LILY:
Once, I had a palace
Here, merely a flat
I fled with some diamonds
And that was that
ARISTOCRATS:
It's very tragic
LILY:
Once, ladies-in waiting
All bending a knee
Now, only one lady-in-waiting— me
MEN:
No fanfares
WOMEN:
Or sedan chairs
MEN:
And no coaches
WOMEN:
And we sold our broaches
LEOPOLD:
No afternoon card games with the Tsar
LILY:
No caviar
But I say we're not dead now
ALL (BUT LILY):
We're not dead now
We're in France instead, now
LILY:
Let us not be sad
The night's young
And Russians are mad
So...
Let's live in the land of yesterday
Live in the grand Imperial heyday
Let's live in the land of yesterday Russia
ALL:
Husha!
LILY:
Let's put on the fancy clothes
And let's while our woes away
ALL:
In Russia
Land of yesterday
LILY:
In dire circumstances
Why wallow in regret?
We're out of second chances
Why are we here, except to forget?
We know the world is fickle
Life is a leaky sieve
Pass me a glass
And give me a bow—
And drink to the "Countess Nobody" now
Why should I care
As long as I dare to live
ARISTOCRATS:
In the land of yesterday
LILY:
Let's run up the bill
As if we're still
Royalty at play
ALL:
In Russia, land of yesterday
LILY:
The night's young
And Russians are mad, so...
ALL:
Let's live in the land of yesterday
Live in the grand Imperial heyday
Let's live in the land of yesterday Russia
Husha!
LILY:
Let's brush off the days of old
And let's hold the world at bay...
ALL:
Yes, here's to
LILY:
Russia!
ALL:
Here's to
WOMEN:
Russia!
ALL:
Here's to Russia!
Land of yesterday
Land of yesterday
Hey!