Could You?

We earn our dreams in this world, Josephine
Ha! It’s foolish of me to think you could ever change your ways
I could try
You could never bend your will
You could never follow through
You could never bite your tongue
Though your tongue may split in two
If you want to live your dreams
These are things you have to do!
(spoken)
How could you change? You can’t, not you
I could change if I wanted to
Coul you practice self-control?
Could you possibly be shy?
Could you wear a corset tight in the heat of mid-July?
These are rules you must obey
Every one which you defy!
(spoken)
You’ll never change!
You won’t, that’s why
(sung)
Yet somewhere deep within my heart I do believe
You could captivate the world
If you could change
There is so much you could achieve
In time you could succeed and travel very far indeed
You could be beguiling
Charming? Me?
Someone well mannered, a model of grace
Learn the art of smiling
That could be hard
It isn’t very hard
For someone full of dreams like you
If you work, you’ll find there’s nothing you can’t do
So if I change we’ll go to Paris?
Change completely or don’t waste my time!
If I change we’ll stop in Antwerp?
Gracious living will make you sublime
If I change you’ll take me to Zurich?
Every city from Dublin to Kahn!
Surely with your guidance
I can learn to use feminine wiles with elan
I could be beguiling
Ah-a-ah
Ah-a-ah
Ah-a-ah, ah
I could learn to charm a donkey for a chance to see the world
Learn the art of smiling
Ah-a-ah, Ah-a-ah
Ah-a-ah a-ah
I could button up my mind
And keep my thoughts perfumed and permed
Yes, I surely think I could
If you could that would be good
There’s nothing that I wouldn’t suffer to see the world!
I can do it if I try
I can do it by sheer will
All you have to do is work to acquire any skill
These are things a girl must do when she has dreams she must fulfill
Change how you walk and how you talk
Change how you think and how you are
I’ll hold my breath and hold my tongue, do what it takes to travel far!
Could you?
Ah-a-ah a-ah
Could you?
Ah-a-ah a-ah
Could you?
Ah-a-ah, ah-a-ah, ah-a-ah ah-a-ah
Yes, I could!
Good!