, goodbye thirteen, Hello love Al: Early to bed, early to rise, your broad goes out with other guys. Cassie: A diaphragm, a diaphragm, I thought a diaphragm was up here where you breathe Don: I bought a car; I bought my first car! Mike: Padiddle! All: Changes oh, down below, Up a- Connie: You're not leaving this house until you're twenty-one Mark: Every girl I know has lockjaw of the legs Maggie: Life is an ashtray Kristine: The ugliest boy asked me to Prom. I stayed home.

Val: Shit! Made it through high school without growing tits!

All: Doubt, to break out It's a mess Richie: My trouble is wine, women, and song, and I can't get any of them Mike: Your brother's going to medical school, and you're dropping out to be a chorus boy, Nothing! Bebe: Steve McQueen out! Nureyev in! Al: I got Nancy's picture, Annabelle's locket, Cynthia's ring, and Lucy's pants All: Time to grow, time to go Ado- Diana: You gotta know somebody to be somebody Sheila: All you run around with are bums Maggie: Graduation! Richie: Let's dance! Let's dance! Al: Head on collision, Eddie got killed!

Paul: What am I gonna say when he calls on me?

Judy + Kristine: My only adolescence Bebe + Diana: Where did it go it was so Greg, Bobby + Mike: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior Don, Sheila, Maggie + Val: Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen Cassie, Connie, Mark, Paul, Larry, Al + Richie: Suddenly I'm seventeen and All: Suddenly I'm seventeen and Suddenly I'm seventeen and Suddenly There's a lot I am not Certain of Goodbye twelve, goodbye thirteen Hello

Boys I: Wah, wah wah wah wah, wah wah wah wah Boys II: Doo, doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo ah Girls I: Doo dit, dit doo dit, dit doo dit, dit doo dit Girls II: Du de du de du de du de doo dit

Richie: Gimme the ball, gimme the ball, gimme the ball, Yeah! Gimme the ball, gimme the ball, gimme the ball, Yeah! I was always running around shouting Gimme the ball, gimme the ball, gimme the ball, Yeah!

I was so enthusiastic I was into everything The yearbook was filled with my picture And I was lucky cause I got A scholarship to college! A scholarship to college! So I went All: (so he went) Richie: Yes I went All: (yes he went) So I'm gonna be this kindergarten teacher- Can you imagine me this kindergarten teacher?

And I thought Shit All: (Shit, Richie) Richie: Shit! All: (shit, Richie) (cont.) Richie: What are you gonna be When you get shoved outta here Honey, ain't nobody gonna be standing there With no scholarship to life And I was scared All:(shit, Richie) Richie: scared All: (shit, Richie) Richie: Scared All: (shit, Richie) Richie: Scared!! All: (shit, Richie!)

Girls: My braces gone Boys: My pimples gone All: My childhood gone goodbye Goodbye twelve, goodbye thirteen Goodbye fourteen, goodbye fifteen Goodbye sixteen, goodbye seventeen Hello love Go to it, go to it Go to it, go to it Go to it, go to it

Boys/Girls: And now life really begins (go to it) And now life really begins (go to it) And now life really begins (go to it) And now life really begins (go to it) (All)Go to it!