They're called the "I Want" Songs in musicals--those interludes where the protagonist declares their ambitions and desires...and basically announce what the ending of any self-respecting happy-ending musical is going to be! There's "The Impossible Dream" from "Man of LaMancha," for example. "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" from "My Fair Lady." "Somewhere" from "West Side Story."
For the next five days, I'm offering up the "I Want" Songs of Howard Ashman. Why? During my job search, I'm in an intense "I Want" mode, and Ashman's are the ones that stick in my head. They have a sophistication of language and tone while doing its duty advancing the plot. And they have attitude. Bags of attitude. In fact, Ashman's more-hip tone is one of the charms of his lyrics, though sometimes they can come across as harsh. We start with two "I Want" songs from "Little Shop of Horrors." The first one, today's, is one of my favorite songs in a musical. It's the opening number, a complicated piece that includes the entire ensemble establishing time, place, condition and the wants of the two main characters. For those of who want more than just the lyrics, you can proceed to Stage Right where there are videos Of Marginal Interest (they'll be a part of the Archive edition of this post, as well)
This is "Skid Row."
[WOMAN]
Alarm goes off at seven
And you start uptown.
You put in your eight hours
For the powers that have always been.
Till it's five P.M.
[BUM 1]
Then You go
[COMPANY]
Downtown
Where the folks are broke.
Downtown
Where your life's a joke.
Downtown
When you buy your token,you go
Home to skid row.
[BUM 2]
Yes, you go
[COMPANY]
Downtown
Where the cabs don't stop
Downtown
Where the food is slop
Downtown
Where the hop-heads flop in the snow
Down on Skid Row
Uptown you cater to a million jerks.
Uptown you're messengers and mailroom clerks
Eating all your lunches at the hot dog carts.
The bosses take your money
And they break your hearts.
Uptown you cater to a million whores.
You disinfect terrazzo on their bathroom floors.
Your morning's tribulation, afternoon's a curse
And five o'clock is even worse
[BUM 3]
That's when you go
[COMPANY]
Downtown
[AUDREY]
Where the guys are drips.
[COMPANY]
Downtown
[AUDREY]
Where they rip your slips.
[COMPANY]
Downtown
[AUDREY]
Where relationships are no go.
[COMPANY and AUDREY]
Down on skid row
Down on skid row
Down on skid row
Down on skid row!
[SEYMOUR]
Poor!
All my life I've always been poor.
I keep asking God what I'm for,
and he tells me "Gee, I'm not sure.
Sweep that floor, kid."
Oh,
I started life as an orphan, a child of the street
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