Music by John Kander
Original lyrics by Fred Ebb



(spoken)
You say you'll stay here, and Jake says you should flee.
(sung)
A diff'rence that seems so great --
Why should that stand in your way?
If it came to a call, you would
Both want the Hork-Bajir's good,
And you'd sacrifice yourselves any day.
Yes,
He wants a good, peaceful life,
You want a good, prideful life --
What diff'rence does it make?
Well, listen to my take.

For, let's face the facts,
Joking aside,
The one thing you care for is your people's pride.
If just that goes on, and you, yourselves, don't,
So who cares? So what?
So who cares? So what?

When you were a girl, this whole freedom thing was so new.
So what?
And the Ellimist was organizing it all, not you.
So what?
Now you fight for yourselves,
And, so far, it's gone well,
But that sweet girl's long since forgot.
If it ended that way,
Then it ended that way,
And you shrug, and you say,
"So what?"

For, let's face the facts,
Joking aside,
The one thing you care for is your people's pride.
If just that goes on, and you, yourself, don't,
So who cares? So what?
So who cares? So what?

Like ev'ryone else, you have listened to tales from before.
So what?
And you know how much your great-grandparents hated the war.
So what?
But, with your troops renewed,
You would have continued,
Had it not been for Aldie's plot.
If it wasn't to be
That she ever would see
A new, peaceful Hamee,
So what?

For, let's face the facts,
Joking aside,
The one thing you care for is your people's pride.
If just that goes on, and your values don't,
So who cares? So what?
So who cares? So what?

So Ket has grown sad, and she longs for the time you were small.
So what?
But you've fought this war and made hard calls since you can recall.
So what?
If you've lived through all that,
And you've seen ev'ry death,
A few more shouldn't mean a lot!
If it's dangerous here,
But you like that they're here,
And they follow their seer,
So what?

For, let's face the facts,
Joking aside,
The one thing you care for is your people's pride.
If just that goes on, and you, yourselves, don't,
So who cares? So what?
So who cares? So what?
Who cares? Who cares? Who cares? So what?