Nothing

I'm so excited because I'm gonna go
to the High School of Performing Arts!
I mean, I was dying to be a serious actress
Anyway, it's the first day acting class
and we're in the auditorium and the teacher
Mr. Karp... Oh, Mr. Karp...
Anyway, he puts us up on the stage with
our legs around each other
one in back of the other and he says
"Okay... we're going to do improvisations
Now, you're on a bobsled. It's snowing out
And it's cold...Okay...GO!"

Ev'ry day for a week we would try to
Feel the motion, feel the motion
Down the hill.

Ev'ry day for a week we would try to
Hear the wind rush, hear the wind rush
Feel the chill.

And I dug right down to the bottom of my soul
To see what I had inside
Yes, I dug right down to the bottom of my soul
And I tried, I tried.

And everybody's goin' "Whooooosh, whooooosh ...
I feel the snow... I feel the cold... I feel the air"
And Mr. Karp turns to me and he says
"Okay, Morales. What did you feel?"

And I said..."Nothing
I'm feeling nothing"
And he says "Nothing
Could get a girl transferred."

They all felt something
But I felt nothing
Except the feeling
That this bullsh*t was absurd!

But I said to myself, "Hey, it's only the first week
Maybe it's genetic
They don't have bobsleds in San Juan!"

Second week, more advanced, and we had to
Be a table, be a sportscar...
Ice-cream cone.

Mister Karp, he would say,"Very good
except Morales. Try, Morales
All alone."

And I dug right down to the bottom of my soul
To see how an ice cream felt
Yes, I dug right down to the bottom of my soul
And I tried to melt.

The kids yelled, "Nothing!"
They called me "Nothing"
And Karp allowed it
Which really makes me burn.

The were so helpful
They called me "Hopeless"
Until I really didn't know
Where else to turn.

And Karp kept saying
"Morales, I think you should transfer to Girl's High
You'll never be an actress, Never!" Jesus Christ!

Went to church, praying, "Santa Maria
Send me guidance, send me guidance"
On my knees.

Went to church, praying, "Santa Maria
Help me feel it, help me feel it
Pretty please!"

And a voice from down at the bottom of my soul
Came up to the top of my head
And the voice from down at the bottom of my soul
Here is what it said:

"This man is nothing!
This course is nothing!
If you want something
Go find another class.

And when you find one
You'll be an actress"
And I assure you that's what
Fin'lly came to pass.

Six months later I heard that Karp had died
And I dug right down to the bottom of my soul...
And cried
'Cause I felt... nothing.