The Deal
By Andersson Ulvaeus (1984)
On album Chess (1984)
Go back to your search "Maybe out of reach two lovers love on a deserted beach"
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ARBITER
Isn't it strange, the complications
People attached to situations
Almost as if they want to miss the
Wood for the trees
Nothing will change my basic feeling
When they've done all their wheeler-dealing
Those in the strongest situations
Do as they please
(spoken)
You might see all kinds of human emotion here; passion and pain, love and hate.
I see nothing other than a simple board game
(spoken)
In the Dusit Thani Hotel, Bangkok, Alexander Molokov makes his first move.
MOLOKOV
(spoken)
We did not bring you to Bangkok for a holiday, my dear. You have to tell your husband that he has to lose. Talk to Anatoly, my dear
You can have the life you want
And anywhere you want it
(spoken)
But if he's going to win, then you're not going anywhere.
Make him think of you
Not narcissistic dreams of glory
(spoken)
How many times does he want to be a champion anyway?
ARBITER
(spoken)
Two days later, the wife makes her move.
SVETLANA
(spoken)
How many times do you want to be a champion anyway?
Who needs a dream
Who needs ambition
Who'd be the fool in my position
Once I had dreams
ANATOLY
Now they're obsessions
Hopes became needs
Lovers possessions
SVETLANA
Now you're
Where you want to be
And who you want to be
And doing what you always said you would
And yet you knew you hadn't won at all
Running for your life and never looking back
In case there's someone right behind to shoot you down
And say he always knew you'd fall
When the crazy wheel slows down
Where will you be
Back where you started
ARBITER
(spoken)
Back at the Oriental, Walter de Courcey makes his gambit perfectly clear.
WALTER
(spoken)
Your father is alive.
FLORENCE
(spoken)
My father? Alive?
WALTER
(spoken)
Alive, after thirty years in prison.
FLORENCE
(spoken)
And you think I believe you?
WALTER
(spoken)
Well, the evidence is conclusive, and Anatoly will believe me. Now, you get Anatoly to lose to Viigand, and Molokov assures me he can get your father out. And not only him.
We have some people to recover
I know that you would simply love a
Chance to make sure your father's name is
High on our list
You want him back, which is to say
A gesture is needed from your player
We wouldn't mind if got beaten
In fact, we insist
FLORENCE
There must be a lie you wouldn't tell me
A limit to your devious ambition
But what can it be, I can't imagine
Is there no one here who's not a politician
(spoken)
There's no deal.
When I was young, I learned that memories
Shouldn't be built to last
Luxuries such as father, mother
Jettisoned in the past
How can a half-remembered figure
From a past so remote that it's hardly real
Alter the way I feel
Pity the child, who 25 years on
Finds her confidence gone
ARBITER
(spoken)
While in subterranean marble surroundings, two of the most powerful players make a mid-game assessment.
WALTER
You should have seen how she reacted
I couldn't leave till she'd extracted
Promises she would see her father
Simple, I said
Told her the way she could achieve this
Even though you might not believe this
She said that I was not to worry
Go right ahead
MOLOKOV
You don't know her well
She could have fooled you
She could, despite herself
Try to resist us
WALTER
Yeah, maybe I'm wrong, but to be certain
There are others we can call in to assist us
ARBITER
(spoken)
And who better than the dethroned king?
WALTER
(spoken)
Now remember, Freddie, who's paying for you to be here in Bangkok. Not the Chess Federation. Now, we've got a deal here to get some people out, including Florence's father...provided Anatoly loses. So, convince him.
FREDDIE
Communist, democrat
An intriguing collusion
Fair exchange, tit for tat
Comradeship in profusion
And the appeal, partner
Of this deal, partner
Is we all stand to win
You and me, the lady also
Don't break her heart, partner
Just be smart, partner
Throw the game, show your love
Is as pure as snow in Moscow
ANATOLY
(spoken)
Who put you up to this? There's no deal!
ARBITER
(spoken)
So Frederick makes a desperate final play for the woman he hasn't seen for a year.
FREDDIE
Silly boy, woman who
I should not have let walk out
There's no hitch that we two
Can't untangle or talk out
And the appeal, partner
Of this deal, partner
Is we both stand to win
We'll bring back the golden era
Stick with me, honey
Leave him be, honey
You don't know what they planned
For you long ago in Moscow
FLORENCE
(spoken)
Can't you see that we've moved on. Chess has nothing to do with this. Chess isn't life!
FREDDIE
(spoken)
But I've changed, I've grown up. He won't help; he won't throw the match. I'm telling you the truth, Florence!
FLORENCE/ANATOLY
Who'd ever think it
Such a little squalid ending
Watching him descending
Just as low as he can go
I'm learning things I didn't want to know
ANATOLY
Let him spill out his hate
Till he knows he's deserted
There's no point wasting time
Preaching to the perverted
ALL
Who'd ever guess it
No one make the moves intended
Till the game has ended
Then they say I told you so
I'm learning things I didn't want to know
FREDDIE
(spoken)
It can all be different now, Florence. I love you!
ARBITER
Everybody's playing the game
But nobody's rules are the same
Nobody's on nobody's side
FLORENCE
Never be the last to believe
Never be the last to deceive
ALL (with FLORENCE above)
Everybody's playing the game
But nobody's rules are the same
Nobody's on nobody's side
Isn't it strange, the complications
People attached to situations
Almost as if they want to miss the
Wood for the trees
Nothing will change my basic feeling
When they've done all their wheeler-dealing
Those in the strongest situations
Do as they please
(spoken)
You might see all kinds of human emotion here; passion and pain, love and hate.
I see nothing other than a simple board game
(spoken)
In the Dusit Thani Hotel, Bangkok, Alexander Molokov makes his first move.
MOLOKOV
(spoken)
We did not bring you to Bangkok for a holiday, my dear. You have to tell your husband that he has to lose. Talk to Anatoly, my dear
You can have the life you want
And anywhere you want it
(spoken)
But if he's going to win, then you're not going anywhere.
Make him think of you
Not narcissistic dreams of glory
(spoken)
How many times does he want to be a champion anyway?
ARBITER
(spoken)
Two days later, the wife makes her move.
SVETLANA
(spoken)
How many times do you want to be a champion anyway?
Who needs a dream
Who needs ambition
Who'd be the fool in my position
Once I had dreams
ANATOLY
Now they're obsessions
Hopes became needs
Lovers possessions
SVETLANA
Now you're
Where you want to be
And who you want to be
And doing what you always said you would
And yet you knew you hadn't won at all
Running for your life and never looking back
In case there's someone right behind to shoot you down
And say he always knew you'd fall
When the crazy wheel slows down
Where will you be
Back where you started
ARBITER
(spoken)
Back at the Oriental, Walter de Courcey makes his gambit perfectly clear.
WALTER
(spoken)
Your father is alive.
FLORENCE
(spoken)
My father? Alive?
WALTER
(spoken)
Alive, after thirty years in prison.
FLORENCE
(spoken)
And you think I believe you?
WALTER
(spoken)
Well, the evidence is conclusive, and Anatoly will believe me. Now, you get Anatoly to lose to Viigand, and Molokov assures me he can get your father out. And not only him.
We have some people to recover
I know that you would simply love a
Chance to make sure your father's name is
High on our list
You want him back, which is to say
A gesture is needed from your player
We wouldn't mind if got beaten
In fact, we insist
FLORENCE
There must be a lie you wouldn't tell me
A limit to your devious ambition
But what can it be, I can't imagine
Is there no one here who's not a politician
(spoken)
There's no deal.
When I was young, I learned that memories
Shouldn't be built to last
Luxuries such as father, mother
Jettisoned in the past
How can a half-remembered figure
From a past so remote that it's hardly real
Alter the way I feel
Pity the child, who 25 years on
Finds her confidence gone
ARBITER
(spoken)
While in subterranean marble surroundings, two of the most powerful players make a mid-game assessment.
WALTER
You should have seen how she reacted
I couldn't leave till she'd extracted
Promises she would see her father
Simple, I said
Told her the way she could achieve this
Even though you might not believe this
She said that I was not to worry
Go right ahead
MOLOKOV
You don't know her well
She could have fooled you
She could, despite herself
Try to resist us
WALTER
Yeah, maybe I'm wrong, but to be certain
There are others we can call in to assist us
ARBITER
(spoken)
And who better than the dethroned king?
WALTER
(spoken)
Now remember, Freddie, who's paying for you to be here in Bangkok. Not the Chess Federation. Now, we've got a deal here to get some people out, including Florence's father...provided Anatoly loses. So, convince him.
FREDDIE
Communist, democrat
An intriguing collusion
Fair exchange, tit for tat
Comradeship in profusion
And the appeal, partner
Of this deal, partner
Is we all stand to win
You and me, the lady also
Don't break her heart, partner
Just be smart, partner
Throw the game, show your love
Is as pure as snow in Moscow
ANATOLY
(spoken)
Who put you up to this? There's no deal!
ARBITER
(spoken)
So Frederick makes a desperate final play for the woman he hasn't seen for a year.
FREDDIE
Silly boy, woman who
I should not have let walk out
There's no hitch that we two
Can't untangle or talk out
And the appeal, partner
Of this deal, partner
Is we both stand to win
We'll bring back the golden era
Stick with me, honey
Leave him be, honey
You don't know what they planned
For you long ago in Moscow
FLORENCE
(spoken)
Can't you see that we've moved on. Chess has nothing to do with this. Chess isn't life!
FREDDIE
(spoken)
But I've changed, I've grown up. He won't help; he won't throw the match. I'm telling you the truth, Florence!
FLORENCE/ANATOLY
Who'd ever think it
Such a little squalid ending
Watching him descending
Just as low as he can go
I'm learning things I didn't want to know
ANATOLY
Let him spill out his hate
Till he knows he's deserted
There's no point wasting time
Preaching to the perverted
ALL
Who'd ever guess it
No one make the moves intended
Till the game has ended
Then they say I told you so
I'm learning things I didn't want to know
FREDDIE
(spoken)
It can all be different now, Florence. I love you!
ARBITER
Everybody's playing the game
But nobody's rules are the same
Nobody's on nobody's side
FLORENCE
Never be the last to believe
Never be the last to deceive
ALL (with FLORENCE above)
Everybody's playing the game
But nobody's rules are the same
Nobody's on nobody's side
Go back to your search "Maybe out of reach two lovers love on a deserted beach"
Not the right song? Post your comment for help
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