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”Take a Look, Lee” Lyrics by Michael Cerveris, Neil Patrick Harris, Jeffrey Kuhn, Becky Ann Baker, James Barbour, Denis O’Hare, Mario Cantone, Alexander Gemignani, Mary Catherine Garrison

Assassins (The 2004 Broadway Revival Cast Recording)

2004

[RADIO ANNOUNCER, spoken]
And now the motorcade is turning into Elm Street
There's someone holding up a banner, "All The Way With JFK"
The President is smiling and waving as his car heads for Dealey Plaza
Where it will swing past the Texas Book Depository
And onto the trademark where—
[BOOTH, spoken]
Take a look, Lee
Do you know what that is?
That is America
A land where any kid can grow up to be President
The shining city, Lee
It shines so bright you have to shade your eyes
But in here, this is America too
"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation"
An American said that and he was right
Well, let me tell you something
There are no lives of quiet desperation in here
Desperation, yes
But quiet?
I don't think so
Not today
Today we are going to make a joyful noise
This is the big one
You are the big one
You are the one who's gonna sum it all up and blow it all wide open
I have seen the future, Lee, and you are it
[LEE, spoken]
People will hate me
[BOOTH, spoken]
They will hate you with a passion, Lee
Imagine people having passionate feelings about Lee Harvey Oswald
Somebody help me!
[ZANGARA steps forward, speaking Italian. The ASSASSINS translate.]
[MOORE, spoken]
Please we beseech you...
[CZOLGOSZ, spoken]
We are the hopeless ones
The lost ones...
[GUITEAU, spoken]
We live our lives in exile...
[BYCK, spoken]
Expatriates in our own country...
[HINCKLEY, spoken]
We drift from birth to death, despairing...
[FROMME, spoken]
Inconsolable...
[GUITEAU, spoken]
But, through you and through your act, we dare to hope...
[MOORE, spoken]
Through you and your act, we are revived and given meaning...
[CZOLGOSZ, spoken]
Our lives, our acts, are given meaning...
[HINCKLEY, spoken]
Our frustrations fall away...
[BYCK, spoken]
Our fondest dreams come true...
[FROMME, spoken]
Today, we are reborn, through you
[BOOTH, spoken]
We need you, Lee
[MOORE, spoken]
Without you, we're just footnotes in a history book​
[GUITEAU, spoken]
"Disappointed office seeker"
[CZOLGOSZ, spoken]
"Deranged immigrant"
[BOOTH, spoken]
"Vainglorious actor"
[FROMME, spoken]
Without you, we're a bunch of freaks
[HINCKLEY, spoken]
With you, we are a force of history
[GUITEAU, spoken]
We become immortal
[ZANGARA, spoken]
Finally we belong
[MOORE, spoken]
To one another
[CZOLGOSZ, spoken]
To the nation
[GUITEAU, spoken]
To the ages
[BYCK, spoken]
Bring us together, babe!
[MOORE, spoken]
If you think you can't connect, connect to us
[CZOLGOSZ, spoken]
You think you're powerless?
Empower us
[BOOTH, spoken]
It's in your grasp, Lee
All you have to do is move your little finger
You can close the New York Stock Exchange​
[GUITEAU, spoken]
Shut down the schools in Indonesia
[MOORE, spoken]
In Florence, Italy, a woman will leap from the Duomo
Clutching a picture of your victim and cursing your name—
[CZOLGOSZ, spoken]
Your wife will weep—
[FROMME, spoken]
His wife will weep—
[ZANGARA, spoken]
The world will weep—
[GUITEAU, spoken]
Grief
Grief beyond imagining—
[HINCKLEY, spoken]
Despair—
[MOORE, spoken]
The death of innocence and hope—
[CZOLGOSZ, spoken]
The bitter burdens that you bear—
[BYCK, spoken]
The bitter truths you carry in your heart—
[GUITEAU, spoken]
You can share them with the world
[BOOTH, spoken]
You have the power of Pandora's Box, Lee
Open it...
[GUITEAU]
I envy you...
[MOORE]
We're your family...
[HINCKLEY]
I admire you...
[CZOLGOSZ]
I respect you...
[MOORE]
Make us proud of you...
[BOOTH]
I envy you...
[GUITEAU]
We're your family...
[HINCKLEY]
I admire you...
[FROMME & MOORE]
We're depending on you...
[ZANGARA]
You are the future...
[GUITEAU & MOORE]
We're your family...
[CZOLGOSZ]
We envy you...
[BYCK & GUITEAU]
Make them listen to us, we've been waiting for you...
[BYCK & ZANGARA]
Make them listen, boy...
[ALL]
We admire you...
We're your family...
You are the future...
We're depending on you...
Make us proud...
All you have to do is squeeze your little finger
Squeeze your little finger...
You can change the wor—
[OSWALD fires.]

About “”Take a Look, Lee”” by Michael Cerveris

Read the complete lyrics to "”Take a Look, Lee”" by Michael Cerveris, Neil Patrick Harris, Jeffrey Kuhn, Becky Ann Baker, James Barbour, Denis O’Hare, Mario Cantone, Alexander Gemignani, Mary Catherine Garrison from the album "Assassins (The 2004 Broadway Revival Cast Recording)" in 2004. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under In English, Broadway, Musicals.

"”Take a Look, Lee”" is performed by Michael Cerveris, Neil Patrick Harris, Jeffrey Kuhn, Becky Ann Baker, James Barbour, Denis O’Hare, Mario Cantone, Alexander Gemignani, Mary Catherine Garrison. from the album "Assassins (The 2004 Broadway Revival Cast Recording)" in 2004 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "”Take a Look, Lee”", explore more songs by Michael Cerveris, Neil Patrick Harris, Jeffrey Kuhn, Becky Ann Baker, James Barbour, Denis O’Hare, Mario Cantone, Alexander Gemignani, Mary Catherine Garrison using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"”Take a Look, Lee”" is credited to Michael Cerveris, Neil Patrick Harris, Jeffrey Kuhn, Becky Ann Baker, James Barbour, Denis O’Hare, Mario Cantone, Alexander Gemignani, Mary Catherine Garrison. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"”Take a Look, Lee”" appears on "Assassins (The 2004 Broadway Revival Cast Recording)" in 2004.

Visit the Michael Cerveris, Neil Patrick Harris, Jeffrey Kuhn, Becky Ann Baker, James Barbour, Denis O’Hare, Mario Cantone, Alexander Gemignani, Mary Catherine Garrison artist page at /artist/michael-cerveris for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.