Showtunes About What It Means to Be American

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 10:10am

Loving the thread about immigration showtunes, and I grew curious about the extensiveness of musical theatre songs that deal strictly with "Americanness," what characters feel it means to be American, or visions for America... things along those lines.

[Kad]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 10:14am

"Another National Anthem" - Assassins

[tazber]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 10:17am

Kad said: ""Another National Anthem" - Assassins

 

"

I was just going to mention Something Just Broke.

[Kad]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 10:24am

I actually find it rather difficult to think of showtunes specifically about being American.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 10:26am

For some reason the first thing in my head was "The House We Live In". Just the image of Edie marching with that flag.

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 10:29am

Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve

[Oak2]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 10:33am

Pretty much anything by George M. Cohan.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 11:02am

How Can You Tell An American?  KNICKERBOCKER HOLIDAY


 

[hork]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 11:26am

"American Idiot"

"What You Own"

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 1:25pm

madbrian said: "Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve

"

I was thinking "Cool, Considerate Men" or "Egg" as well.

Also second anything from George M.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 2:29pm

At least half of the songs in Ragtine deal with one aspect of another in American history - sung from various perspectives. 

Updated On: 8/19/16 at 02:29 PM

[jessepp]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 3:18pm

"Stars of Glory" from The Selling of the President

[philly03]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 3:21pm

"Wheels of a Dream" - Ragtime

"The Honor of Your Name" - Civil War

"Virginia" - Civil War

 

[bryan2]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 4:52pm

Greenhorns   from RAGS

[Shaunthedog]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 7:09pm

delete

Updated On: 8/19/16 at 07:09 PM

[pushdabutton]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 8:43pm

Ragtime is the first that came to mind. I still love that cast recording and listen to it occasionally.

[sng]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 9:15pm

It sucks to be me

[MichelleCraig]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 9:46pm

Well, I remember going to the Gershwin, late winter of 2002, to see the revival of "Oklahoma!"... The show was great and it was about as American as Apple pie.

What struck and hit me the hardest was something that happened as I was leaving the theater. I remember coming down the escalator and seeing the following emblazoned atop the exit doors for the entire width of the lobby: "We Know We Belong to the Land, and the Land We Belong To is Grand!" 

This was less than six months after 9/11 and I saw that I was far from the only person that experienced a gut-punch right then and there. I will never forget it.

[Alexander Lamar]

Posted: 8/19/16 at 10:07pm

re: 2016 Election - "Totally F*CKed"

[sing_dance_love]

Posted: 8/20/16 at 1:06am

Michelle- Thanks for sharing that. What a great, poignant image. 

[John Adams]

Posted: 8/20/16 at 2:41am

Kad said: "I actually find it rather difficult to think of showtunes specifically about being American."

I think I understand what you mean (i.e., a showtune with lyrics that specifically indicate, "I am an American" and "I feel... [fill in the blank] about it!". Songs from historical shows like 1776 might be obvious first choices, but I prefer the direction you went with "Another National Anthem".

The subject line and description, "Americanness" are pretty open-ended. My litmus test is that if another country/culture can't relate, or relates to a lesser degree - it must be an example of "Americannness".

I think all of American Psycho is very representational - especially in regards to that time period.

I think songs from Altar Boyz and The Book of Morman are representational of specifically American views regarding religious beliefs.

Avenue Q is VERY American to my mind. When it was first announced that it was going to the West End, I was skeptical that it would play well because it IS so American. So... (as previously mentioned) I think "What Do You Do With a B.A. in Engiish/It Sucks To Be Me" definitely fits the topic of what it means to be American.

Also, "Great Big Stuff" from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, "Much More" from The Fantasticks, most of the songs from Grease.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 8/20/16 at 6:31pm

"I Want to Be a Lady's Maid" from TITANIC is spot on.

"American Dream" from MISS SAIGON.

How about "Ballad of Czolgosz" from ASSASSINS?
(and yeah, I had to look that up)

In the U.S.A.
You can have your say,
You can set you goals
And seize the day,
You've been given the freedom
To work your way
To the head of the line-
To the head of the line!"

Updated On: 8/20/16 at 06:31 PM

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 8/20/16 at 7:33pm

One more favorite-- "Momma Look Sharp" from 1776. 

[Oak2]

Posted: 8/20/16 at 7:36pm

To go along with what Someone in a Tree said with Czolgosz and others with "Another National Anthem", while those two are the most clear, really Assassins as a whole is a good pick for this. The whole show's point seems to be deconstructing the idea of the American Dream.

[Fan123]

Posted: 8/20/16 at 8:08pm

Some of the less serious ones out there include:

'Typical Self-Made American' - Strike Up The Band

'America, F*ck Yeah' - Team America: World Police (well, it's a movie musical, sort of)

 

These ones are more sincere and positive:

'My Shot' - Hamilton

'There is a Child' - Giant

 

And depending on how vague you want to get with 'American-ness', songs which focus on stereotypical American characteristics such as being a go-getter could be included, such as 'Jump' (Giant again), 'Some People' (Gypsy), 'There's gotta be something better than this' (Sweet Charity), etc.