Worst song ever written for a musical- Page 8

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 10/20/17 at 8:43pm

raddersons said: "Aman's gotta dowhat aman's gotta dowhat aman's gotta dowhat he'sgot to.from Bright Star."

Yes! Beat me to it. Awful, just awful. 

[Ken6]

Posted: 10/20/17 at 8:49pm

I saw sweeny Todd this past weekend and the Judge did some crazy satanic song which was weird 

[CallMeAl2]

Posted: 10/20/17 at 10:32pm

There are some stinkers mentioned here. But for me nothing reaches the depths of "Turkey Lurkey Time" from Promises, Promises. Great dance number - truly awful lyric. Props to Michael Bennett for taking this crap and creating a show stopper.

 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 10/20/17 at 10:43pm

“The Microphone” from Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 10/20/17 at 11:28pm

Scarywarhol said: "I never knew people hated "Little Lamb"! I always found it... inoffensive. And always liked, "I wonder how old I am.""

I can't agree more. It's perfect for the character and the situation, and has a killer last line.

It also has to distinguish itself from the songs presumably written by adults FOR kids to sing in the act: "Let Me Entertain You", and "Broadway".

[green waver]

Posted: 10/20/17 at 11:49pm

     For me, the major dud in an otherwise catchy, first rate score is Applegate's solo in Damn Yankees. Talk about running one not so funny joke into the ground. Oh, and while we're on the subject of heavy handed comic relief numbers, don't omit Master of the House from Les Miz. Embarrassingly stupid.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 10/21/17 at 12:09am

quizking101 said: "“Anybody Have A Map” From DEAR EVAN HANSEN.

This might be one of the worst opening numbers I’ve seen in a musical. The opening song is supposed to give insight into what I’m about to see or inspire some sort of feeling.

This was a bland introduction and I don’t feel like introducing the mother’s first was the best move."

I agree with all your objections about the placement of the number, but it's actually a great song for introducing the mothers. Different issue, IMO.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 10/21/17 at 12:21am

I voted early in this thread and too soon. What I should have said is that, IMO, Jerry Herman's "I Am What I Am" is the worst song ever written for Broadway. Certainly the worst in the my six decades of theatergoing.

Whenever I hear it--in the show or (shudder) as an anthem--I cringe with embarrassment for the character, the singer and the otherwise fine composer-lyricist.

The song never fails to remind me of the things really wimpy people say about what they "aren't going to take" and whom they are going to tell off, when they and the listener know full well it ain't gonna happen.

I'm reminded of the song because it will be Gay Pride here in Palm Springs* in a few weeks and I will avoid the parade so I don't have to listen to 3 hours of the disco version of "I Am What I Am".

______________
* It's too hot to parade here in June and half the population leaves town.

Updated On: 10/21/17 at 12:21 AM

[ntsatheatre]

Posted: 10/21/17 at 2:06am

Noooo! Not "Turkey Lurkey"! Anyone else have a particularly soft spot in their heart for this number from Camp, even though it's pretty much the dumbest song ever put in a musical? You're right though. Without the Bennett choreography (some of the best ever from a Broadway musical, in my opinion), that number would be complete and utter garbage. I'll always love it anyway though.

[Valyitz]

Posted: 10/21/17 at 2:35am

‘Lady Hyacinth Abroad’ from Gentlemen’s Guide. That’s my personal most excruciating number that I’ve ever had to sit through.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 10/21/17 at 7:26am

green waver said: " For me, the major dud in an otherwise catchy, first rate score is Applegate's solo in Damn Yankees. Talk about running one not so funny joke into the ground. Oh, and while we're on the subject of heavy handed comic relief numbers, don't omit Master of the House from Les Miz. Embarrassingly stupid."

I know exactly what you mean about "Good Old Days" from DAMN YANKEES.

But I swear I found it catchy and amusing when I first heard the OBCR almost 50 years ago.

Time, eh? It's a bitch!

Updated On: 10/21/17 at 07:26 AM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 10/21/17 at 8:09am

“Bathing Beauty” From Love Never Dies.

[maxd]

Posted: 10/21/17 at 9:59am

Hear me out please. The first time I heard "This was a Real Nice Clambake" From Carousel I literally laughed out loud at the lyrics..." the vittles we et were good you bet."  While I have grown to love the New England charm of the song it doesn't fulfill much of the R&H mantra of the music advancing the plot. That being said, it is a fun chorus number..Just very corny.

[PepperedShepherd]

Posted: 10/21/17 at 12:10pm

The only song that ever reduced me to paroxysms of inappropriate laughter was "A New Life" from Jekyll & Hyde.  The lyrics were so tortuously rhymed and so screamingly awful:

"A new start / That's the thing I need / To give me new heart / Half a chance in life / To find a new part "

Or how about:

"A new dream / I have one I know / That very few dream / I would like to see / That overdue dream "

But the crowning achievement has to be:

"A new world / This one thing I want / To ask of you, world / Once, before it's time / To say "Adieu, world "

BWAHAHAHA 

 

[BeukyBaby]

Posted: 10/21/17 at 1:12pm

Can't believe no one has mentioned this past season's worst song, Dinosaurs from War Paint. I cringed in my seat listening to that one, and I felt so bad for Douglas Sills and John Dossett. And then Terry Teachout calls it out as the show's best song in his review! Just goes to show how much credibility Teachout has...

[Itonlytakesajourney]

Posted: 10/21/17 at 1:27pm

BeukyBaby said: "Can't believe no one has mentioned this past season's worst song, Dinosaurs from War Paint. I cringed in my seat listening to that one, and I felt so bad for Douglas Sills and John Dossett. And then Terry Teachout calls it out as the show's best song in his review! Just goes to show how much credibility Teachout has..."

God that song is so embarrassing. I like some songs from War Paint (Behind the Red Door and Fire and Ice, mostly), but this song literally makes me cringe. The lyrics sound like they were written by a tryhard 17 year old.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 10/21/17 at 2:03pm

PepperedShepherd, I cannot argue with you and yet I don't hate that song. I guess because I've never seen it in the context of the show the simple, pretty melody just washes over me without me thinking about the lyrics. 

Dinosaurs is... not good. But my mom enjoyed it when we saw War Paint.

[BalconyClub]

Posted: 10/21/17 at 2:09pm

BeukyBaby said: "Can't believe no one has mentioned this past season's worst song, Dinosaurs from War Paint. I cringed in my seat listening to that one, and I felt so bad for Douglas Sills and John Dossett. And then Terry Teachout calls it out as the show's best song in his review! Just goes to show how much credibility Teachout has..."

When I saw "Dinosaurs" performed in the Chicago War Paint tryouts, I thought Douglas Sills and John Dossett were very animated in the art gallery scene.  It was a fun number.

At the Q and A after the show, Douglas Sills remarked that the scene's bar did not make it onto the stage, and that he and the scene's players had a spirited go at without the wood bar.

[aj88]

Posted: 10/21/17 at 3:35pm

NJ_BroadwayGirl said: "raddersons said: "Aman's gotta dowhat aman's gotta dowhat aman's gotta dowhat he'sgot to.from Bright Star."

Yes! Beat me to it. Awful, just awful."

Definitely one of those moments where when I first heard it aloud in the theatre, I couldn’t believe I actually heard it coming out of his mouth. It was so tempting to leave that show at intermission but I stayed primarily for Carmen Cusack’s performance.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 10/21/17 at 4:02pm

I have the winner right here. In a generally inept score, this number takes the prize for most execrable.

 

Updated On: 10/21/17 at 04:02 PM

[Soaring29]

Posted: 1/6/18 at 5:19am

History Of Wrong Guys- Like how? Why? It's an incredibly terrible song, a guilty pleasure, true, but still pretty terrible. Am the only one who is really not crazy about Annaleigh Ashford? 

[AlfredDrakeII]

Posted: 1/6/18 at 7:26am

"Deeply Furious", from Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.

I REALLY hope someone has a bootleg recording of the original version of this song.
 

[persephone88]

Posted: 1/6/18 at 7:30am

"Shipoopi" from the Music Man is truly awful.

The "Joseph Megamix" - which felt like a prolonged attempt to force the audience into giving a mediocre play a standing ovation - was interminable to sit through.

[JoseLee_]

Posted: 1/6/18 at 10:57am

All the songs from "[title of show]" are pretty crappy.

[John Adams]

Posted: 1/6/18 at 11:22am

GavestonPS said: "I voted early in this thread and too soon. What I should have said is that, IMO, Jerry Herman's "I Am What I Am" is the worst song ever written for Broadway. Certainly the worst in the my six decades of theatergoing.

Whenever I hear it--in the show or (shudder) as an anthem--I cringe with embarrassment for the character, the singer and the otherwise fine composer-lyricist.

The song never fails to remind me of the things really wimpy people say about what they "aren't going to take" and whom they are going to tell off, when they and the listener know full well it ain't gonna happen."

Very much agreed! I'm not a fan of self-pitying characters who comfort themselves in a blanket of tween angst, and then boast about how they suffer. I feel the same way about that pop-y pastiche (it's too cut and paste to really be a score), Kinky Boots. ...especially Soul of a Man (IMO, everyone should just give in to the obvious double entendre and write it as, SOLE of a Man), and the incredibly immature sentimentality of Not My Father's Son.

BLECHHHHH!

Updated On: 1/6/18 at 11:22 AM