"Waiting. What's new here?
You're waiting, I'm waiting
'Cause that's what we do here
Same as we do every day
For something, I don't know, to happen
No, just something different to happen
Just waiting for something to change
Just a change"
Papi sings this in the song "Waiting." He is putting words and emotion to the reality of the daily lives of the people of Bet Hatikva who simply wait every day for the next day, and they simply desire for some change to come about for their lives.
"Tell me, Tewfiq, how does it feel to do music? To have the orchestra? How does it feel to have all the people waiting for you, and all their eyes for you? You know?"
Dina asks Tewfiq these questions while they are at the park together. Tewfiq goes on to not just tell her, but to sing and show her how it feels, creating the experience for her in this moment.
"Only you
When the sun and moon and stars are gone all that’s left is only you
Will you answer me
Answer me"
The telephone guy sings this in the song "Answer Me." He has waited day and night for months at the only payphone in Bet Hatikva for his girlfriend to call. But he has not heard from her once. He desires nothing more than to hear from her and it consumes him the entire play until she calls him at the very end.
