"Pearl Twirl" is a short scene at the beginning of act 2, between The Rap and "U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D.".
Context[]
Following on from The Rap, Greaseball invites Pearl to race with him. She agrees, leaving Electra without a partner, and ignoring Dinah's heartbreak.
This scene contrasts with Pearl's previous decision on race partners, "He Whistled At Me" or "Make Up My Heart", in which she spent considerable energy deciding who to race with. Now she considers racing to be "Only Fun", and sees no problem leaving her current partner for her best friend's boyfriend.
As the show has been revised, this number has changed significance. In productions including "There's Me", Greaseball has already dumped Dinah, but with that number cut, Greaseball has not technically broken up with Dinah prior to asking Dinah's best friend to replace her as his partner. The fact that Pearl sees this as "Only fun" shows her lack of understanding of the situation.
In the Revised London show, Electra was given the opportunity to comment on the fact Pearl has just dumped him, in all other productions he remains silent.
Musically, this number is a reprise of "Pumping Iron", with Electra's lines being based on "AC/DC".
In some early productions- Broadway, Japan/Aus Tours, and the original German production - this scene was incorporated in "Hymn to Victory" which opened Act 2. In productions which open with a version of "The Rap", this scene is considered to stand alone.
Lyrics[]
Original London Lyrics[]
| GREASEBALL: | So whaddya say then Pearl, |
| You wanna try a whirl | |
| Hear me knocking? | |
| PEARL: | Knock, knock. |
| GREASEBALL: | Who's there? |
| PEARL: | Pearl! |
| GREASEBALL: | Pearl who? |
| PEARL: | Pearl-ease can I go with you? |
| GREASEBALL: | Hear me knocking |
| PEARL: | I hear you, your knocking, |
| It's shocking! | |
| DINAH: | I hope you're satisfied |
| With what you've done, | |
| You could have had your choice | |
| You took my only one. | |
| PEARL: | Come on, Dinah, it's only fun! |
| Quit crying, quit crying. | |
| GREASEBALL: | I'm pumping iron. |
1997 Mexico + Translation[]
| CONTROL (Spanish): | Estamos a unos minutos | CONTROL (English): | We are a few minutes away |
| De que empiece la gran carrera | From the start of the big race | ||
| ¿Alguien quiere cambiar de pareja? | Does anyone want to change partners? | ||
| TURBO: | Ven vamos corazóne | GREASEBALL: | Come. Let's go sweetheart |
| Y demos un bolcóne | And let's have a ball | ||
| ¿Que tal sueno? | Do you hear it? | ||
| PERLA: | Toc Toc | PEARL: | Knock Knock |
| TURBO: | ¿Quién es? | GREASEBALL: | Who is it? |
| PERLA: | Perla | PEARL: | Pearl |
| TURBO: | Perla que? | GREASEBALL: | Pearl who? |
| PERLA: | Perla Yo, ya llevame a correr | PEARL: | Pearl me, take me for a run |
| TURBO: | ¿Que tal sueno? | GREASEBALL: | Do you hear it? |
| PERLA: | Te escucho, te escucho, Papucho | PEARL: | I hear you, I hear you, Daddy-oh |
| VIANDA: | Espero que te haga muy feliz | DINAH: | I hope it makes you very happy |
| Llevarte a mi tren y hacerme infeliz | You take my train and make me sad | ||
| PERLA: | Vianda, no entiendes, es diversión | PEARL: | Dinah, you don't understand, it's only fun |
| Y no llores, no llores. | And don't cry, don't cry | ||
| TURBO: | Voy a ti | GREASEBALL: | I'm with you |
German Lyrics[]
| CONTROL: | Hier ist Control, hier ist Control. |
| Achtung: | |
| Das allesentscheidende Rennen geht gleich los. | |
| Alle Züge haben jetzt nochmal die Gelegenheit, | |
| Ihre Partner zu wechseln. | |
| GREASEBALL: | Pearl, was sagst du dazu? |
| Wir beide: ich und du | |
| Haben Rhythmus. | |
| PEARL: | Rhythmus? |
| GREASEBALL: | Spürst du's? |
| PEARL: | Ja! |
| GREASEBALL: | Komm mit! |
| PEARL: | Okay, ich fahr' gern' mit dir! |
| GREASEBALL: | Ich hab' Rhythmus. |
| PEARL: | Ich spüre den Rhythmus, |
| Welch' Rhythmus! | |
| DINAH: | Was du getan hast, |
| Find' ich sehr gemein! | |
| Du hast doch and're Ware - | |
| Muss es Greaseball sein?! | |
| PEARL: | Dinah, du musst nicht traurig sein, |
| Musst nicht weinen, nicht weinen! | |
| GREASEBALL: | I'm pumping iron. |
2018 German Lyrics[]
| CONTROL: | Hier ist Control, hier ist Control. |
| Achtung: | |
| Wir sind kurz vor dem entscheidenden Rennen. | |
| Möchte noch jemand seinen Partner wechseln? | |
| GREASEBALL: | Pearl, was sagst du dazu? |
| Wir beide: ich und du, | |
| Haben Rhythmus. | |
| PEARL: | Rhythmus? |
| GREASEBALL: | Spürst du's? |
| PEARL: | Ja! |
| GREASEBALL: | Komm mit! |
| PEARL: | Okay, ich fahr' gern' mit dir! |
| GREASEBALL: | Ich hab' Rhythmus. |
| PEARL: | Ich spüre den Rhythmus, |
| Wo ich mit muss! | |
| Wenn ich mit dir fahre | |
| Kommen wir groß raus! | |
| DINAH: | Bitte Pearl, |
| Spann‘ ihn mir nicht aus! | |
| PEARL: | Ich will ihn mir für das Rennen |
| Doch nur leihen. | |
| Nur leihen! | |
| GREASEBALL: | I'm pumping iron. |
Wembley Lyrics[]
| GREASEBALL: | So whatcha say then Pearl, |
| You wanna try a whirl | |
| Hear me knocking? | |
| PEARL: | Knock knock |
| GREASEBALL: | Who's there? |
| PEARL: | Pearl! |
| GREASEBALL: | Pearl who? |
| PEARL: | Pearl-ease can I go with you? |
| GREASEBALL: | Hear me knocking |
| PEARL: | I hear you, your knocking, |
| It's shocking! | |
| If I race with you, | |
| Will we win the day? | |
| DINAH: | Pearl, please don't! |
| Don't take her away! | |
| PEARL: | It's just one race |
| And then she's yours, okay? | |
| No crying, no crying. | |
| GREASEBALL: | I'm pumping iron. |