I just got the Original Broadway Cast version of Assassins off of iTunes, and I love it
But there’s one part I don’t get
At the beginning of “The Ballad of Booth”, it goes:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States: Abraham Lincoln!” and then there’s a gunshot.
The next part is someone saying something that sounds like “six apart a morning”… but I know that’s not it.
What is it? What does it mean? It bugs me every time I listen to that song, and every time I’ve looked up the lyrics, it just starts with the singing.
Anyone care to help a sister out?
I believe it is “sic semper tyrannus,” the phrase spoken by Booth as he shot Lincoln. The Latin phrase means “thus always to tyrants.”
You are most welcome. I’m always glad to help a Sondheim fan.
In case anyone is interested in some free Sondheim, you can listen to several songs from “Assassins” here. These recordings are from an amateur production at Skidmore College.
There’s also a good many clips from college and professional productions on YouTube. Ironically, most colleges are preferable to the Broadway version with N. Patrick Harris (which was just lackluster to say the least- the off-Broadway version with Victor Garber as Booth was way better, especially the “Unworthy of Your Love” duet).