"The Invention of Dreams" perf. by Michael Lowney

“The Invention of Dreams”
From HUGO
Book and Co-lyrics by Brian Selznick
Music and Co-lyrics by Ryan Scott Oliver
Performed by Michael Lowney
with Miranda Luze, Nicole DeLuca, Lillian Andrea De León, Caitlin Doak, Adam Magnacca, Milo Marami, and Donté Wilder
At RSO: MONDAY THE 13TH at Feinstein’s/54 Below
Live-streamed
September 13, 2021
Joshua Zecher-Ross, Music Director
David LeBlanc, Drums
Allison Seidner, Cello
Yuka Tadano, Basses
Coco Taguchi, Violin
Andrew Zinsmeister, Guitars
Orchestrations and Vocal Arrangements by Ryan Scott Oliver
Sheet Music available at ryanscottoliver.com
Follow @ryanscottoliver on Instagram

[@graceelena]

Very excited for the Hugo musical! I'm a HUGE fan of both Brian Selznick and of course RSO!

[@grayyuzon]

I was lucky enough to see this concert live, and this song has stuck with me ever since. What a wonderful piece, I'm really looking forward to hearing more from Hugo!

[@antischmid22]

That's such a stunning song

[@alexdipietro9341]

I want more

[@graceelena]

THE INVENTION OF DREAMS LYRICS
by Ryan Scott Oliver
transcription
[ALL]
Ooh
The following pages will hopefully show
The invention of dreams
Began long ago
Ha, ha, ha, ho-oh
Ha, ha, ha, ho-oh
[ETIENNE]
A flicker of light
A shadow that's tall
Our ancestors knew
You just need a wall
A story is told
Some music, a horn
Right there in the cave
The movies were born
[FILM STUDENTS]
Ha, ha, ha, ho-ah
[ETIENNE]
So, much later on
Our techniques advanced
The practice evolves
And then, just by chance
The lantern projects
The flipbooks sublime
Photographers capture
Our movements in time
We've sat in the dark
For lifetimes, it seems
With pictures that move
Projecting our dreams
We're alone in the dark
Yes, all alone in the dark
Together
Then celluloid came
And what did we do?
We captured the world
As if it were new
[FILM STUDENT]
Some workers walked by
[FILM STUDENT]
A steam train arrived
[FILM STUDENT]
Girls laugh
[FILM STUDENTS]
Then drink
[ALL]
Just scenes from our lives
[ETIENNE with FILM STUDENTS]
We've sat in the dark
For lifetimes, it seems
With pictures that move
Projecting our dreams
We're alone in the dark (Alone in the dark)
Yes, all alone in the dark
[ETIENNE]
Together
And then something shifted
And like a balloon
The cinema lifted
And went
To the moon
[ALL]
Yes, the great
Georges Méliès
His eyes all agleam
Said, "We should make movies
To dream"
[FILM STUDENT]
But his old films were lost
[FILM STUDENT]
Not seen anymore
[ALL]
And the great
Georges Méliès
Died
After the war
We've sat in the dark
For lifetimes, it seems
With pictures that move
Projecting our dreams
We're alone in the dark
Yes, all alone in the dark
The dark
Ah, ah
[ETIENNE]
The invention of dreams
[ALL]
We're alone in the dark
Yes, all alone
In the dark
(In the dark, in the dark, in the dark)
[ETIENNE]
Together
[FILM STUDENTS]
Ah