This is a sample song from Flocabulary's upcoming CD: "Shakespeare is Hip-Hop." The goal of this project is to bring Shakespeare to life, and to create fun, engaging content for students and teachers alike. The CD features a combination of original Shakespeare (rapped over beats), translated Shakespeare (also rapped), and original songs dealing with themes from classic speeches. The songs focus on the most-taught plays including: Hamlet, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Midsummer Night's Dream, Othello, and Romeo and Juliet.

"Romeo and Juliet"

Play: Romeo and Juliet, Act I, Scene V
Concept: Fresh from a break-up with Rosaline, Romeo has crashed a party at the Capulet house. He's feeling generally dejected until he spies a girl leaning against a wall. He doesn't know her, but he feels an overwhelming, immediate attraction. Emboldened by his feelings, he comes over to her and begins to speak.
Format: Verse one is original Shakespeare. Verse two is a modern translation.

Lyrics

ROMEO
If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.

JULIET
Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss.

ROMEO
Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?

JULIET
Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.

ROMEO
Well, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.

JULIET
Saints do not move, though grant for prayers’ sake.

ROMEO
Then move not, while my prayer’s effect I take.
[They kiss...]
Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged.

JULIET
Then have my lips the sin that they have took.

ROMEO
Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged!
Give me my sin again.
[They kiss...]

JULIET
You kiss by the book.

ROMEO
Juliet – you’re the girl of my dreams,
You’ve got me down on my knees,
You’re giving me what I need!

JULIET
Romeo – you’re spitting some hotness,
It’s hard to knock this,
Nobody can stop this. x2

ROMEO
I never knew a luh, luh-luh, a love like this,
Girl, you're so heavenly that you look devilish,
Hey baby, I don’t want to waste your time,
Spitting some corny lines about how you’re so fine,
Just holding your hand is an amazing touch,
And one kiss from your lips that would be enough,
I’m not like those other guys, their love ain’t the same,
I’ll play like Destiny’s Child and “Say Your Name”

JULIET
You don’t know my name... so how could you say it?
You don’t know the game… so how could you play it?
And you hope to spend some time with me, but it’s late,
And no, I never kiss on the first date,

ROMEO
Every day has a date just check the calendar,
This isn’t the first, this is the third of November,
You know what the elders say, “never say never”,
So do you ever kiss on the third of November?

JULIET
Kissing so quickly, yo, I thought that that was wicked.

ROMEO
Well there’s a leak in your logic, allow me to fix it.

JULIET
The only leak is your mouth, your words fly out,
Yeah, you’re quick witted now, but the words die out,

ROMEO
My words don’t fly half as fast as my heart beats,
I’m torn up on the inside, give me my peace…

[they kiss]

JULIET
Oooh son, your kiss be giving me goose bumps,
I can tell you study some, but did you write the book of love?

ROMEO
I don’t know who wrote it but I’d like to read a chapter or two with you,
We could light a candle or two,
Maybe we can rendezvous happily, up at your place later on,
Say oh, up at the balcony around two?

ROMEO
You’re the girl of my dreams,
You’ve got me down on my knees,
You’re giving me what I need!

JULIET
Romeo – you’re spitting some hotness,
It’s hard to knock this,
Nobody can stop this. x2

Beat: Alex Rappaport
Emcees: Netty, Escher

Contact:

Alex Rappaport
Flocabulary, LLC
315 W. 39^th St.
Studio 1610
New York, NY 10018
415.516.8242 (t)
646.514.5853 (f)
alex@flocabulary.com