diff --git a/src/bng.rs b/src/bng.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index 6c2693a..0000000
--- a/src/bng.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-mod instrument;
-mod score;
diff --git a/src/bng/instrument.rs b/src/bng/instrument.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index b8db277..0000000
--- a/src/bng/instrument.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-use derived_deref::Deref;
-use fasteval::Instruction;
-
-#[derive(Deref)]
-pub struct Instrument(Instruction);
diff --git a/src/bng/score.rs b/src/bng/score.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/src/cli.rs b/src/cli.rs
index 5057a49..bc5587c 100644
--- a/src/cli.rs
+++ b/src/cli.rs
@@ -1,48 +1,28 @@
-use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::str::FromStr;
+cfg_if! {
+    if #[cfg(feature = "save")] {
+        use std::path::PathBuf;
+    }
+}
 
+use cfg_if::cfg_if;
 use clap::Parser;
 
-/// Cli entry point
-#[derive(Clone, Parser)]
-#[cfg_attr(debug_assertions, derive(Debug))]
-pub enum BngCli {
-    /// Play the song through default sink
-    Play(PlayOpts),
-    /// Export the song to a sound file
-    Export(ExportOpts),
-    /// List supported sound file extensions and instrument / song available expressions
-    #[command(subcommand)]
-    List(ListOpts),
-}
+mod instrument;
+mod score;
+pub use instrument::Instrument;
+pub use score::Score;
 
-/// [`BngCli`] "play" command options
-#[derive(Clone, Parser)]
+#[derive(Parser)]
 #[cfg_attr(debug_assertions, derive(Debug))]
-pub struct PlayOpts {
-    input: PathBuf,
-}
-
-/// [`BngCli`] "export" command options
-#[derive(Clone, Parser)]
-#[cfg_attr(debug_assertions, derive(Debug))]
-pub struct ExportOpts {
-    /// Input file (written song file)
-    input: PathBuf,
-    /// Output file (sound file)
-    output: PathBuf,
-}
-
-/// [`BngCli`] "list" command sub-commands
-#[derive(Clone, Parser)]
-#[cfg_attr(debug_assertions, derive(Debug))]
-pub enum ListOpts {
-    /// List supported sound file extensions to export songs
-    #[command(subcommand)]
-    Extensions,
-    /// List available math expressions for instrument definition
-    #[command(subcommand)]
-    Math,
-    /// List available score glyphs and their meaning
-    #[command(subcommand)]
-    Glyphs,
+pub(super) struct Args {
+    #[arg(short, long, value_parser = Instrument::from_str)]
+    instrument: Option<Instrument>,
+    #[cfg(feature = "save")]
+    #[arg(short, long)]
+    output: Option<PathBuf>,
+    #[cfg(feature = "play")]
+    #[arg(short, long)]
+    silent: bool,
+    score: Score,
 }
diff --git a/src/cli/instrument.rs b/src/cli/instrument.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9bfe64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/instrument.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+use std::{fs::read_to_string, path::Path, str::FromStr};
+
+use anyhow::{Context, Error};
+use derived_deref::Deref;
+
+#[derive(Clone, Deref)]
+#[cfg_attr(debug_assertions, derive(Debug))]
+pub struct Instrument(String);
+
+impl FromStr for Instrument {
+    type Err = Error;
+    fn from_str(value: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Err> {
+        let maybe_a_path = Path::new(&value);
+        Ok(Instrument(if maybe_a_path.is_file() {
+            read_to_string(maybe_a_path)
+                .context("you gave me the path of a real file but reading it is hard!")?
+        } else {
+            value.to_owned() // hope it's a good one
+        }))
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/score.rs b/src/cli/score.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a1fac87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/score.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+use std::{fs::read_to_string, path::Path, str::FromStr};
+
+use anyhow::{Context, Error};
+use derived_deref::Deref;
+
+#[derive(Clone, Deref)]
+#[cfg_attr(debug_assertions, derive(Debug))]
+pub struct Score(String);
+
+impl FromStr for Score {
+    type Err = Error;
+    fn from_str(value: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Err> {
+        let maybe_a_path = Path::new(&value);
+        Ok(Score(if maybe_a_path.is_file() {
+            read_to_string(maybe_a_path)
+                .context("you gave me the path of a real file but reading it is hard!")?
+        } else {
+            value.to_owned() // hope it's a good one
+        }))
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 615cdae..d3528bf 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
+use anyhow::Result;
 use clap::Parser;
 
-mod bng;
 mod cli;
 
-fn main() {
-    let args = cli::BngCli::parse();
+fn main() -> Result<()> {
+    let args = cli::Args::try_parse()?;
     #[cfg(debug_assertions)]
     println!("{:?}", args);
+    Ok(())
 }