With One River
2025, Junior, Performing Arts
Lyrics written and performed by Sophia Zarrinkoub
Original song from “With One Look” from the musical “Sunset Boulevard”
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Original lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton
This piece is a lyrical adaptation created for artistic and educational purposes, using the original melody to explore themes of environmental awareness and urban-nature harmony.
With one look,
I’m drawn to the stage,
Dazzling streets —
It’s the New York blaze.
Driving on I-95,
Passing groves of trees,
Left in memory.
With one look,
Grey steel towers high,
One in five of grassy fields survive.
Not a leaf or star in sight —
It’s a concrete jungle night.
No words can tell
The stories rivers tell,
With their darkened past
Behind a shimmering mask.
The city to my left,
East River to my right,
Running side by side —
Who knew they’d collide?
With one voice,
I dare to question why
The river stays,
Though we drown it dry,
Factory filth and sewage spilled,
Billions at a time,
Centuries soaked in grime.
With one heart,
We’ll undo the past,
Embrace the river and its strength at last.
We’ll build and grow with nature’s flow,
Merge the land and life we know.
Dormant tides begin to rise.
With one hope,
We’ll strive to create, unite!
With one hand,
We’ll ignite a change.
We’ll float gardens on the river’s range;
They’ll see ESCR take its stand.
This time it’s changing —
It’s changing for good.
Just one star
Will lead the galaxy.
Here right now,
It’s up to me!