The WORST Lyrics in Theatre // My 15 Least Favourite Musical Theatre Lyrics

[@pinkgirl5041]

The Macbeth thing was actually done on purpose to show his recklessness, he establishes that he shouldn't say it but then dives right in and says it anyway -his life also goes downhill right after he says it

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

The theatre gods are v e a n g e f u l

[@JessRansdellSmith]

Also because it's bad luck to say the name of the play on stage but not the name of the character. So it's a cheeky inside joke.

[@dogski2822]

Technically, it’s ok to say Macbeth when you are referring to the character, but not when it’s the name of the play - which Hamilton abides to.

[@Aisha_Luv]

@@dogski2822 yeah, im pretty sure thats the real reason.

[@raynek8937]

@@dogski2822 which is exactly something he would do; he knows the rules, and therefore breaks them. he relies on techinicalities and 'well actually's.

[@cedoniapeterson9239]

I’ve actually always loved the Hamilton one. The idea that Hamilton was trying to be subtle by referencing Macbeth in passing, then couldn’t help himself from bursting out with an interpretation of his own reference with detailed comparisons between everyone and Macbeth characters. I think it’s a funny example of his inability to stop writing once he gets going.

[@scaraponine]

Lin said in an interview once that’s basically what he was going for - Alexander trying to be all witty and subtle but then getting so smug about it and not being able to help himself from pointing out how subtle and witty he was being.

[@cedoniapeterson9239]

@@scaraponine Haha I love it!

[@QuikVidGuy]

@@scaraponine "He's not subtle, but I am. And I'm going to manipulate him into having sex with me."

[@elainestegeman7204]

Me too!!!. Lin is an ABSOLUTE GENIUS!!!.

[@Rebekahboyd96]

I also once heard him say that the ‘play’ Macbeth is what can’t be mentioned in theatres so he didn’t mention it, instead he mentioned Macbeth the ‘character’, because apparently there’s nothing wrong with that 😂

[@sylviab8482]

I think for Hamilton he didn't say the name of the play Macbeth because it's bad luck to say it in the theatre, but you can say the name of the character.

[@sylviab8482]

also maybe for the un-stagey

[@abbye6082]

Exactly

[@erincoughlintower5507]

I read an interview where Miranda said, "and didn't things go to shit for him after that?!?" 😂

[@juliasings6131]

It'd be pretty tough to ever put on Macbeth if you couldn't say the name of the character ngl

[@kara7145]

@@juliasings6131 you can say macbeth all you want if you’re preforming it. the superstition comes when you ARENT preforming it and you say macbeth

[@CoynieReads]

I genuinely don't know how the actresses playing Regina George don't burst out laughing every time they sing her introduction, especially this gem- "I am, like, drunk with power/this whole school humps my leg/like a chihuahua"

[@R34G4N]

the way she pronounces “louboutin” is also so confusing to me

[@weirdbeetworld4914]

I HATE IT I HATE IT SO GODDAMN MUCH

[@alexinwonderland5782]

i literally can’t stand that line 😭✋

[@thompiasentini]

i don’t understand how taylor louderman doesnt just burst out laughing when she sings “people forget im human too, yes they do that”

[@cursedkaleidoscope]

As a fan of mean girls, that's just the vibe of the show: the plastics are so ridiculous it's hard not to burst out laughing

[@jennisangel4537]

I’m so glad you just had the entirety of mean girls on this list, it’s real funny how bad the lyrics are lmao. “Calcu-lust” is genius tho

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

Calcu-lust is a god tier lyric. 10/10, no notes.

[@vivluns]

Bro I just realized that with the lyric- oh no-

[@faithgrier681]

LITERALLYYYY “if you treat me bad, then I’ll say you’re bad” 😀 w h a t

[@nickyrankine7321]

​@@faithgrier681'imagine a party with dresses and cake and singing and dancing and cake' 🙉

[@finleyforevermore]

​@@nickyrankine7321I think the repetition of "cake" is supposed to be a joke, but there's no excuse for some of these other songs XD

[@lukehaynes1810]

I've always been so frustrated by the line in Castle on a Cloud when Cosette sings "There is a room that's full of toys, there are a hundred boys and girls." WHY NOT SAY GIRLS AND BOYS?! The first time I heard it I literally assumed the actress just flubbed her line. There's no way anyone could've possibly written that lyric and not seen the rhyme, so they must have dodged it intentionally, I just can't for the life of me understand why and it grates at me every single time I hear the song.

[@JuliaMakesTheatre]

THANK YOU ME TOO I DON’T GET IT

[@QuikVidGuy]

I think it sounds more gentle when it's not an end rhyme. "oys" is kind of a strong sound

[@charpancakes]

OH MY GOD THIS HAS BOTHERED ME LITERALLY MY ENTIRE LIFE IM SO GLAD IT'S NOT JUST ME

[@chipskylark7249]

THIS HAS INFURIATED ME FOR YEARSSS

[@arthurdamato2668]

I like the non-rhyme. The "girls and boys" rhyme would be too twee for the song, IMO.

[@PhonesOfOurLives]

I'm from the US and have played Elle in two different productions of Legally Blonde. I've always interpreted the "proud to be American!" line as a joke about the way Americans will just randomly insert patriotism into things for seemingly no reason. But maybe I'm optimistic and it's just unironic patriotism 😅 Great video! I audibly snort-laughed at "I'll tell you why, 'cause they don't go to class, they just do elaborate tap dances in the middle of the day." 💀😭

[@alexreid1173]

That’s how I interpret it too as an American, and it’s very likely that’s what was intended. I think a lot of non-Americans don’t realize that Americans make fun of obnoxious American patriotism way more than anyone else does.

[@happyjellycatsquid]

Never listened to the Legally Blonde musical cause I didn’t even like the movie but yeah, that’s the first thing that jumped to me when he said that like I feel like it really alignes with Elle’s spoiled pretty white American girl persona.

[@keltzy]

Yeah, the production I saw really hammed it up for that line too.

[@rickelvi]

I'm not American and I literally just interpret as a joke about patriotism, it's literally not a literal patriotic rant? Many picks in this video are just misinterpreting things tbh

[@redisthecoolestcolour]

I thought it was a reference to Legally Blonde 2

[@ThePlanetOf]

No joke, when I clicked on this video I thought to myself “Lol, like ALL of Mean Girls amiright?”. Glad we agreed! And to put the same disclaimer as you did: I love listening to Mean Girls, I think it’s catchy and fun, and it’s given us some amazing performances. But as someone else in the comments said: It’s a great example of a lyricist phoning it in. Some of my favourite bad lyrics are: “Imagine a party with dresses and cake. And singing and dancing and CAKE.” “Like a lioness, only with less fur” “And God, you’re hot, why do you even wear a shirt” And honestly, ALL of “I see stars”. Do all these examples keep me from listening to the soundtrack, like weekly? No. It knows what it is, so I can’t hate it.

[@hannahmills9959]

Okay, but I actually love the first one you mentioned because it really highlights Janis's priorities, and honestly, I can relate. The second one is also a good example of Janis being an absolute dork who puts on a "tough girl" face - you know, classic edgy teen behavior. I think the bad lyrics do a huge service to the nature of the production. These are teenagers. They're not lyrical geniuses. Like, this _is_ musical theatre. Not every lyric has to be perfectly poetic. Especially if the characters who are singing the songs are literal teenagers. "I See Stars" is really cheesy, though. I will admit, it's a lot harder to listen to than every other song on the album.

[@varianmetcalf8220]

okay my confession is that i always skip i see stars but mean girls is bad but sooooo good

[@agnessofiacastrocarvalho774]

"Like a lioness only with less fur" is one of the few lyrics that don't make me roll my eyes actually

[@agnessofiacastrocarvalho774]

I'd rather be me is worst than I see stars. I wouldn't say it knows what it is, i'd say it knows it has to get the lyrics done and just open the show

[@hadesflynn811]

"and this time it will take" ???

[@CrabCrow]

My thing with "Wrote...Written" from Phantom is it always makes me want to hear Raoul say "Sent...Sentten."

[@ey8767]

Same! Well I think the purpose of this is to make the audience laugh because the plot is a little depressing. And this has to be done by a “comedian”, because you can’t let the Phantom do this. So it’s either managers or Carlotta/Piangi.

[@darrenbertram7289]

@@ey8767 I'm surprised he included this one. We're all guilty of grammatical mishaps like this when in rapid fire conversations. And, as you say, it makes the audience laugh every time. The "sent" line is returning back to normality. 🎭

[@rowenblue]

Minor pedantic correction: "none of my closest friends even HAS hands" is actually grammatically correct. None is an abbreviation of "not one" so it is singular. It just sounds strange because most people don't know that and make the common mistake "none of them have..."

[@allisonbergh4429]

Came here to say this! That is one of my biggest pet peeves, thanks for fighting the good fight, fellow pilkunnussija!

[@robertpower7498]

You are correct. It would only be “have” if the lyric was “my closest friends have hands.” The word “none” changes everything.

[@eoincampbell1584]

While I agree that "has hands" is grammatically correct, I'd argue that at this point "have" is also grammatically correct since it sounds correct to most people and it's how most people would say it. None is at a place where it really isn't thought of as an abbreviation and is more a word itself now, and these awkward areas where one thing is right by old rules and another sounds better by new rules is a natural result of the continuous development of language.

[@mesasimonson6612]

Yeah I always wondered. It’s like « I wish I was in Carrickfergus » and then some people are like « I wish I were in Carrickfergus » it makes sense for a second and then you’re like oh wait no that’s obvious And Yeah vernacular becomes correct…ugh hate that concept

[@robertpower7498]

You are so right! Our language is extremely confusing. In the Carrickfergus example, both are correct. “I wish I were…” is the subjunctive mood, and is used with possibilities, wishes, desires, etc. Same as saying, “If I were you…”. It’s the only time we can use “I were”. In English, we get to choose which we prefer, whereas in languages like French there is no debate. You must use it with certain verbs. We use subjunctive more than we realize in phrases like, “So be it” and “Be it ever so humble there’s no place like home”.

[@justinnaniong7872]

Ah, Mean Girls. The very definition of a lyricist phoning it in. It's sad 'cause some of the lyrics in Legally Blonde were actually clever so I don't know what made the lyricist make the choices she did in this show. "And if you treat me bad // I'll say you're bad" -- oof. "So I will not act all innocent I won’t fake apologize // Let’s just fight and then make up, not tell these lies" -- OOF

[@goodyougetastar]

I always thought it was "If you treat me bad, I'll say, 'your bad'". Less clunky but still clunky. The second is terrible though, you're right haha

[@Guinnessrat]

Legally blonde's lyrics are so much better than mean girls it was so mind boggling learning they were written by the same person

[@goodyougetastar]

@@Guinnessrat I see what you did there

[@missboldsen]

Ofc I can’t be certain, but I do wonder how much of the good lyrics of Legally Blonde is bc of O'Keefe rather than Benjamin….

[@cece-707]

i have to defend the phantom one. firstly, firmin & andre are definitely not that intelligent lol. secondly, the point is that they're all getting so caught up in the confrontation & their parts are overlapping so quickly and angrily that the rhyme catches up with itself. it demonstrates the general sense of chaos in that scene. and it's just funny.

[@felixhenson9926]

Agree, it's just funny? That's all?

[@happyjellycatsquid]

Yeah I was like “Andre ans Firmin are super intelligent now ? since when ? H o w ?”

[@brusselsprouts9079]

ya I always enjoyed that part cause it's humorous

[@Guineaface1987]

This lyric made me laugh too, as in a purposely placed lyric to make me laugh

[@marijeangalloway1560]

Yes, it indicates how rattled the managers are becoming, between their threatening notes from "O.G" and their newly acquired rich patron angrily accusing them of writing HIM a threatening note. It absolutely goes to establishing the character's state of mind, and provides the audience with a laugh while doing so.

[@EdenHailu-e5p]

Some of those Mean Girls lines actually make some (keyword "some") sense! For the "acting nice when she not nice" line, Janet uses a mocking, childlike voice for "she not nice". To me, this implies that it was purposefully grammatically incorrect. She was conveying that she finds the whole situation stupid and immature. Sort of like she's imitating a little kid running to their mom to cry that some other kid on the playground didn't want to play with them or pushed them off the swings. For the "Jewish Princess Jesus" line, the writers are referencing the phrase "Jewish American Princess" or J.A.P, which is used to describe Jewish girls from privileged upbringings. It's a cultural stereotype here in the US. And I know this part is obvious, but the "Jesus" bit is of course a reference to the "seated at her right hand" line directly before "Jewish Princess Jesus." Not a particularly clever line, but it tracks! Hello! *Editing in* nearly two years later (wild! I almost forgot about this comment lol) because some people are misunderstanding the point of my comment. For clarification: Gretchen is canonically Jewish and rich, so she is a "Jewish American Princess" stereotype. That's why she calls herself that. She is also Regina's second-in-command. Regina is the God of their school (everyone idolizes her, and she rules the school). As Regina's second-in-command, Gretchen is the Jesus in this scenario as she is "seated at [Regina's] right hand" the way Jesus is said to be "seated at the right hand of the Father (God)" in Christian teachings. So she's the equivalent of the "Jewish Princess Jesus" of the school the same way Regina would be the "Hot blonde God" of the school. It's just an alternative version of the line right before that one, where Gretchen uses the metaphor " *Regina is the Queen but I'm the head of worker bees.* As I am seated at her right hand like a Jewish Princess Jesus." It's a pretty basic joke, honestly. Also, just FYI for anyone unfamiliar with the term, "JAP" is actually a pejorative phrase that is rooted in Jewish stereotypes (the antisemitic claim that Jewish people hoard money, etc.) and misogyny (painting privileged, feminine women as vain, greedy, materialistic, selfish, lazy, airheads etc etc etc), so please do not actually refer to people in real life as "JAP"s! Not everyone finds it offensive and some people do use it to describe themselves, but generally, it's not kind and I would avoid it if you are not Jewish yourself. Thanks! :)

[@hannahmills9959]

On the first one - exactly! It shows in her diction and her tone of voice pretty clearly, in my opinion.

[@ThexImperfectionist]

There's probably some justification/ reason, however weak, for all the weird lyrics. But when there are so many... I just stop caring. Hamilton would not have worked as well as it did if they used obscure historical language and bizarre words to make all of these internal rhymes happen, no matter how authentic it might be. As an audience member, every time your internal rhythm and enjoyment screeches to a halt to wonder what the hell you just heard, it ruins it a little more.

[@EdenHailu-e5p]

@@ohblobby well yeah, they used the phrase because Gretchen is explicitly Jewish and rich and is a “JAP” stereotype, which is why it makes sense. I actually didn’t realize until your comment that I don’t think they mention either of those facts in the musical - weird! I guess they figured people would just remember that stuff from the movie

[@EdenHailu-e5p]

@@hannahmills9959 Same here! I was surprised to hear people complaining about it lol. There are so many other lyrics to make fun of in this show, but this one makes perfect sense to me

[@ohblobby]

@@EdenHailu-e5p Yeah ... btw do you know where JAP came from? bc its not like there are literal American Princesses. has it always been figurative? it just seems strange to me considering that jewish people are a minority that get a lot of hatred so i never figured that would be a phrase lol

[@siobhanomalley5781]

If I remember correctly, in Hamilton, the Macbeth lyric was written that way, as when Hamilton then mentions it (as it is bad luck) that the character’s life/career starts to go downhill (i.e The Reynolds Pamphlet, his son dead, him dying). I think that’s right anyway, but who knows? 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

Ah that's interesting!

[@siobhanomalley754]

Love the video though, made me laugh! 😂

[@raqueldusu]

I believe it’s bad luck when refering to the play, not when it’s about the character himself (although they’re the same, I know). So Hamilton only mentions “Macbeth” when he says that people compare his ambition to Macbeth’s (the character).

[@jeannebouwman1970]

Also it mirrors other theatre superstitions, like Philip whistling at the beginning of blow us all away, a song that moves into a theatre

[@rehannahbaksh5671]

I always thought in Mean Girls the lyric was " like a Judas to her Jesus", and now knowing the correct lyrics I am bewildered.

[@Chronically_Bored]

Wait like a judas to her jesus fits way better what the And in a weird roundabout way it foreshadows gretchen essentially betrating her for cady. What the

[@conanagain4638]

like a judas to her jesus sounds SO much better

[@pokemondimensions1297]

That sounds way better and foreshadows her betrayal. Why wasn’t that the actual lyric

[@simparq]

Glad you said the entirety of Mean Girls cause I was sitting there like how could you possibly choose just one?! terrible terrible lyrics throughout. It's a real shame.

[@alexinwonderland5782]

@Curly-n-Girly same i love it too

[@klosux]

@Curly-n-Girly music was good lyrics were bad in my opinion

[@scaraponine]

In defence of some of the Mean Girls lyrics, at least it comes off as something a 16 year old might genuinely come out with as opposed to being perfectly articulate Dawson’s Creek style mini adults.

[@walnutsrcool]

I will never get over how much better “one song glory” is than “Mimi’s eyes” like… bro your song about the song can’t be better

[@matthewreed8036]

I know!!! I was just telling my friends how funny it is that the song he spends the whole musical writing so he can be remembered is the most forgettable song in the show 😂

[@OrpheusBloom]

I get you, but for me I always saw it as Roger’s internal struggle making for a better song than what he’s trying to make, as he puts so much pressure on it to be his “last song” but he doesn’t see that the song he has already is enough. Which is very much like his character haha

[@connor_patrick]

agreed like i should tell you is not the song i skip the song i skip is your eyes i do not like or care about your eyes

[@JMara2000]

I think the point of Your Eyes not being very good is his admission in the song that Mimi was “the song all along.” In other words, he should have focused his attention more on their relationship and loving her than trying to be remembered for one great song he wrote - which he seemingly will never write. It’s his admission that Mimi was right to live for today and appreciate what is already around you. So it doesn’t even matter if the song is good or not. It’s just Roger finally saying he loves her, which ties back to I Should Tell You in which he can’t. Your Eyes is saying, this is all I got, but it doesn’t matter anymore because I’m losing what was actually important and what I should have been living for.

[@walnutsrcool]

@@JMara2000 I appreciate the thought put into this. Not sure I but it, but even if it is true… it’s still a boring and bad song that takes way too long and at such an emotional point in the story I wish it had a better musical pay off

[@whatdoyousuppose]

I was in Legally Blonde as Vivienne forever ago and idk why but all of us singing the “DOG! BAG! PROUD OF BE AMERICAN!” parts in Legally Blonde Remix had such a fun time singing it lol it was just pure unadulterated cheesiness and we just hammed it up every time

[@doro2597]

legally blonde is such a fun fun fun show to be in honestly, i’ve been in it a few times and had a blast every single time. catchy songs too

[@alteregobruh]

I haven’t been in it but it looks like a joy to be in

[@danayy2066]

I've been in Legally blonde as well, it was always the must fun song in the show and I don't even care about how stupid the lyrics might be

[@gail_rose]

I love how how he talks about Jekyll and Hyde's bad lyrics without even mentioning the song Good and Evil. It replaces Bring on the Men in the Broadway version and it's a garbage fire. I'll leave you with these brilliant lyrics: "How do you tell evil from good? Evil does well, good, not so good."

[@shuck5412]

This is one of the main reasons why I hate the Broadway version of this musical. It has a magnificent score, it's my second favorite musical... and yet they replace so many good songs with random, horrible sounding stuff. How does anyone even think of replacing Bring on the Men lmao

[@davidhopkinson6647]

@@shuck5412 When we did this we did Bring on the Men and yeah so so so much better! Maybe because it's just a blatent ripoff of "Those were the days"?

[@hades_town]

@@shuck5412 agree! i JUST watched the filmed version the other day and I was so sad Bring On the Men wasn't in there

[@MrLizestelle]

Ahh what bring on the men is one of my favorite songs from the show even the high school production of it I saw used it ( but did cut out the second verse )

[@KrisztinaH.]

This season, Jekyll and Hyde premiered here in Hungary. Tonight's going to be the 4th time I see it. I listened to both the English and Hungarian versions of the play (English in the Anthony Warlow version). And yeah, in some places the translated lyrics are an improvement XD And of course, the fact that Hungarian is very creative in insults, swearing etc also help, because in the "Facade" has been toned down because parents are bringing their kids and probably complained that 'whore' shouldn't be in a musical :/ And we have 'Bring on the men' the Hungarian title translated into English is 'Needing a man'. It became a bit more explicit in Hungarian about how many men Lucy has had and how easy she is.

[@caseybouldin5000]

In Hamilton it's always bothered me that Hamilton says 'I shoot back we have resorted to eating our horses' when it could so easily be 'I retort we have resorted to eating our horses'. I mean, what a missed opportunity and Lin does so many internal rhymes it astonishes me that he didn't do this one

[@CoachJenW]

I’ve always presumed the word shoot is deliberately used as the character isn’t throwing away his shot but that could just be seeing links that weren’t intended.

[@juliamavroidi8601]

okay, but shooting is also Hamilton's motif throughout the show, so I forgive it

[@estherowl8075]

It's also not enough syllables- it doesn't fit as nicely

[@caseybouldin5000]

@@estherowl8075 it's the same count

[@estherowl8075]

​ @Casey Bouldin idk it doesn't flow as well though does it? "i shoot back" has the emphasis on "i"/"back", "i retort" naturally has emphasis on ""i"/re" but to make it fit the rhythm you'd have to stress "tort" which just sounds weird. lmm knew what he was doing. and as has been mentioned, the "shoot" links into not throwing away my shot, the fact he's in a war, and his impulsiveness.

[@ehoward]

The lyric that always breaks my suspension of disbelief in Mean Girls is when Regina says it's time to "turn and cough". There's no world where a teenage girl is making this reference to a doctor cupping testicles during a hernia exam and directing it at another teenage girl. All I can hear is the middle aged male lyricist.

[@imthebossmermaid3648]

It means she’ll be grabbing Cady by the balls(metaphorically, I hope).

[@kmurphy111]

Ah yes! This vid came up in my algorithm and I clicked on it SPECIFICALLY to address this exact lyric! I haven’t come across anyone else as confounded as I am by this lazy, cringey lyric, but happy to know somebody else out there feels the same! 😅 I judge the entire musical and creative/production team for letting this lyric stay in the show after all this time… it’s so bad. The either don’t know teenage girls or they don’t care.

[@SarahBent]

The only one I disagree with is the Phantom Notes one - I always thought it was to show how flustered the managers were, they couldn't even put together proper sentences anymore.

[@lilliealicea8002]

My favorite kinda awful line is from Dear Evan Hansen- "I learned to slam on the brakes before I even turned the keys." Great metaphor, hilarious because in a lot of cars you literally HAVE to put your foot on the brake in order to start it lmao

[@carr0760]

Presumably he drives an automatic (before keyless start was a thing).

[@lilliealicea8002]

@@carr0760 oh yeah I mean, my car isn't keyless. I just still thought it was funny lol

[@mesasimonson6612]

Omg I had the same thought!

[@Christine-bu2cc]

I always interpreted that as being literally the point 😭 like, as in, we all learn to slam on the brake before we even turn the key.

[@PaniniSteve]

I've never in my life driven a car in which this was the case lol. I believe you, I just didn't know it was a thing.

[@kevindavila625]

I CANNOT STAND “there are so many to deflower” in Hamilton. Makes SO uncomfortable.

[@thelostlunchbox4877]

OMG same its the one line that makes me feel so weird! And the fact that its "looks proximity to power" implies that looks are women's only source of power. I get that its set in the 1800 but dang. Also "Ladies tell your husbands vote for burr!" Is annoying for the same reason somewhat

[@erbrferg]

@@thelostlunchbox4877 I interpreted it as "looks, proximity to power" as in the men admire both the looks of the women and their proximity to power through their male relatives. The Schuyler sisters specifically are noted as important as their father was a General in the American army.

[@erbrferg]

but yeah it is skeevy as hell

[@cjamused7005]

Yes!!! It's the worst

[@Wriley_Katcoff]

Yup, that lyric knocks me right out of the happiness of the song.

[@kittymae335]

For Mean Girls I was sure you were going to bring up "it's like a party with revenge is what it's like"

[@R.444-]

For me it’s always “imagine a party with dresses and cake. And singing and dancing and cake”

[@lina8812]

@@R.444- no cakes just really important

[@conanagain4638]

the mean girls songs are so catchy but the lyrics sound like they were written by a middle schooler

[@julietamr1007]

I was Waiting For the "This Whole School Humps my leg like a chihuahua"

[@prisonmike8473]

For the “has hands” Mean Girls line, “has” actually is grammatically correct! “None” is the subject of that sentence, and because none stands for “not one,” “none” is most often a singular subject, meaning the singular verb “has” would be correct!

[@alices778]

no one talks like that so it sounds wrong lmao

[@prisonmike8473]

@@alices778 dude i know right! It sounds so wrong!!

[@SolarisMusic]

Was hoping someone would mention this-- it actually is grammatically correct, common usage has just been saying it wrong for so long that it seems wrong to hear the right version

[@prisonmike8473]

@@SolarisMusic yes!! I just thought I would comment in defense of “Mean Girls” because the lyric was grammatically correct! I do feel bad for commenting because it does seem a little know-it-all-y, but oh well

[@alteregobruh]

Grammatically correct, but sounds super wrong so does it even matter… Like eww I hate the grammar lmfao

[@TamlinHugo]

One line I absolutely hate from Beetlejuice is, “That is the sound of clean, white shorts turning brown” The rest of That Beautiful Sound slaps though

[@thedestroyasystem]

Oh my god I fucking hate that lyric I don’t listen to that song just for that reason. Very gross. And I get it, Beetlejuice is gross but as far as I’m aware that’s the only “potty” humor in the show so it wouldn’t have been too hard to just… not.

[@eoincampbell1584]

That Legally Blonde lyric is hilarious to me, I always assumed it was just a little moment parodying the type of out of nowhere nationalism that you tend to run into in America.

[@harryfranklin1263]

I always interpreted the Beadle lyric as him slipping up and revealing that he's not quite as well-educated or "refined" as he appears. He and the judge make a big point of looking down on the poor masses of London, but his upper crust pomposity isn't as earned as he thinks it is.

[@OccyDaBoss]

monsieur firmin has always been the more incompetent of the two managers in my books i always imagine him as either slightly drunk or hung over throughout the musical

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

Accurate, tbh 😅

[@OccyDaBoss]

@@MickeyJoTheatre hey, thanks for the heart and reply, loving the channel mate

[@sanityscraps]

Hahaha when I saw Rent was on your list, I was expecting the hated lyric to be "rent rent rent rent rent rent rent"

[@SilverGirlTheFirst]

I played Fiona in Shrek a few years ago and always assumed the “gifted bowler” thing was meant to be a joke that she could only practice the throwing the ball bit of a sport because she was alone in the tower? Where she got all the balls from is another issue though 😂

[@shycolton648]

Plus I've always seen Fiona as having a bit of that "TACOS! XD lol jk I'm just random!" In a very endearing way. So the "very gifted bowler" seems like just a random addition to me. It makes me giggle

[@comradewindowsill4253]

tbh I thought it sounded like one of those things people put in tinder profiles- you know, right next to 'love hiking and long walks on the beach'

[@demetria-n]

It fits well with the Shrek theme too, like a lot of the jokes make no sense in their fantasy world. Like, Donkey goes on a whole rant about parfaits, but there is little to no chance he's ever eaten a parfait.

[@overcommunikate]

Bowl and Catch are from cricket but I think most people interpret the way you did.

[@alexadair447]

I really wished that in Mean Girls they had mentioned the stars in It Roars so it felt more natural when she brought it up later in the show

[@VoidHugger]

Stars really are only a theme in the last act

[@hididdleydee]

‘More is Better’ has a brief ‘I See Stars’ outro “pre-prise”.

[@strangerhamilton8195]

I line I’ve always thought was lazy was in “I’d Rather Be Me” from Mean Girls when Janis says “And if you treat me bad I’ll say you’re bad.”

[@mesasimonson6612]

Yesss me too!

[@conanagain4638]

all the mean girls lyrics are so lazy but the songs are so catchy😭😭

[@callalily3994]

That line has always annoyed me so much.

[@DrewBernstein]

That entire song man I can't listen to it

[@tahaali3424]

@@DrewBernstein it’s SOOOO bad the lyrics are awful I cannot

[@baileybieganek2446]

Another Beetlejuice missed opportunity one that drives me up the wall is in "Barbara 2.0" which is like one of my fav songs from the show: Barbara sings "take it and trash it/burn it and smash it," and I've always felt it should be BREAK it and smash it so it would rhyme with TAKE. That seem like a really obvious option to anyone else?

[@fishsmoothie7463]

That would've been so much better oh my god

[@christopheryoung4563]

Gifted bowler is because they had to rhyme it with Bipolar for an unfunny mental health joke

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

Ain't that the truth.

[@your.local.theaterkid]

sorry i’m late to the replies, but i was thinking the same thing when watching this. the “though i seem a bit bipolar” has never sat right with me. i’ll be honest i do love the rest of the musical though

[@brxzbze]

Honestly the one from Les Misérables where Marius goes ‘Oh God it’s everywhere’ when Éponine gets shot I burst out laughing when he said that and couldn’t stop for most of A Little Fall of Rain. It’s just so awkwardly placed. I generally agree with most choices (especially the Company one, that was painful - at least some of the other ones are funny in a bad way) but I’ll maybe make a lukewarm defence of Notes because I think it’s meant to be a meta- joke about lyrics. Also it shows how flustered the manager is and it always gets a laugh, at least to every production I’ve been to.

[@kateworkman921]

The one that bugs me from Les Mis is when Thenardier and his thugs are going to break into Val Jean's house, and Eponine is trying to stop them and she says she'll scream, and Thenardier says, "One little scream and you'll regret it for a year!" Like, really? They couldn't come up with something better than that?

[@morganbrown710]

You hit Mean Girls right on the head of the nail. The lyrics in that show bug me BEYOND belief. “Like a Lioness but with way less fur, do not mess with her” Like? What is that??? It’s not even catchy it’s just stupid

[@conanagain4638]

the mean girls lyrics sound like they were written by a middle schooler (songs are pretty catchy though)😭

[@georgiamalkin5633]

I mean, I agree on Mean Girls as a whole, but "none of my closest friends even has hands" is technically correct (as none is a contraction of not one, and you'd say one has hands)

[@alexinitalics188]

The big problem I have with Mean Girls which no one brings up is that it feels like the music and lyrics were written... completely separately. The lyricist was given a list of how many lines and syllables they needed and never heard the songs. You can't buy integrity at the mall, it's not for sale - sure, not the best lyric but it's fine, it fits the themes of the show, I guess You can't buy integrity, at the mall it's not for sale - ew. ew ew ew. I couldn't even tell what was being said until I looked at the lyrics

[@danielrobinson7350]

Love Les Miserables, but ‘But the Tigers come at night, with their voices soft as thunder’ is terrible. What does it even mean?

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

That's such a good point, I think that's one of those lyrics I've heard so many times that I just accept it rather than thinking about it! 😂

[@sallyjonesie3886]

Lol, that's what I've always thought! What's interesting is that, in the original French version, I believe it was 'woolves', which makes a bit more sense, as 'tigers' in the plural seems out of place. I think there are a few parts of Les Mis that are somewhat clunky as a result of being sort-of translation. But I still love the show.

[@pharaoh4064]

I’m guessing tigers mean the men (though wolves does seem more fitting) and “soft as thunder could sound quite ominous? Like the calm before the storm or something, storm being the unwilling sex since she’s a prostitute. I’m not entirely sure, I’m just kinda spitballing :)

[@ajmalaika1287]

Maybe because the men are Tigers, predatory, vicious animals coming to attack her but their voices, their words and approach are smooth, soft and "calming" as they try to deceive her.

[@kavyb1730]

The tigers are her problems taking away her dreams. And their voices are not soft at all just like thunder. It’s ironic.

[@WonderfuLife1000]

About "Notes" from The Pahntom, I think that turning the grammar mistake into a joke is actually quite clever. The managers are supposed to be rather comic characters so it fits just right if you ask me. Besides he was so vexed with the whole situation that not thinking too much about grammar at the moment makes sense. What bothers me more is that in Love Never Dies (which is Phantom's sequel so it's supposed to be somewhat coherent with the first show) they did exactly the same thing only in a far more serious song and just left it like that as if nothing happened. The lyric is "I stood while you SLEPT" which is even more cringy that "what is it that we meant to have wrote" but somehow they decided that they don't need to make a joke out of it this time. I just don't get why they would do it! Speaking of ALW's musicals there is also one line that always cracks me up in Jesus Christ Superstar. It's when Jesus says "you Judas" as an insult to Judas xD LOL

[@RB-747]

Isn't 'I stood while you slept' good grammar though?

[@philippatran2745]

@@RB-747 i think it should be “while you were sleeping”

[@RB-747]

@@philippatran2745 I mean I suppose you could use the gerund, but honestly I think that the preterite after while is probably fine. I mean, if you just change while to 'and' you're completely safe

[@kateworkman921]

Lol, I said much the same about the Notes thing, and mentioned two other lyric things in LND that bug the hell outta me. Just gonna copy and paste my comment: "I actually love that Phantom line, because no, the managers aren't meant to be seen as intelligent. And the way that I've always seen it done, and how it sounds in the original soundtrack with Sarah Brighton and Michael Crawford, is that Andre/Firmin (can't remember who says it,) is more challenging in his tone of, "And what is it that we're meant to have wrote?!" Like he can't believe someone would dare accuse them of anything. And then the pause comes and he realizes his error, and it's a rather sheepish, " . . . written," because he hates that he has to correct himself. I'm also surprised nothing from Love Never Dies was in here. There's a couple I can think of that the Phantom sings. One is I think either right before or right after Christine sings the title song, and the Phantom is telling her she's so much better than Raoul thinks, and the line is something like, "You're made of finer stuff." And it's just always hit my ear wrong, because why would the Phantom phrase it like that? He's always been so much more eloquent, and then that line, just saying 'stuff'?? The other one is at the end of the show when he's singing to Meg, and the lines are, "Diamonds never sparkle bright/if they aren't set just right./Beauty sometimes goes unseen,/we can't all be like Christine." It's always bothered me that he sings "aren't" instead of "are not," because it throws off the syllables and once again, just hits the ear wrong."

[@douglasjgallup]

In Rent, the worst lyric by a mile is in "You'll See Boys" where Benny sings "think twice before you poo poo it". I always thought that there must have been a dozen other ways to write that line.

[@PrincessDraculaura]

So glad I’m not the only one who can’t stand this line

[@rachelphillips3305]

When my friend and I were younger and obsessed with Rent, she misheard this lyric as, "think twice before you pull through it," and was like, "WTF does that mean???" I explained, "he's saying, 'think twice before you poo-poo it.'" She waited a beat, let that sink in, then responded, "OK, so WTF does THAT mean???"

[@EmmaThw]

my friends and I always sing it "think twice before you ruin it" because of how much I hate that line honestly

[@calliemyersbuchanan6458]

It never registered as weird to me because my gramama always said it like with a new food she'd say "oh, now common, don't you go poo-pooing it before you even try it!"

[@QuikVidGuy]

@@EmmaThw before you dismiss it, before you say it sucks

[@sofiemm992]

Webber’s Love Never Dies (aka Phantom 2) . The whole show is one bad lyric… but if I have to choose, it would be the dramatic and iconic “Ten years oooooooooooold!” I love the original TPotO so much, maybe that is why I can’t deal with LND…

[@FrenkTheJoy]

The whole "And I held you!" "And I touched you!" "And I caressed you!" "And I whatevered you!" exchange is maybe the worst exchange I've ever heard in a musical. They're both just screaming variations of the same line at each other.

[@LittleMissLion]

I love how they rewrote it, only for some of the rewrites to come out even worse. 🤣

[@declanelsholtz9673]

now that Diana the musical is out I propose "Harry my Ginger Haired son"

[@marinettedorien8236]

All of Diana. The musical, but especially jems like ‘Harry my ginger haired son’ and ‘better than a Guinness, better than a wank’

[@Chlo255]

How about for a start, don't act like a tart, Diana!

[@bobbyjayjohnson3460]

My least favorite line in Mean Girls is in Sexy when Karen says “I could be a sexy doctor and cure some sexy cancer”, good GOD this leaves a horrible taste in my mouth considering I’ve lost a family member to cancer. And Karen tries to fix it two more times which doesn’t even work. I don’t think Karen was ever this dumb in the movie like she was in the musical.

[@klosux]

for reaaalll, both of the karens were written as like the dumb character but karen in the movie was still funny because she wasnt overdoing it unlike karen in the musical

[@serenitymoon825]

Karen in the movie thinks her boobs can predict weather that's already happening and she calls it ESPN when she obviously means ESP. are you sure they're overdoing it?

[@andresmaldonado8935]

They should kept the original “that’s not right is it” joke about Karen wanting to kiss her cousin

[@MattHarropActor]

The ‘manager’ says the wrong thing because he’s annoyed with Roaul and in a moment of anger says the wrong word. The manager gets a laugh. The manager is happy. 😊

[@ameliasolomon5129]

"it's a thrilla in manilla but with diana and camilla" took the cake for me ngl

[@poetrymafia27]

ohh my god, everything i hear about this musical is worse and worse

[@hospitalgal101]

I can't explain why, the Last Supper song very soothing, like the fact that it's right before the Garden of Gethsemane when they fall asleep, they're all getting drunk, they know something is about to happen to the guy they've been following for years and they're airing just, among friends. But that's just my two cents, dislike away

[@niboswaldbrattoni]

How on earth did you miss the grating moment in Les Miserables 'Castle On A Cloud' when they sing "There is a room that's filled with toys / There are a hundred boys and girls"?!

[@scrypticism]

I feel like a lot of these were intentional to make a point about the character, but you're definitely right about some of these.

[@pandasareawesome4813]

In defense of the “that makes it murders three and four”, it is the crowd spreading the rumor. You need to get the feeling that the murders are whipping the city into a frenzy, and news of the murders being spread across stage gives you that feel. And “requires a lot of balls” made me laugh really hard the first time I heard it.

[@mollyjoy6677]

“If this isn’t the song you skip on the rent motion picture sound recording you are lying to yourself.” I literally cackled I have never heard truth spoken so plainly 😂

[@Minkstars2023]

I love this song aaaaa

[@cjamused7005]

@@Minkstars2023 I do too. I like the slow nervous build of it

[@isabellagiardini3706]

@@cjamused7005 ME TOO

[@doodle7342]

I think the Macbeth part was supposed to be the turning point in Hamilton's luck. After he says Macbeth his life starts going downhill.

[@thomasgolden4537]

“What I choose to do is decided by me” oh Jekyll and Hyde. So gloriously clunky and yet so phenomenal.

[@vwdiver512]

That's another case of using extra words to fit the music.

[@kateworkman921]

I like this one. It perfectly fits with the mindset of men of the time. A more independently minded woman wouldn't have been very accepted back then, and it very much would have been manipulated that, "Well, my dear, don't you agree that this is best for you?" while she really had no control over things, but had to go along with what the men in her life chose for her. This line is pretty much saying, "I don't care what men want to manipulate me into, I'll decide what's best for me, regardless of their thoughts."

[@shuck5412]

Yeah this one actually makes sense in the moment, even though it does sound a little strange. Here, Lisa has to very clearly state that she can decide what she wants, since she is arguing with Simon, who is trying to convince her that he would be a better man for her than Jekyll. So her saying this underlines her decision and stance on not just doing what men tell her to, but following her own will. And a similar line comes back at the end of the energy-filled part of the song, with "That's how things are, will always be; you had your chance, sir, with me" so it serves as a setup for the main message and information in the song.

[@lilliealicea8002]

I think the "She not nice" phrase from Mean Girls is actually how a lot of people (at least here in Chicago/the US in general) talk (especially the younger people)

[@miranda_turtle0566]

I'm a young person in the US and I've never heard anyone talk like that

[@lilliealicea8002]

@@miranda_turtle0566 That's how everyone at my highschool in the Chicago area spoke like lmao

[@mediocremyles8969]

I saw an interview where they said it was an inside joke or something like that

[@pseudonymous9153]

It's AAVE which is also copied by problematic white kids

[@FrenkTheJoy]

Doesn't the song "(Not) Getting Married Today" basically not make sense when it's about a gay couple? I mean mostly the negative parts like "husband yoked to wife", like Amy's whole freakout is because getting married is scary and a "prehistorical ritual" and the whole historical implication of a woman basically becoming a wife and not being her own person anymore once she get married? So having the song be about two guys getting married kind of takes the punch out of it? Even if it was two women so more of the lyrics would make sense ("My happily soon to be wife" would stay unchanged, for instance) it would still not really make sense since there's, you know, not much in history of the wife in a gay couple being expected to be The Wife and loser her identity as a result??

[@char1211]

I think the main reason they changed Amy to Jamie is because they wanted all of Bobbie's potential partners to be men, not because they wanted to feature a gay couple. That production explores what the story is like with a female lead and what societal pressures a single woman faces so weakening the premise of one song for a side character isn't that big of a deal

[@davidhopkinson6647]

With it being a gay couple and gay marriage only being legal in the last few years I think it gives the song a completely new meaning and subtext. Saw the gender swapped version on Broadway a few months ago and loved every second.

[@dannyh_music]

????? I mean, yeah, they'd have to change the "husband yoked to wife" part, but Amy says verbatim, "I mean we'll both of us be losing our identities"...

[@agnessofiacastrocarvalho774]

@@davidhopkinson6647 wich new meaning and subtext?

[@pseudonymous9153]

​​​@@agnessofiacastrocarvalho774being pressured to get married because it's a political victory rather than because you want to; feeling rushed ymto get married while you still can; having to actually reckon with whether or not you even want marriage when it'd previously been out of mind because it was out of the question anyway; and the idea that marriage is an archaic "hetero" institution and "queer" people should be more "liberated" than that and marriage is only a way to appear more "normal" and palatable to straight society and doing anything "traditional" is a rejection of your "queer" identity.

[@rfrolicarts]

Mean Girls lyrics only work if you buy the headcanon that it was meant to have been written by the high school students.

[@hansi6119]

Oh I gotta disagree about Notes; the little joke there is supposed to show how flustered Firmin is. Yes, he is intelligent and wouldn't normally make that mistake, but it isn't a normal situation and I think it serves to further our understanding of the character's temperament.

[@hrududu1690]

My absolute favourite bad lyric comes from Facade, also from Jekyll and Hyde. It’s gotten to the point that whenever it comes up in my playlist I almost become gleeful. How many words can you rhyme with “facade”? Listen to this song and you’ll hear them all. Grease your hair with pomade. You’ll be held in regard. They’ll all say your a card. Gloriously awful and always iconic.

[@mesasimonson6612]

We love the use of accents to rhyme words that wouldn’t normally rhyme-like courtier and sincere

[@GayLoveKicksAss]

@@mesasimonson6612 My favorite of that is from Hamilton: "I dream of life without the monarchy, the unrest will lead to anarchy - anarchy, how you say, oh anarchy! I make the other side panicky..."

[@FrenkTheJoy]

I think that Shrek line was a double meaning of Fiona being wacky and endearing and it also being a *cricket* reference. Catchers and bowlers are cricket positions.

[@MissFiono]

I always assumed it was an unsubtle attempt to rhyme with “bipolar” and make a joke, a bit like “populer…lar”

[@imthebossmermaid3648]

@MissFiono Except that line was actually good.

[@Chishannicon]

I got all the way to Number 1 thinking "Why hasn't he included anything from Jekyll & Hyde???" You definitely redeemed yourself there.

[@tylerbond5282]

Diane the Musical “That’s what I get for marrying a scorpio”

[@ItsWayMoreThanMusic]

I was thinking of that too!

[@jasminetaylor9044]

My fave will always be from Diana the musical: "better than a guiness, better than a wank"

[@geekgirl06]

I always thought the Bowling joke was due to the fact that it’s a sport you can play completely by yourself in a tower, establishing that she’s alone, but also strong

[@xlilactressx]

Yeah, I thought this too. Like, I have to be both roles in the game. I'm literally playing myself

[@irvyne6111]

Let’s be honest. The only reason that line is there is because they couldn’t get anything else to rhyme with bipolar. It’s a stupid line that makes no sense and isn’t referenced anywhere else in the show.

[@alteregobruh]

It’s only to rhyme with the lyric making light of a mental disorder, it doesn’t mean anything other than that. Also where tf did she learn to bowl- her tower isn’t wide or long enough to bowl, what’s she do, Wii bowling??

[@niboswaldbrattoni]

There is a notable semantic difference between saying The Name Of The Play and naming the titular character of said play.

[@Maerahn]

As a lyricist who's wriiten lyrics for two full-length musicals, I can agree with some of these. Quite a few points you brought up, I was like "YESSS!" (I'm mostly happy with lyrics I've written, but I'm not gonna lie - there are others that make my toes curl and I think "Girl, what were you THINKING?")

[@florencekitchen7878]

You’re a GCSE maths teacher! Omggg! I’d love to have you teaching me for GCSE😂

[@SenorVilla]

I'm not sure The Greatest Showman counts as musical theater, but I cannot hear the line "like a zombie in a maze" without cringing so hard! It's such a specific combination of stuff that isn't related to each other. Why would anyone say that lyric? Why would someone say it IN THE 1800S!!!???

[@maddiegaede5786]

My most hated lyric is from the song "It's Time to Dance" from The Prom. You have this wonderful build up at the end, long notes holding out, then at the last beat they yell "It's time to dance!" And I think it is so cheesy it breaks the emotional buildup. I know the whole show is cheesy but that last song is so genuine that it angers me how they have to throw in one last remark

[@JMara2000]

“I Should Tell You”… I get what you’re saying. And I used to skip it too. But then the bridge hooked me, and the more I listened to it and thought about it, I at least think I understood it better. It’s like a moment for them where time is standing still. Here you have this party of La Vie Boheme going on, but they are off in their own world trying to figure out what is going on between them. And the admittedly goofy phrasing in the song indicates that awkward conversation when there appears to be more going on between two people who just met. They are both on eggshells trying not to say the wrong thing. Really they both want to say they love the other, but it’s like, less than 3 hours since they met. So it’s weird. They don’t want to lay everything on the table, but it’s obvious they are falling for each other. When I think of it that way, I actually really appreciate the song.

[@LenaHall]

I just found your channel and I am laughing so hard at this!

[@aliegan2109]

When Firmin says the wrong word in Notes it’s because he’s flustered and stressed. I think it’s funny. I can’t take this Last Supper slander lol

[@FrenkTheJoy]

I don't even get his issue with the Last Supper. It's a stupid lyric because they... want to be talked about when they've died? It's not the smoothest, most clever line out there, but it's great because it just adds another jab to the issues Jesus is having (that his apostles are focused on being famous even after they're dead rather than on the ministry, while he's grappling with his own impending death). There are so many other ALW shows with worse lyrics out there.

[@TheSquirrelQueen]

1. oh my god the lyrics in Mean Girls piss me off so much they don't make SENSE 2. "find the bad guy push him aside/then move on forward with your friend at your side" - Two Player Game - Be More Chill WHY IS ASIDE RHYMED WITH SIDE IT'S BASICALLY THE SAME WORD

[@oldvlognewtricks]

Identity rhymes are a blight

[@gracehickey9719]

I was in Jekyll and Hyde and I shed a tear singing "requires a lot of balls"

[@bradymannion4344]

It has always annoyed me in Next to Normal during I am the One(Reprise) when Gabe sings "But you've always known who I am". And it's like AHHHH the grammar is killing me

[@ArbytheStrawberry]

“Smell how gangsta you are” -Yo Girl from Heathers Somehow my favorite part of that song

[@onetallpheeesh]

I was just in Jekyll and Hyde as the lead and it was the best time of my life. That lyric is funny and we had fun with it but I get what you mean, even though I think it's far from the worst lyric of all time lol

[@williamcatala154]

"It's like a party with revenge is what it's like" from Mean Girls

[@e.m.tanner179]

Mickey Jo - Good lyrics or bad lyrics, you had me in stitches with your comic commentary. I love your channel and think you're adorable! Hugs from across the pond.

[@harri6399]

For me "To kill outside St. Paul's Requires a lotta balls!" is such a terrible lyric that I cant even be mad at it. Its just like wow that's so terrible its kinda almost great??? Notes is one of my favourite songs from Phantom too

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

I mean you absolutely have to respect its audacity you're not wrong.

[@jakecannon7610]

Just to throw this out there regarding the reinterpreted Company - Sondheim basically gave "approval" to the lyric changes that were presented to him, I don’t think he was the one making the edits.

[@li.theo.4]

That Legally Blonde lyric always felt very uninspired out of place to me, but I’m so taken aback to realize it wasn’t changed for the London production (nor, I’m assuming, in any others). I’m pretty certain it’s a reference to the chorus of “God Bless the USA,” a song which saw huge popularity in the early 2000s, but you’re absolutely right; it doesn’t fit the context at all. It’s wild to me that the team behind LB changed so much for the UK production, like completely rewriting “Ireland” to adapt to the vastly different perceptions of Ireland in the US and UK, while seemingly not addressing the vastly different perceptions of the US itself. 💀

[@li.theo.4]

…And yeah, that song has been a propaganda staple since its release. It was played at the Republican National Convention the year it was released, it’s a mainstay of choirs and bands, and more recently, Trump used it as a campaign song before and during his presidency. I get that patriotism was particularly high at the time of the show’s production, but… why oh why is it in Legally Blonde :|

[@alteregobruh]

I think it’s more poking fun at the typical American stereotype of “USA! USA! USA!” Yk? As an American, it doesn’t feel serious, it very much so feel like it’s joking around. There’s a quite a few people here who ARE like that, don’t get me wrong, but you’ll have an easier time finding people here who openly laugh at those types of people. I don’t even understand putting up a flag of our country lol… The people who chant USA are people who think it’s the best country lol… Can’t relate. I don’t think there is a best country, but even if there is, it definitely isn’t here. TLDR; That lyric is poking fun at the “AMERICA! WHOOP WHOOP!” people, most Americans do. If they aren’t, they are one of them haha

[@Caio0_057]

Isn't that line in "Ladies in their Sensitivities" supposed to be bullsh*t? Isn't the point of that lyric to show how the Beadle tries to seem much more smart and educated than he actually is? Also, like, the f-ing triple rhyme, I mean Meaning no offense it Happens they resents it Ladies in their sensit- -ivities my lord. I mean that's brilliant.

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

See I LOVE a triple rhyme (as does Sondheim), but I really don't think it justifies this, it's not only that the word is uncharacteristic, it's not accurate slang, I don't know any accent or class background in London that would say 'they resents it'. Then again, it's possible I'm taking it too seriously...

[@Caio0_057]

@@MickeyJoTheatre I get what you mean and it is definitely not the best lyric Sondheim has ever written, but personally, I like the rhyme too much to rlly care. (Also I'm not British, so I have some lacking knowledge when it comes to different slang and dialects) It is interesting though, that he went with this rhyme, because there are a lot more words that end in ens/ence/ents that he could have used, so he must have had a good reason to have chosen it. (also because it's Sondheim)

[@keltzy]

The King and I has a few that I can't stand, though I really just am not a fan of the show in general. From 'Hello Young Lovers,' we've got the line "Don't cry young lovers whatever you do. Don't cry because I'm alone." Like, they just met you Anna, and they've got some pretty heavy things to worry about already. I don't think they were crying for your lonliness. And then 'Getting to Know You' gives us the line "Putting it my way, but nicely," which just makes Anna sound incredibly patronizing. Not a fan.

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

Agree completely on both! 😂

[@KateSullivanCoombs]

“None” would call for the singular “has.” It’s just that so few people say it correctly; it sounds a bit wrong to most ears. Breaking up “none” into “no one” helps. It seems obvious when you think of it as “no one has…” But I agree with the rest of it.

[@matthew7887]

Hamilton says macbeth when referring to the character rather than the play which I believe isn't bad luck?

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

Oh is THAT the reason? Does that mean the Theatre Ghosts will only haunt you if they hear the word Macbeth in a specific context? 😂

[@matthew7887]

@@MickeyJoTheatre the theatre ghosts know what they're doing obviously 😂🙄

[@BeckyandAisling]

I thought this too! Glad I’m not the only one 😂

[@steviebumbletea]

That is correct!

[@hmped]

"Imagine a party with dresses and cake" (already kind of weird but ok) "and singing and dancing... and cake."

[@scarlettclose]

The not only are those lyrics in the last supper completely weird, but tone of that section of the song clashes so randomly and badly with the angsty confrontation either side of it and it hurts my soul 😂

[@danielrobinson7350]

Scarlett Close definite weird clash. Personally prefer the chorus bit of that song to the other bit, but the Webber/Rice collaborations are full of strange bits where the music, lyrics, tone and plot are on different pages.

[@maryotrembiak5532]

Spring Awakening- Touch Me- "Touch me, just like that. Now lower-Where the sins lie"

[@islanangle1404]

You're not weird for liking Notes! I love Notes! Then again, any song with Raoul in I love.

[@_beau.mont_4381]

Notes was one of my first favorite songs I love songs where they have overlapping lyrics

[@1106gary]

My pet peeve is in Les Mes at the beginning of Bring Him Home when Val Jean who spent 20 years in prison for a loaf of bread calls on God "In my need you have always been there."

[@sashamoore8489]

"Trapped in a terrifying viper pit of diapers and regret" is an example of assonance, which is words that kind of sound the same in one line. It does not have the same effect as say alliteration or rhyming, but it is effective

[@adinom687]

I hate the lyric “C-C-C-Come on, C-C-C-Come on, go go!” from Be More Chill, I don’t think it would annoy me as much if the whole musical didn’t end with it.

[@lunamothh1964]

Same it feels over used

[@healthyholemealbread]

I hate the mean girls lyrics too. The two lyrics I dislike the most come in the same song but I’ve forgotten the name. The first is ‘and being Kenyan, he ran fast’ - do👏better 👏 Then the second is something along the lines of ‘I like maths, cos maths is real’ - for someone who claims to be a maths whiz she comes across as so basic when she says that line.

[@healthyholemealbread]

@Curly-n-Girly I think it's lazy lyric writing

[@joshuareubens362]

Imagine thinking I Should Tell You is one of the worst lyrics of all time when the same musical contains the song Your Eyes, a song that almost seems to be arguing against the bohemian lifestyle by showing us that some people really shouldn't be trying to do creative works.

[@callalily3994]

The song he sings *about* the song he wants to write is so much better than the song he actually writes.

[@kandyjo]

I don’t know what it is about ALW collaborating with semi-awful lyricists. Both Sunset Boulevard and Trashpects of Love are absolute trainwrecks of terrible lyrics, both having Don Black to blame. “Love, love changes everything, hands and faces, earth and sky.” Right out of the gate I’m annoyed.

[@Wriley_Katcoff]

I know they are not stage musicals, but nearly every song in the three descendents movies has cringy lyrics. "Ruthless. Yes Ruthless. That's nice!" "I'll serve you right here, and I don't need a reservation." "Hook me" To name a few.