Favorite lines of dialogue written to excuse or make sense of a lyric?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/16/24 at 2:40pm

In the tradition of "writing a musical is solving a series of problems"...

I was listening to "Song on the Sand" and I always chuckle at Albin's line in the interlude: "I'm not sure about the 'crash of the waves,' this being the Mediterranean"

Which I assume stemmed from: Jerry Herman writes the song, someone points out that there wouldn't be waves, Jerry doesn't want to change the lyric, and then Harvey proposes a line of dialog to correct that. Which also works for the character -- Georges is a romantic softie, Albin's a little more blunt. It's an elegant fix, and the audience laughs because they too found the lyric poetic before thinking too hard about it.

Which got me thinking...what are other lines in other shows are like this? Bonus points if they aren't as elegant as this!

[broadway86]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 9:21am

The King and I

"I'm a free and independent employée!... Employee."

[noahseestheatre]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 2:58pm

Was watching this 'Hairspray Live' clip and when Tracy all of the sudden is strong enough to break the bars in the prison, she has a line explaining it in a wink/nod as 'budget cuts', starting at 5:35 in the video. Not sure if it's in the stage version, but I watched and immediately thought of this post.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYpguaZcrjs

[Fosse76]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 3:15pm

noahseestheatre said: "Was watching this 'Hairspray Live' clip and when Tracy all of the sudden is strong enough to break the bars in the prison, she has a line explaining it in a wink/nod as 'budget cuts', starting at5:35 in the video. Not sure if it's in the stage version, but I watched and immediately thought of this post.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYpguaZcrjs"

No, it's not on the stage version. In the stage version, Link creates a MacGyver-esque blow torch using hairspray and a lighter to free Tracy.
 

[MadAboutTheBoy]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 5:06pm

The one that immediately came to mind is "Popular" from Wicked:

"And with an assist from me
To be who you'll be
Instead of dreary who you were
Well, are
There's nothing that can stop you
From becoming popu-ler... lar"

Although Glinda doesn't explicitly explain it away, she attempts to correct the rhyme. Fun thread topic!

[IronMan]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 5:19pm

In Jagged Little Pill, two people interrupt the singer of "Ironic"...

"Hold up... Wait a second! That's actually not ironic!"

"Right? If we're using irony as defined in Greek tragedy, I don't see how, like, a fly in your beverage applies."

"That's not irony... that's just like... shi**y." 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 5:30pm

"That's not irony... that's just like... shi**y" could describe the line & show, too ;)

Thanks for the responses, folks. Feel like there are some very obvious ones I'm not remembering.

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 5:50pm

"Imagine a party with dresses and cake, and singing and dancing and....cake" -Mean Girls

Does this count too 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 9:13pm

Along the lines of the Wicked lyrics cited by MadAboutTheBoy, there's the moment in Phantom where one of the managers completes a rhyme by singing "and what is it that we're meant to have wrote?" but instantly corrects himself by mumbling "written."

[Auggie27]

Posted: 5/18/24 at 10:21am

Perhaps the syndrome in reverse. I've always thought the baldly stated dialog leading into "You Must Meet My Wife" is unnecessarily literal: oddly untrue of the rest of the libretto of A Little Night Music. 

Fredrick: "Well, I think it's time to talk about my wife, don't you? 
Desiree: "To boast or complain?
Fredrick: "Both, I expect."

The lines steal the subtext of Sondheim's subsequent lyrics, which build deliciously. Anticipating the complaining part robs the duet that follows of its plot point, the element of surprise.

 

Updated On: 5/18/24 at 10:21 AM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/18/24 at 10:32am

Auggie27 said: "Perhaps the syndrome in reverse. I've always thought the baldly stated dialog leading into "You Must Meet My Wife" is unnecessarilyliteral: oddly untrue of the rest of the libretto of A Little Night Music.

Fredrick: "Well, I think it's time to talk about mywife, don't you?
Desiree: "To boast or complain?
Fredrick: "Both, I expect."

The lines steal the subtext of Sondheim's subsequent lyrics, which build deliciously. Anticipating the complaining part robs the duet that follows of its plot point, the element of surprise."
 

Yes, that feels like a very Oscar Hammerstein song-intro-line and I can't remember any Fredrik selling "I think it's time to talk about my wife, don't you." However, I've never heard someone say it with a Borat voice though, so maybe that can happen in the next revival.

Updated On: 5/18/24 at 10:32 AM

[Menken Fan]

Posted: 5/18/24 at 11:02am

If you’re looking for dialogue that excuses song lyrics, the ultimate is before Bride’s Lament in The Drowsy Chaperone. Man in Chair says:

“Now, when you’re listening to this, try to ignore the lyrics. I know it will be difficult, but block them out. They’re not the best, but the tune is beautiful.”

[justoldbill]

Posted: 5/25/24 at 12:05am

"You'll pardon me, but to have no talent is not enough.  What you need to have is an idea that makes your strip special."