This is the opener for the musical MUFFINS, in which the four baristas who lead the show set the tone and tell us who they are. I read somewhere that everyone should be a regular somewhere, that place you go every day and they all know you. I spend hours in coffee shops where the temptation to speculate about the lives of baristas is irresistible, and led me to write a musical comedy that won best music award at a Chicago musical theater festival in 2016. –J. Linn Allen
“JUST A BARISTA” from the musical
MUFFINS
LINDSEY
I KNOW I’M ON THE VERGE OF FINDING SOME NEW KIND OF ME.
I PRAY EACH DAY I’LL FEEL A FLASH OF INSIGHT SUDDENLY
OR MAYBE SEE A MAN WHO’LL STOP AND TURN HIS BURNING EYES
TO PIERCE MY SOUL AND MAKE MY DOUBTS AND FEARS ALL VAPORIZE
BUT THESE ARE SILLY DREAMS AND I’M A BARISTA
LINDSEY, ERIN, TRAVIS, PAUL:
I’M JUST A BARISTA
YOU SEE ME EVERY DAY
WHERE I LIGHTLY GLIDE AND SWAY
AND SERVE YOU WITH A GRIN
BUT YOU CAN’T SEE WHAT REALLY HAPPENS
HERE WITHIN
NO NO NO NO NO
TRAVIS
I’M JUST THE FACE ABOVE THE HAND EXTENDED WITH A DRINK
NO ONE KNOWS ME OR HAS ANY NOTION WHAT I THINK
I’M TOTALLY ANONYMOUS AND AIM TO STAY THE SAME
UNTIL THE MOMENT COMES WHEN ALL THE WORLD WILL KNOW MY NAME
BUT DREAMS ARE FOR TOMORROW AND I’M A BARISTA
ERIN
I ALWAYS FIGURED I KNEW HOW MY FUTURE WOULD APPEAR
I HAD A LIST OF ALL THAT I’D ACCOMPLISH YEAR TO YEAR
BUT THEN I REALIZED LIFE WAS MORE THAN PASSING SOME EXAM
AND SO I’M TAKING TIME AWAY TO FIND OUT WHO I AM
I’M LEARNING HANGING LOOSE WHEN I’M A BARISTA
LINDSEY, ERIN, TRAVIS, PAUL:
I’M JUST A BARISTA
YOU SEE ME EVERY DAY
WHERE I LIGHTLY GLIDE AND SWAY
AND SERVE YOU WITH A GRIN
BUT YOU CAN’T SEE WHAT REALLY HAPPENS
HERE WITHIN
NO NO NO NO NO
PAUL
I HEAR OF LIFE’S TRUE MEANING AND IT GETS ME SO PERPLEXED
FROM WHAT I SEE LIFE’S GOAL IS TO BE RICH AND OVERSEXED
BUT SINCE I HAVE NO MONEY AND LOVE IS DAY TO DAY
I’LL FLOAT ON EVERY CURRENT UNTIL I DRIFT AWAY
IT’S A PERFECT SPOT FOR ME TO BE A BARISTA
LINDSEY, ERIN, TRAVIS, PAUL
WE’RE ONLY BARISTAS
YOU SEE US ALL THE TIME
SMILING LIKE A NURSERY RHYME
TURNING KNOBS AND MEASURING
FOR YOUR DAILY PLEASURING
THERE AMID THE CROCKERY
TRADING CHEERFUL MOCKERY
IN A TEAM PROPELLING STEAM
THROUGH MILK AND BEANS FOR THOSE WITH MEANS
BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK IT MEANS
TO BE A BARISTA?
TAKE A PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES
WHERE OUR HEARTS HAVE DEEP RAVINES
COME AND SEE THE SECRETS
OF THE BARISTAS.