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Cover Art

And They’re Off Lyrics by William Finn

A New Brain (2015 New York Cast Recording)

2016

[GORDON]
Ponies in the sun
The race is soon beginning
My father bet the family fortune
On a sleek brown horse
My father had a hunch
We gave up lunch
So Daddy could make a wager
Ma would scoff
She would scoff
Hear her scoff
And they're off!
[ENSEMBLE]
La la la la la
[GORDON]
Yeah, they're off!
[ENSEMBLE]
La la la la la
[GORDON]
And they move in a herd
Like a four letter word
And they're off!
[ENSEMBLE]
La la la la la
[GORDON]
Tickets float to the ground
And the band starts to play
As the horses go round
[ENSEMBLE]
And they're off!
[GORDON]
Mommy sat and cried
But Dad was unaffected
He said
[JOE]
"Have you ever had a better two minutes
In the last three years?"
[GORDON]
She said
[MIMI]
"But Joe, the dumb horse lost!"
[GORDON]
He said
[JOE]
"Sometimes joy has a terrible cost
I know that"
[GORDON/MIMI]
We would laugh
We would sneer
We would scoff
And they're off!
[ENSEMBLE]
La la la la la
[GORDON]
Yeah, they're off!
[ENSEMBLE]
La la la la la
[GORDON]
Mommy's biting his neck
As they roll on the deck
And they're off
[ENSEMBLE]
La la la la la
[GORDON]
There is blood on the ground
And the band starts to play
As the horses go round
[ENSEMBLE]
And they're off!
[GORDON]
Isn't life funny?
People lose money
And have fun
Betting, of course, is
Hell on the horses
And on families where the betting is done
It's a joke to believe someone's won
[MIMI/JOE/GORDON]
All we did was fight
[GORDON]
Plus they discussed the weather
My father bet the family fortune
Till it disappeared
We also laughed a lot
That was a thing I often forgot to mention
But it's true
Yes, it's true
It is true
And he's off!
[ENSEMBLE]
La la la la la
[GORDON]
Daddy's off!
[ENSEMBLE]
La la la la la
[GORDON]
We get letters from Maine
Where he tries to explain
Why he's off
[ENSEMBLE]
La la la la la
[GORDON]
What was lost was not found
And the band starts to play
As the horses go round
[ENSEMBLE]
And they're off!
[GORDON]
And they're off!
[ENSEMBLE]
I hear the bell at the starting gate
[GORDON]
They are off!
[ENSEMBLE]
We're salivating as we're moving, moving
Down the track
[GORDON]
And they move in a herd
Like a four letter word
And they're off!
[ENSEMBLE]
Coming down the stretch
[GORDON/ENSEMBLE]
There is blood on the ground
And the band starts to play
As the horses go round
[GORDON/ENSEMBLE]
And round and round
And round and round
And round and round
And round and round
And round and round
And round and round
And round and round
And they're off!
Credits
William Finn

William Finn

About “And They’re Off” by William Finn

Read the complete lyrics to "And They’re Off" by William Finn from the album "A New Brain (2015 New York Cast Recording)" in 2016. 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 Musicals, Pop.

"And They’re Off" is performed by William Finn. from the album "A New Brain (2015 New York Cast Recording)" in 2016 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 "And They’re Off", explore more songs by William Finn 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

"And They’re Off" is credited to William Finn. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"And They’re Off" appears on "A New Brain (2015 New York Cast Recording)" in 2016.

Visit the William Finn artist page at /artist/william-finn for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.