The action takes place on the West Side of New York City
during the last days of summer.
SIDE 1
ACT I
The Neighborhood - The months before
? No. 1 Prologue
(The opening, half-danced, half-mimed, is a condensation of
the growing rivalty between two teenage gangs; the Sharks are
Puerto Ricans, the Jets an anthology of what is called
"American". The Jets want to hold on to their territory and
clean out the Sharks in a rumble.)
The Street - 5:00 p.m.
? No. 2 Jet Song
?RIFF : Against the Sharks we need every man we got.
?ACTION : Tony don't belong any more.
?RIFF : Cut it, Action boy. I and Tony started the Jets.
?ACTION : Well, he acts like he don't wanna belong.
?BABY JOHN : Who wouldn't wanna belong to the Jets!
?RIFF : Right! He's always come through for us
and he will now
When you're a Jet,
You're a Jet all the way
From your first cigarette
To your last dyin' day.
When you're a Jet,
If the spit hits the fan,
You got brothers around,
You're a family man!
You're never alone,
You're never disconnected!
You're home with your own:
When company's expected,
You're well protected!
Then you are set
With a capital J,
Which you'll never forget
Till they cart you away.
When you're a Jet,
You stay
A Jet!
I know Tony like I know me. I guarantee you can count him in.
?ACTION : In, Out, let's get crackin'.
?A-RAB : Where you ganna find Bernardo?
?RIFF : At the dance tonight at the gym.
?BIG DEAL : But the gym is neutral territory.
?RIFF (innocently) : I'm gonna make nice there!
I'm only gonna challenge him.
?A-RAB : Great, Daddy-O!
?RIFF : So everybody dress up sweet and sharp
and meet Tony and me at ten.
?ALL
Oh, when theJets fall in at the cornball dance,
We'll be the sweetest dressin's gang in pants!
And when the chicks dig us in our Jet black ties,
They're gonna flip, gonna drop like flies!
( They dance together, a little wild. )
?RIFF : Hey. Cool. Easy. Sweet. See ya.
And walk tall! (He run off.)
?A-RAB : We always walk tall!
?BABY JOHN : We're Jets!
?ACTION : The greatest!
?ACTION and BABY JOHN
When you're a Jet,
You're the top cat in town,
You're the gold-medal kid
With the heavyweight crown!
?A-RAB, ACTION, BIG DEAL
When you're a Jet,
You're the swingin'est thing:
Little boy, you're a man;
Little man, you're a king!
?ALL
The Jets are in gear,
Our cylinders are clickin'!
The Sharks'll steer clear
'Cause ev'ry Puerto Rican
's a lousy chicken!
Here come the Jets
Like a bat out of hell.
Someone gets in our way,
Someone don't feel so well.
Here come the Jets:
Little world, step aside!
Better go underground,
Better run, better hide.
We're drawin' the line,
So keep your noses hidden!
We're hangin' a sign,
Says "Visitors forbidden"
And we ain't kiddin'!
Here come the Jets,
Yeah! An' we're gonna beat
Ev'ry last buggin' gang
On the whole buggin' street!
On the whole ever-mother-lovin' street!
A Back Yard - 5:30 p.m.
(Tony has been painting a sign for Doc's drugstore, where he
now works. Riff talks him into joining the Jets at the dance,
but Tony's mind is already on other things.)