I was torturing myself by listening to my CD of Ethel Merman's worst Broadway show, HAPPY HUNTING. In the song "Wedding of the Year" I had to wince when I heared a part of the song lyrics that actually (Attempted to) rhyme "Everything but the kitchen sink went" with "American juvenile delinquent". Ugh!
I was then reminded of what was possibly Oscar Hammerstein's worst set of lyrics- In CAROUSEL's "A Real Nice Clambake" with the painful line "The vittles we 'et were good, you bet!" Eek!
So what I'm asking now is, what lyrics in songs from musicals or lines from plays made you wince? They casn be bad rhymes, hokey lines or stuff that made you think "Why on EARTH was this put in there?!"
Praying Decca Broadway will put "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope" on CD!
yes, but urinetown lyrics are supposed to make you cringe, cant say the same for some other musicals
"Contentment it seems merely happens, It appears Accompanied by no bravos and no tears"
"The world is good you said Enjoy it's highs you said The summer flies you said So make a parade Of every moment Now throw away your hate And focus on what's great instead" ~William Finn
i've got something to confess-a reason why...-wicked also the other one along the same lines pal-a-sis ter and adviser- wicked
"Grease," the fourth revival of the season, is the worst show in the history of theater and represents an unparalleled assault on Western civilization and its values. - Michael Reidel
I'd say Hammerstein's low point was in Flower Drum Song, when he rhymes "Grant Avenue" with "Can't have a new... (way of living)". Also in the same song: "Dong dong - you're in Hong Kong!"
One lyric that makes me cringe the most is June’s “She’s so moosical” lyric during the Farmboy Sequence in Gypsy.
At open callbacks for the show, I remember selecting the “Moo Cow” section (plus another—I’m not totally sadistic) for any women wanting to sing for the part of June. None of the women present were interested in June. {In fact, 90% of the women wanted to be Louise…the remaining 10% wanted to be Rose.} At first, a few girls (including two that really wanted to be Rose) volunteered just for “kicks.” We had them stand in a line, and had them sing the “moosical” section. In reaction to that one word, one of the Rose-auditionees walked off the stage saying “I just can’t sing that…” After that, the director instructed me to just call people up regardless of their interest (we couldn’t not have a June!).
What really hit me was that of all lyricists, Stephen freakin’ Sondheim was responsible for that lyric! Sondheim! One of our living legends of musical theatre!
It bothered me for a bit, but then I realized that it takes real talent to write lyrics intended to be cheesy…and then I felt a little better.
Although I like the line in assassins I hate the part in putting it together where they change Jodie Darlin to "Darlin Darlin"... I know it had to be changed for context of the show, but it just bothers me for some reason.
You, you are the worst thing to happen to musical theater since Andrew Lloyd Webber... and you I just don't like you.
haha...can't you just feel the Wicked love lol! I agree with a lot of these though...especially-
"There are bridges you crossed you didn't know you'd crossed until you'd crossed"
Ugh that one just kills me it's like something they thought would sound profound but just comes out like a bad run on that is trying desperately to rhyme
"Take a breath. Take a step. Take a chance. Take your time." -L5Y
Jonart... what I find funny is that I giggle every time I hear those parts in Wicked... I dunno... they make me giddy. Ehh, but I wonder, with just about everyone here saying the lines that make them cringe are from Wicked... how the heck did it become so popular? (No pun intended)