Stephen Sondheim is without a doubt one of the most important forces in musical theatre. His works include "West Side Story", "Gypsy", "A Little Night Music", "Company", "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street", Pulitzer Prize-winning "Sunday in the Park with George", and "Into the Woods".
Not only is he a phenomenal composer, but he is one of my favorite lyricists of all time. What sets him apart is his ability to use a musical number to progress the story rather than merely having a standstill moment for the singers to sing.
Here are some of my Stephen Sondheim favorite lyrics.
1. “The Miller’s Son” - A Little Night Music
In this scene, the maid of the house is thinking of the freedom and joy she has before becomes trapped in her marriage to the Miller’s son.
“It’s a very short road from the pinch and the punch to the paunch and the pouch and the pension. It’s a very short road to the ten thousandth lunch and the belch and the grouch and the sigh.”
Don’t you love alliteration?
2. “Something’s Coming” - West Side Story
Tony, the Romeo of this story, dreams about the possibility of something fresh coming soon.
“It’s only just out of reach, down the block, on a beach, under a tree. I got a feeling there’s a miracle due. Gonna come true, coming to me.”
3. “Children Will Listen” - Into the Woods
At the end of this whirlwind of a fairy tale, the witch sings these lyrics that encapsulate all of the underlying themes of the story. If I could, I would include the entire song. But here’s a great line.
“Careful the things you say, children will listen. Careful the things you do, children will see and learn. Children may not obey, but children will listen. Children will look to you for which way to turn to learn what to be.”
I get chills every time.
4. “Finishing the Hat” - Sunday in the Park with George
George sings about his need to finish the hat in his new painting. It is probably the greatest expression of the social struggle of artists. I love this piece so much.
“Finishing the hat. How you have to finish the hat. How you watch the rest of the world from a window while you finish the hat. Mapping out a sky. What you feel like, planning a sky. What you feel when voices that come through the window go, until they distance and die.”
5. “A Little Priest” - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett sing of her wonderful idea of how to dispose of all of Todd’s victim’s bodies - by baking them into pies.
Lovett: “It's priest. Have a little priest.”
Todd: “Is it really good?”
Lovett: “Sir, it's too good, at least! Then again, they don't commit sins of the flesh, So it's pretty fresh.”
Todd: “Awful lot of fat.”
Lovett: “Only where it sat.”
Todd: “Haven't you got poet, or something like that?”
Lovett: “No, y'see, the trouble with poet is 'ow do you know it's deceased? Try the priest!”
6. “Moments in the Woods” - Into the Woods
This is my favorite song from this play. After having an affair with the prince, the baker’s wife contemplates why she has to settle for “or” and not “and”.
“Let the moment go. Don’t forget it for a moment though. Just remembering you’ve had an ‘and’ when you’re back to ‘or’ makes the ‘or’ mean more than it did before.”
7. “Move On” - Sunday in the Park with George
Possibly my favorite Sondhiem song, Dot reassures George of his unknown future and encourages him to keep doing great things.
“Stop worrying where you’re going, move on. If you can know where you’re going, you’ve gone. Just keep moving on.”
“Stop worrying if your vision is new. Let others make that decision. They usually do. You keep moving on.”
“Anything you do, let it come from you. Then it will be new. Give us more to see…”
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