Wicked Lyrics and Song Stories -
"Dancing Through Life"
Lyrics are also included with the Grammy winning Wicked CD - original Broadway cast recording for the musical Wicked: $13.49 (List price $18.98). Amazon.com - Wicked CD [new browser window] (Wicked soundtrack) . [In Europe: Wicked - Amazon UK]
Buy sheet music for "Dancing Through Life" and other Wicked songs - Now available by instant download as well as print: Wicked Songbooks details
Q and A with Stephen Schwartz
Q: The lyrics to "Dancing Through Life" do seem to me superior to the old "Which way's the party?" but I was wondering what prompted the change. Were you never really satisfied with "Which way's the party?" to begin with, or did something in particular inspire you to rewrite the song?
A: I began to feel that the song needed to be more clearly a statement of Fiyero's philosophy of life. "Which Way's the Party?" seemed to be functioning simply as an "up number", without really defining the character as much as I hoped it would. So I made the subtext of "Which Way's the Party" the text of "Dancing Through Life". I also tried to write a number that would fit better on the actor playing Fiyero, Norbert Leo Butz, both in its musical style and its
lyric content.
Read more about the two versions of songs for Fiyero and the whole, fascinating Wicked development story in the Stephen Schwartz biography Defying Gravity.
Lyrics from the Broadway Musical Wicked
"Dancing Through Life"
music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
(Copyright by Stephen Schwartz. Used with permission.)
Fiyero
The trouble with schools is
They always try to teach the wrong lesson
Believe me, I've been kicked out
Of enough of them to know
They want you to become less callow
Less shallow
But I say: why invite stress in?
Stop studying strife
And learn to live "the unexamined life"...
Dancing through life
Skimming the surface
Gliding where turf is smooth
Life's more painless
For the brainless
Why think too hard?
When it's so soothing
Dancing through life
No need to tough it
When you can sluff it off as I do
Nothing matters
But knowing nothing matters
It's just life
So keep dancing through...
Dancing through life
Swaying and sweeping
And always keeping cool
Life is faught less
When you're thoughtless
Those who don't try
Never look foolish
Dancing through life
Mindless and careless
Make sure you're where less
Trouble is rife
Woes are fleeting
Blows are glancing
When you're dancing
Through life...
So—what's the most swankified place in town?
Galinda
That would be the Ozdust Ballroom.
Fiyero
Sounds perfect.
Let's go down to the Ozdust Ballroom
We'll meet there later tonight
We can dance till it's light
Find the prettiest girl...
Give her a whirl
Right on down to the Ozdust Ballroom
Come on—Follow me
You'll be happy to be there...
Students
Dancing Through Life
Down at the Ozdust...
Fiyero
If only because dust
Is what we come to
Students
Nothing matters
But knowing nothing matters
It's just life...
Fiyero
So keep dancing through...
Boq
Miss Galinda—I hope you'll save at least one dance for me. I'll be right here. Waiting. All night.
Galinda
Oh—that's so kind. But you know what would be even kinder?
See that tragic'ly beautiful girl
The one in the chair
Iit seems so unfair
We should go on a spree
And not she
Gee—
I know someone would be my hero
If that someone were
To go invite her...
Boq
Well maybe, I could invite her?
Galinda
Oh, Bick, really?
You would do that for me?
Boq
I would do anything for you Miss Galinda.
Galinda
So...
Fiyero
So I'll be picking youup around eight?
Galinda
After all—
Now that we've met one another
Galinda & Fiyero
It's clear we deserve each other
Galinda
You're perfect...
Fiyero
You're perfect...
Galinda & Fiyero
So we're perfect together
Born to be forever...
Dancing Through Life...
Nessarose
Oh, Elphaba—Isn't it wonderful?
Fin'lly for this one night
I'm about to have a fun night
With this Munchkin boy
Galinda found for me
And I only wish there were
Something I could do for her
To repay her
Elphaba, see
We deserve each other
And Galinda helped it come true
We deserve each other
Me and Boq -
Elphaba, please try to understand.
Elphaba
I do...
Galinda, listen. Nessa and I were talking about you just now.
Galinda
And I was just talking about you. I thought you might want to wear this hat to the party tonight!
It's really—uh—sharp
Don't you think?
You know—black is this year's pink
You deserve each other
This hat and you
You're both so smart
You deserve each other
So here
Out of the goodness of my heart
Boq
Listen—Nessa—
Nessarose
Yes?
Boq
Uh, Nessa.
I've got something to confess, a
Reason why, well—
Why I asked you here tonight
Now I know it isn't fair...
Nessarose
Oh, Boq. I know why.
Boq
You do?
Nessarose
It's because I'm in this chair
And you felt sorry for me
Well—isn't that right?
Boq
No! no! It's because...because...
Because you are so beautiful
Nessarose
Oh, Boq! I think you're wonderful!
And we deserve each other
Don't you see, this is our chance?
We deserve each other
Don't we, Boq?
Boq
You know what?
Let's dance!
Nessarose
What?
Boq
Let's Dance!
Students
Dancing Through Life
Down at the Ozdust
If only because dust
Is what we come to
And the strange thing:
You're life could up changing
While you're dancing
Through!
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