Who What When Where Why  
for two voices and two pianos  

Who What When Where Why was the first poem I set of Marvin Bell's words. The occasion was a concert entitled 2 By 2 featuring the music of George Gershwin and performed April 1, 1994 by Katherine Eberle and Scott McCoy, voice, and Thomas Christensen and the composer on two pianos. This was performed as the encore, and was written in the style of George Gershwin.

Who What When Where Why

Intro:
Did you hear the news
that's going round?
The world is sad and gory.
There's more to every second
for lovers than is reckoned
by those who write the news.
(They have their views.)

If someone wrote the headlines
for me and you,
they might not make their deadlines
while they ran in bird- and beelines
to find out if what they heard is true.

Chorus:
The news is where it's at
when we are there.
The story's up-to-date.
Some things are always great.
It's unlikely, but it's fate.

Verses:
I can't imagine who
would love me like you do.
It simply takes my breath away
to shout the news out of the day.

I can't imagine what
could lift me from my rut
and make my sad heart want to play
and shout the news out of the day

I can't imagine where
I found someone to care
for things that mean the most to me.
I shout the news out every day.

I can't imagine when
my life had ever been
so much to see and say.
I want to shout it every day.

Chorus:
The news is where it's at
when we are there.
The story's up-to-date.
Some things are always great.
It's unlikely, but it's fate.

Verses:
I can't imagine why
it makes me want to cry
to know that you and I
are still in love today.

I can't imagine how
I managed until now.
For who what when and where
turned unfair into fair
and no news into good.

I never knew it could
be good to be the news of the day.