Waiting for Life

"Waiting for Life" is Ti Moune's first solo in Once on This Island.

Summary
During her adult years, Ti Moune prays to the gods to let her know her purpose as she is in love with Daniel as he drives around the village near her island.

Lyrics
Original Broadway= 
 * Lyrics from the 1990 original Broadway stage production:

Ti Moune:

A stranger in white in a car

Going somewhere

Going far

How it must feel to go racing wherever you please

Flying as free as a bird with his tail in the breeze

Even the fish in the sea must be longing to fly

Catching a glimpse of a stranger in white racing by

Oh, gods

Oh, gods

Are you there?

What can I do

To get you to look down and give in?

Oh, gods

Oh, gods

Hear my prayer

I’m here in the field

With my feet on the ground

And my fate in the air

Waiting for life to begin!

Storytellers:

Oo la, oo la, oo la, oo la

Oo la, oo la, oo la, oo la

Ti Moune:

Mama's contented and Tonton accepts what he gets

Storytellers:

Oo la, oo la, oo la, oo la

Ti Moune:

Happy for tea in their cups and no holes in their nets

Storytellers:

Oo la, oo la, oo la, ooh

Ti Moune:

Happy to have what they have and to stay where they are

Storytellers:

Oo la, oo la, oo la, oo la

Ti Moune:

They never even look up at the sound of a car

Storytellers:

Oo la, oo la, oo la

Ti Moune

A stranger

Racing down the beach

Racing to places

I was meant to reach!

My stranger!

One day you’ll arrive

Your car will stop

And in I’ll hop

And off we’ll drive

We’ll drive!

Oh, gods

Oh, gods

Please be there

Don’t you remember your little Ti Moune from the tree?

Wake up!

Look down!

Hear my prayer!

Don’t single me out

And then forget me!

Oh, gods

Oh, gods

Let me fly!

Send me to places where no one before me has been

You spared my life; show me why

You get me to rise like a fish to the bait

Then tell me to wait

Well, I’m waiting

Waiting for life to begin!

Waiting for life to begin!

Storytellers:

One small girl

One small girl 
 * -|Original London 1994=
 * Lyrics from the 1994 original London stage production:

Ti Moune:

A stranger in white in a car

Going somewhere

Going far

How it must feel to go racing wherever you please

Flying as free as a bird with his tail in the breeze

Even the fish in the sea must be longing to fly

Catching a glimpse of a stranger in white racing by

Oh, gods

Oh, gods

Are you there?

What can I do

To get you to look down and give in?

Oh, gods

Oh, gods

Hear my prayer

I’m here in the field

With my feet on the ground

And my fate in the air

Waiting for life to begin!

Storytellers:

Oo la, oo la, oo la, oo la

Oo la, oo la, oo la, oo la

Ti Moune:

Mama's contented and Tonton accepts what he gets

Storytellers:

Oo la, oo la, oo la, oo la

Ti Moune:

Happy for tea in their cups and no holes in their nets

Storytellers:

Oo la, oo la, oo la, ooh

Ti Moune:

Happy to have what they have and to stay where they are

Storytellers:

Oo la, oo la, oo la, oo la

Ti Moune:

They never even look up at the sound of a car

Storytellers:

Oo la, oo la, oo la

Ti Moune

A stranger

Racing down the beach

Racing to places

I was meant to reach!

My stranger!

One day you’ll arrive

Your car will stop

And in I’ll hop

And off we’ll drive

We’ll drive!

Oh, gods

Oh, gods

Please be there

Don’t you remember your little Ti Moune from the tree?

Wake up!

Look down!

Hear my prayer!

Don’t single me out

And then forget me!

Oh, gods

Oh, gods

Let me fly!

Send me to places where no one before me has been

You spared my life; show me why

You get me to rise like a fish to the bait

Then tell me to wait

Well, I’m waiting

Waiting for life to begin!

Waiting for life to begin!

Storytellers:

One small girl

One small girl 
 * -|2017 Broadway=
 * Lyrics from the 2017 Broadway stage production:

Ti Moune:

A stranger in white in a car

Going somewhere

Going far

How it must feel to go racing wherever you please

Flying as free as a bird with his tail in the breeze

Even the fish in the sea must be longing to fly

Catching a glimpse of a stranger in white racing by

Oh, gods

Oh, gods

Are you there?

What can I do

To get you to look down and give in?

Oh, gods

Oh, gods

Hear my prayer

I’m here in the field

With my feet on the ground

And my fate in the air

Waiting for life to begin!

Storytellers:

Oo la, oo la, oo la, oo la

Oo la, oo la, oo la, oo la

Ti Moune:

Mama's contented and Tonton accepts what he gets

Storytellers:

Oo la, oo la, oo la, oo la

Ti Moune:

Happy for tea in their cups and no holes in their nets

Storytellers:

Oo la, oo la, oo la, ooh

Ti Moune:

Happy to have what they have and to stay where they are

Storytellers:

Oo la, oo la, oo la, oo la

Ti Moune:

They never even look up at the sound of a car

Storytellers:

Oo la, oo la, oo la

Ti Moune

A stranger

Racing down the beach

Racing to places

I was meant to reach!

My stranger!

One day you’ll arrive

Your car will stop

And in I’ll hop

And off we’ll drive

We’ll drive!

Oh, gods

Oh, gods

Please be there

Don’t you remember your little Ti Moune from the tree?

Wake up!

Look down!

Hear my prayer!

Don’t single me out

And then forget me!

Oh, gods

Oh, gods

Let me fly!

Send me to places where no one before me has been

You spared my life; show me why

You get me to rise like a fish to the bait

Then tell me to wait

Well, I’m waiting

Waiting for life to begin!

Waiting for life to begin!

Storytellers:

One small girl

One small girl