Which West Side Story Lyrics Did Sondheim Write?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/20/05 at 4:20pm

Bernstein wrote some of the lyrics right? Does anyone know which songs Sondheim wrote the lyrics for?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/20/05 at 4:30pm

Sorry for the other 2 threads. My computer freaked out.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 11/20/05 at 4:39pm

Well I can't say anything definitely, I just got a book the making of West Side Story so I think that may give me more info...

I know Bernstein wrote One Hand One Heart
I know Sondheim wrote I Feel Pretty
Something's Coming came fairly late so my guess is it was either Sondheim or a combination of Sondheim and Bernstein

There might have been quite a few that were a combination, but one would be given the credit more so, and b/c Bernstein took his name out of lyrics so Sondheim could get his proper credit, my guess is Sondheim.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 11/20/05 at 4:43pm

I believe he wrote "I Feel Pretty" because he's spoken of always having regretted writing those lyrics -- that a poor, Puerto Rican teenage girl wouldn't express herself with such sophisticated wordplay ("it's alarming how charming I feel;" "I feel stunning and entrancing....")

[justagirl2]

Posted: 11/20/05 at 4:45pm

No prob. I think (don't quote me on this) that he wrote:

America
A Boy Like That/I Have a Love
Cool
Gee Officer Krupke
I Feel Pretty
Jet Song
Maria
Something's Coming
Somewhere
Tonight
The prologue originally had lyrics, but they were cut.

He also wrote lyrics to a lot of songs that were cut from the show:
This Turf is Ours
Up to the Moon
My Greatest Day
Once in Your Life
Mix
(Kids Ain't) Like Everybody Else

That just kind of lists every song that has lyrics in the first place, so it's probably not much help. Sorry!
Updated On: 11/20/05 at 04:45 PM

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 11/20/05 at 5:09pm

Yeah, I think Bernstein contributed more than just One Hand One Heart, if nothing else than in collaboration w/ Sondheim but again if the book I have provides further insight, I will post it.

Margo, yeah, that's how I knew he definitely wrote I Feel Pretty.

Updated On: 11/20/05 at 05:09 PM

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 11/20/05 at 5:29pm

I think I remember reading that by the time the show opened, the lyrics were 90-95% Sondheim.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 11/20/05 at 5:38pm

Does anyone know if the cut songs from West Side Story have been recorded anywhere? I know Like Everybody Else is on the first Lost in Boston CD, but are any of the others available on CD?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/20/05 at 9:51pm

I never knew Sondheim wrote the lyrics for WSS. Its one of my least fav. musicals, but it explains the Sondheim tribute at the tonys this past year. Is he credited with Lyrics? i dont think i ever see his name in the credits.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 11/20/05 at 10:15pm

Rentboy: WSS always says music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, though the story is it initially came out w/ lyrics by Bernstein and Sondheim but since Sondheim was virtually unknown many ppl just uncredited him and said music and lyrics by Bernstein, so he took his name out of lyrics so it just says Sondheim and he could have his rightful credit. Again, showing I know they both contributed, just not sure on what and to what degree.

Hrmph, this is pissing me off w/ my homework even more as I really want to read that book...maybe in a little bit I'll take a break and see if I can find a specific chapter on lyrics or something...

[billyweeds]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 7:14am

I have always heard that not only did Sondheim write the bulk of the WSS lyrics, he also wrote the MUSIC for "Something's Coming."

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 12:27pm

Where did you hear that Billy? That's something I've never heard, I know Something's Coming was the last song written but from my understanding of it it was certainly collaborated and worked on by Sondheim and Bernstein. I can't say absolutely that Sondheim wrote the lyrics and Bernstein the music, but it was written pretty quickly, the two of them realized it had to be written and went into a room and I think it was done in a day or something. Never read anything to indicate it was written entirely by Sondheim...

In other news, I am beginning to agree that Sondheim did write the bulk of the West Side lyrics. In the beginning I think Bernstein was supposed to write half of them, but Sondheim when he was upset for not being credited said he wrote most of the lyrics, they talk about him writing A Boy Like That and America at least definitely. Though in a section describing the magic of Bernstein's score, they referred to the lyrics as part of "Bernstein's score" so maybe they were just misattributing or something? Maria, the Jet Song, and the Tonight Quintet were mentioned specifically in this section.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 12:37pm

Yes, Sondheim is responsible for what may be the worst lyrical rhyme in any musical:
Keep away from her,
Send for Chino,
This is not the Maria we know!"

Almost as bad as Ira Gershwin's "My Cousin In Milwaukee." Almost, not quite.

[jasobres]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 12:41pm

Wait, I thought Bernstein's only lyrical contribution was in "Gee, Officer Krupke." He wrote "Krup you" in place of "@#$% you."

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 1:01pm

I'm pretty sure Bernstein contributed some lyrics, I think One Hand One Heart was entirely written by him, part of it I think was prewritten and cut from Candide.

[Jon]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 1:39pm

Bernstein also wrote some lyrics for CANDIDE, most notably "I Am Easily Assimilated" - one of the funniest songs in the show.

Of course, CANDIDE in its current form has about five lyricists, including Sondheim.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 1:49pm

Hmmmm, I never knew Sondheim was involved with Candide. That's very interesting...

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 2:04pm

I loved that show Score about composer Leonard Bernstein that was done this past year at NYTW, though the ending needed a chop.

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 2:30pm

@sorrygrateful: he wasn't originally, but was asked by Bernstein for the 1974 revival to contribute lyrics to some new songs. so eventually the show ended up with so many lyricists...

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 2:31pm

Aww I wish I could have seen that show nondeplume, could you tell me more about it?

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 4:10pm

As I recall, the original production maintained the billing as lyrics by Bernstein and Sondheim. Bernstein offered to give sole credit to Sondheim, but being young and gracious he declined it at the time. Of course, he later regretted it because that effectively cut his earnings in half. Over time this was remedied and Bernstein had his name removed as co-lyricist.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 5:09pm

Ourtime, not quite. Just reread this in the book to clarify. You're pretty much right, originally B&S were both gonna write lyrics, and each get 1/2 the rations of that, plus Bernstein would get for the music. And as far as Sondheim declining, to my knowledge that never happened. He was upset b/c he wasn't getting credited for the lyrics, he's quoted as saying he ended up writing most of it, so Bernstein offered to remove himself from lyrics, giving up 1/4 of rations he would have received and Sondheim accepted it.