Favorite 'I want' song in a musical- Page 2

[Danielle87]

Posted: 7/29/08 at 2:39pm

Good Morning Baltimore in Hairspray.

[Dancin Thru Life]

Posted: 7/29/08 at 2:55pm

The King of All "I WANT" Songs?

"SOMETHING'S COMING" from West Side Story!

:)

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/29/08 at 3:21pm

"Much More" from The Fantasticks
"The Beauty Is" from LitP
"Waiting for Life" from Once On This island
"Green Finch and Linnet Bird" from Sweeney, if you count it
"Purpose" from Avenue Q
"I Need to Know" from JaH
"The Movie in My Mind" from Miss Saigon (does that count?)
"Breathe" from In the Heights (not sure about this one either)
"Something's Coming" from WSS

[xxnewgirlxx]

Posted: 7/29/08 at 3:26pm

"Great Big Stuff"-Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

[Bryan With A Why]

Posted: 7/29/08 at 3:29pm

Damn, Spork beat me to "Much More!"
Also have to 2nd (or 89th, I lost count) "Somewhere That's Green" and "Out There" as some of the best.
And yes, Spork, "The Movie in My Mind" definitely counts.
I'll add:
"Is Anybody There" from 1776. (I know "Piddle, Twiddle..." is technically the "I Want" number in terms of placement, but this is basically the same idea with much more power!)
"Can't Be Bothered Now" and "Someone to Watch Over Me" from Crazy for You

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/29/08 at 3:45pm

I wouldn't say it is one of my favorites, but "The Music and the Mirror" from Chorus Line.

[Broadwayboy2631]

Posted: 7/29/08 at 3:45pm

"I Want it All" from Baby.

[Chance]

Posted: 7/29/08 at 4:04pm

OMG I completely forgot "I Just Wanna Dance" from Jerry Springer.

Who Will Love Me As I Am


Guido's Song

Gonna Pass Me a Law from Caroline, or Change is an interesting one.


I Wish I Could Go Back To College makes my eyes water every time i listen to it.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 8/25/17 at 11:09pm

Reviving this old thread, there's been some wonderful "I want" songs from recent musicals:

DEH: "Waving Through a Window" - classic "I Want" song. In one song Evan sings about his loneliness, how he wants to be less lonely, more accepted, etc.

Waitress: "What Baking Can Do" - again, Jenna dreaming of a better life and thinking that baking pies will take her to this magical place. 

Hamilton - "My Shot." Again, we learn about Hamilton's personality, his dreams, what drives him, all in one song.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 8/25/17 at 11:59pm

I think it's hard to beat the triple play of "Now"/"Soon"/"Later". (And "Something's Coming" and "Some People" are also classics. Sondheim really knows how to do this sort of song when the show needs it.)

But the irony of Audrey singing she wants to go "Somewhere That's Green" and then getting there in the manner she does is delicious. When Ellen Greene was playing the role, it was almost too much. LOL.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 8/26/17 at 12:07am

GavestonPS said: "I think it's hard to beat the triple play of "Now"/"Soon"/"Later". (And "Something's Coming" and "Some People" are also classics. Sondheim really knows how to do this sort of song when the show needs it.)

But the irony of Audrey singing she wants to go "Somewhere That's Green" and then getting there in the manner she does is delicious. When Ellen Greene was playing the role, it was almost too much. LOL.

 

"

Another great "I Want" song from Stephen Sondheim is "Worst Pies in London." We learn about Mrs. Lovett, how much she craves human contact in the way of customers, and how this eagerness supersedes any desire to actually make her pies taste better. 

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 8/26/17 at 12:57am

Danielle87 said: "Good Morning Baltimore in Hairspray."

 

I don't think of GMB as an "I Want" song. Tracey is illustrating a typical day in her hometown and what life is like then. An I Want song needs to propel the story by giving the characters something to aspire to and the audience something to engage them in the arc of the musical. 

I think I Can Hear the Bells is Hairslray's I Want song, since Tracey is sharing her fantasies and dreams for a future life with Link. 

A runner-up would be Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now, since Tracey, Penny, and Amber challenge their mothers in attempts to break away and grow up following a path they want to define for themselves. (As an aside Mama... is also my favorite song in the show. I love the way three separate girls -- particularly the main protagonist and antagonist -- have lots more in common than their public rivalry lets them show.) 

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 8/26/17 at 1:15am

Good Morning Baltimore is 1000 percent an I Want song.

She sings about "I know there's a place where I belong"

"Someday the world's gonna wake up and see, Baltimore and me"

"My ma tells me no, but my feet tell me go"

She states very clearly her intention, her want throughout the entire song.

 

also surprised no one has mentioned Wizard and I.

And isn't Somewhere Over the Rainbow the greatest I Want song of all time?

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 8/26/17 at 7:09am

I was more talking recent musicals, but yes, "Over the Rainbow" is the greatest "I want" song of all time. Some other classics:

- "Wouldn't it be Loverly" 

- "If I Were a Rich Man" 

- "Something's Coming"

- "Lonely Town"

- "A Puzzlement" 

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 8/26/17 at 8:03am

I never thought of it before as an "I Want" song, but the amazing "Wig In a Box" from Hedwig and the Angry Inch seems to qualify as one. It's definitely one of my all-time favorites.

[schubox]

Posted: 8/26/17 at 9:11am

poisonivy2 said: "Reviving this old thread, there's been some wonderful "I want" songs from recent musicals:

DEH: "Waving Through a Window" - classic "I Want" song. In one song Evan sings about his loneliness, how he wants to be less lonely, more accepted, etc

"

Where in the song does he say he wants to be less lonely and more accepted? The song is him describing his loneliness and wondering if anyone even notices. I guess he does wonder if it will change. Maybe it's a passive I Want song, it that exists 

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 8/26/17 at 10:57am

schubox said: "poisonivy2 said: "Reviving this old thread, there's been some wonderful "I want" songs from recent musicals:

DEH: "Waving Through a Window" - classic "I Want" song. In one song Evan sings about his loneliness, how he wants to be less lonely, more accepted, etc

"

Where in the song does he say he wants to be less lonely and more accepted? The song is him describing his loneliness and wondering if anyone even notices. I guess he does wonder if it will change. Maybe it's a passive I Want song, it that exists 

"

On the outside, always looking in
Will I ever be more than I've always been?
'Cause I'm tap, tap, tapping on the glass
Waving through a window
I try to speak, but nobody can hear
So I wait around for an answer to appear
While I'm watch, watch, watching people pass
Waving through a window, oh
Can anybody see, is anybody waving?

He wants to be seen and to be heard. For me that's a pretty classic "I want" song wish.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 8/26/17 at 11:32am

Also surprised "The Wizard and I" hasn't been mentioned more on here. That's like the absolute gold standard of an "I want" song, followed closely by "My Shot."

[Auggie27]

Posted: 8/26/17 at 11:37am

Odd, people assuming any song with an expressed wish is "I Want."  "I Want" songs are defined thus by placement, i.e. in craft terms entirely structural, generally the second song in a show in which the protagonist voices his or her goal.  "I Want" songs are not in act two. 

But it's not my opinion. Read Stephen Schwartz or Jack Viertel's "Secret Life of the American Musical."

Updated On: 8/26/17 at 11:37 AM

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 8/26/17 at 11:37am

"You and Me (But Mostly Me)" is another classic I Want song. Or rather, an "I Want" duet.

[ChangingMyMajor]

Posted: 8/26/17 at 12:37pm

I'm a little surprised that no one has mentioned "My Friends" from Sweeney Todd. It is a little late in the show, but it seems like more of a clear want that Worst Pies in London provides. 

In addition, I completely agree that "I Miss the Mountains" is a gorgeous song, and is definitely the I want song for Diana's character, but "Everything Else" also fits the I want song label, and its' place in the show is where the I want songs go in a classic broadway show structure.

[Itonlytakesajourney]

Posted: 8/26/17 at 12:46pm

Good Morning Baltimore- The absolute golden standard for 'I want' songs. 

Ribbons Down My Back- An absolutely gorgeous melody with simple yet sweet lyrics. Every singer who sings it always finds a way to make it their own, and make it sound pretty as well.

WTAW- Another really good recent one. 

Journey to the Past- Want a way to make me feel excited and nostalgic? Play this. 

Gimme Gimme- Do I need to explain? A grand, fun melody, good lyrics; you need a serious belt to sing this correctly.

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 8/26/17 at 12:50pm

rattleNwoolypenguin said: "Good Morning Baltimore is 1000 percent an I Want song.

She sings about "I know there's a place where I belong"
"Someday the world's gonna wake up and see, Baltimore and me"
"My ma tells me no, but my feet tell me go"
She states very clearly her intention, her want throughout the entire song."

Ok, thanks for this, I can see it now. 

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 8/26/17 at 1:01pm

VICTOR/VICTORIA

If I Were a Man is the obvious choice, it has the emotional longing and it's placed at the right place in the show. But Victoria doesn't want to be a man, that's not the point of the show. She only sings about it when Toddy suggests it. 

Would Trust Me be the I Want? Toddy devises the plan and tells how they'll be when Victoria is a successful star. 

Or maybe Man is Victoria's IW and Trust is Toddy's. 

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 8/26/17 at 1:01pm

Updated On: 8/26/17 at 01:01 PM