"Pearl, You've been Honoured" is a short recit scene where Purse invites Pearl to race with Electra, to Rusty's dismay.
Context[]
During "Hitching and Switching", Electra left with the intention of racing with Volta, his Freezer Truck. However, the pretty young Pearl is left without a race partner, so Electra sends Purse to fetch her to race with him.
Pearl had tentatively already agreed to race with Rusty, but she was already doubting her decision on the advice of the other coaches.
The original London production told the story that Pearl explained to Rusty that she's waiting for her "Dream Train" in "He Whistled At Me", so when Purse offers her an alternative to racing with Rusty, she accepts.
The Broadway production changed Pearl's solo to "Make Up My Heart", rather than dreaming of her lover, she has to decide between two possible race partners. Therefore Purse invites Pearl to race with Electra before, not after, her solo. This format is used in all later productions: Purse arrives with his invitation, which prompts a conversation between Rusty and Pearl in which Pearl refuses to commit to racing with Rusty. Aggrieved, he leaves, leaving Pearl to sing "Make Up My Heart" alone.
The melodies used are references to main songs in the show - Purse sings to the tune of "I am Electric" passage of AC/DC, Rusty and Pearl's conversation is the same melody as the coaches' section of "Call Me Rusty", as they criticise Rusty's ambition. However, the 2018 revisions changed the melodies to a sadder version of Crazy and Whistle At Me.
Lyrics[]
Original London Lyrics[]
(after "He Whistled at Me")
| PURSE: | Pearl, you've been honoured, |
| Pearl you've been chosen. | |
| Electra selected you for heat two. | |
| PEARL: | He has a coach? |
| PURSE: | His coach has a headache. |
| Also he said that he'd prefer you | |
| Please come, I'll be fired if you won't | |
| PEARL: | Can he Whistle? |
| PURSE: | NO! AC/ trains don't! |
| PEARL: | AC/DC it sounds good to me. |
| I'm no nearer hearing my Woowoo | |
| Nobody can do it like a steam train... |
Broadway Lyrics[]
| PURSE: | Pearl, you've been honoured, |
| Pearl you've been chosen. | |
| Electra selected you for this race. | |
| RUSTY: | He has a coach? |
| PURSE: | His coach has a headache. |
| He's chosen Pearl to race in her place. | |
| Please come, I'll be fired if you won't | |
| PEARL: | Can he Whistle? |
| PURSE: | NO! AC/ trains don't! |
| PEARL: | Rusty needs me, which way should I go? |
| Thank him kindly, say, I'll let him know. | |
| RUSTY: | What's all this? You have a partner! |
| PEARL: | Well... |
| RUSTY: | Yes you do! |
| We're all set! | |
| PEARL: | I always said that if somebody new... |
| RUSTY: | You fell for the posing, you fell for the star! |
| PEARL: | You don't understand, that's not how things are. |
| I must have time - | |
| RUSTY: | But Pearl! |
| PEARL: | No! Let me work it out my way. |
| I must be free to leave you, Rusty, | |
| That's the only way I'm free to stay... |
London Revival Lyrics[]
| PURSE: | Pearl, you've been honoured, |
| Pearl you've been chosen. | |
| Electra selected you for Heat One. | |
| RUSTY: | He has a coach? |
| PURSE: | His coach has a headache. |
| Also, he says you're second to none. | |
| Please come, I'll be fired if you won't. | |
| PEARL: | Can he whistle? |
| PURSE: | No, AC trains don't! |
| PEARL: | Rusty needs me, which way should I go? |
| Thank Electra, say I'll let him know. | |
| RUSTY: | What's all this? You have a partner! |
| PEARL: | Well... |
| RUSTY: | Yes you do! |
| We're all set! | |
| PEARL: | I always said that if somebody new... |
| RUSTY: | You fell for the posing, you fell for the star! |
| PEARL: | You don't understand, that's not how things are. |
| I must have time - | |
| RUSTY: | But Pearl! |
| PEARL: | No! Let me work it out my way. |
| I must be free to leave you, Rusty, | |
| That's the only way I'm free to stay... |
1997 Mexico + Translation[]
This version continues to follow the same structure as the Broadway.[1]
| GASTON (Spanish): | Perla que suerte | PURSE (English): | Pearl, what luck |
| Te quiere Electra en la Primera Semifinal | Electra wants you in the first semifinal | ||
| FERRO: | Y su Vagón? | RUSTY: | And his coach? |
| GASTON: | Padece Jaqueca | PURSE: | Suffering a migraine |
| Dice también que no estás tan mal | Also he says that you aren't so bad | ||
| Di que si o me desprenderá | Say yes or I'll be fired | ||
| PERLA: | Chifla Electra? | PEARL: | Does Electra whistle? |
| GASTON: | No, no puede no | PURSE: | No, he cannot, no |
| PERLA: | Dios que hago? Con quién me iré? | PEARL: | What should I do? With who should I go? |
| Dile a Electra que le avisaré | Tell Electra that I will let him know | ||
| FERRO: | Perla, quien es tu pareja? | RUSTY: | Pearl, who is your partner? |
| Soy yo, ya habíamos quedado | I am, we've already decided | ||
| PERLA: | Y siempre llega alguno más | PEARL: | And always some one more arrives |
| FERRO: | Te vas por la facha, por el triunfador | RUSTY: | You go for the look, for the winner |
| PERLA: | Entiende que no, | PEARL: | You don't understand |
| Te pido mejor, un tiempo más | I ask you for more time | ||
| FERRO: | Pero... | RUSTY: | But |
| PERLA: | Soy quién debe decidir | PEARL: | I'm the one who must decide |
| Soy libre de dejarte, Ferro | I'm free to leave you, Rusty | ||
| Solo así soy de no ir | Only so that I do not go |
German Lyrics[]
| PURSE: | Pearl, welche Ehre, |
| Pearl, welche Gnade: | |
| Electra will, dass du jetzt mit ihm fährst! | |
| RUSTY: | Er hat 'ne Bahn... |
| PURSE: | Der Bahn tut der Kopf weh. |
| 'Drum soll jetzt Pearl als Bahn mit ihm fahr'n. | |
| Bitte komm', ansonsten flieg' ich raus. | |
| PEARL: | Kann er pfeifen? |
| PURSE: | Nein! Da wird nichts 'draus. |
| PEARL: | Rusty braucht mich, mit wem soll ich ich geh'n? |
| Sag Electra, ich weiß nicht mit wem. | |
| RUSTY: | Was soll das? Du hast 'nen Partner! |
| PEARL: | Tja |
| RUSTY: | Allerdings! |
| Du hast mich! | |
| PEARL: | Ich sagte dir doch: nur für den Fall... |
| RUSTY: | Er hat dich beeindruckt, |
| Er hat dich verwirrt! | |
| PEARL: | Du weißt ganz genau, das ist gar nicht wahr! |
| Ich brauche Zeit. | |
| RUSTY: | Ach, Pearl... |
| PEARL: | Nein! Lass' mich jetzt besser allein'. |
| Ich brauche meine Freiheit, Rusty, | |
| Denn nur so kann ich auch bei dir sein. |
2017 London Workshop Lyrics[]
| KILLERWATT: | Pearl, you've been honoured, |
| Pearl you've been chosen. | |
| Electra selected you for Heat One | |
| RUSTY: | He has a coach |
| KILLERWATT: | His coach has a migraine |
| Also, he says you're second to none | |
| Please come I'll be fired if you won't | |
| PEARL: | Can he whistle? |
| KILLERWATT: | No, AC trains don't. |
| PEARL: | Rusty needs me, which way should I go? |
| Thank Electra, say I'll let him know | |
| RUSTY: | Crazy! Everything round me is crazy! |
| PEARL: | I've electrical bling on the end of a string, |
| The power is kind of a thrill, | |
| This power that I've won, it ought to be fun, | |
| I ought to go in for the kill! | |
| They've pushed us around, they've ground us all down | |
| Finally, now it's our turn! | |
| You'd think I'd rejoice, I'm spoiled for choice, | |
| And choice is the thing I must learn! | |
| I don't know which way to turn | |
| For Rusty's sweet and gentle. | |
| Loyal and true, or is that sentimental? | |
| Help me, tell me which way to turn! | |
| Two different hearts have spoken! | |
| One heart will sing, | |
| And one heart will be broken. |
2018 German Lyrics + Translation[]
| KILLERWATT (German): | Pearl, welche Ehre, | KILLERWATT (English): | Pearl what an honor, |
| Pearl, welche Gnade. | Pearl what a grace. | ||
| Electra will, dass du jetzt mit ihm fährst. | Electra wants you to run with him now. | ||
| RUSTY: | Er hat ‘nen Wagen | RUSTY: | He‘s got a car. |
| KILLERWATT: | Doch der hat Migräne | KILLERWATT: | But it‘s got a migraine |
| Drum soll jetzt Pearl als Bahn mit ihm fahren | That’s why Pearl should run with him as a car now. | ||
| Bitte komm, ansonsten flieg ich raus. | Please come with me, otherwise I‘ll be kicked out. | ||
| PEARL: | Kann er pfeifen? | PEARL: | Can he whistle? |
| KILLERWATT: | Nein, da wird nichts draus. | KILLERWATT: | No, that won’t work out. |
| PEARL: | Rusty braucht mich, mit wem soll ich gehn? | PEARL: | Rusty needs me, who should I go with? |
| Sag Electra, ich weiß nicht mit wem. | Tell Electra, I don’t know who. | ||
| RUSTY: | Crazy! Das ist doch sowas von crazy! | RUSTY: | Crazy! That’s just so crazy. |
| PEARL: | Ich weiß nicht, was soll ich tun? | PEARL: | I don’t know, what should I do? |
| Soll Rusty nun mein Zug sein? | Should Rusty be my train now? | ||
| Er ist so lieb | He‘s so lovely | ||
| Doch kann mir das genug sein? | But can that be enough for me? | ||
| Denn ich hab zwei Herzen berührt | Cause I’ve touched two hearts | ||
| Die beide zu mir sprechen | That both speak to me | ||
| Eins mach ich froh | One that I make happy | ||
| Und eines muss ich brechen. | And the other that I have to break. |
