Post title: “Give My Regards to Broadway” from George M. Cohan’s Little Johnny Jones
The following are five of my favorite sets of lyrics from five different songs written about Broadway and theatre in general:
“New York, New York, a helluva town.
The Bronx is up but the Battery’s down.
The people ride in a hole in the ground.
New York, New York, it’s a helluva town!
…
The famous places to visit are so many,
or so the guidebooks say.
I promised Daddy I wouldn’t miss on any
and we have just one day.
Got to see the whole town
from Yonkers on down to the Bay.
In just one day!
New York, New York, a visitor’s place,
where no one lives on account of the pace,
but seven millions are screaming for space.
New York, New York, it’s a visitor’s place!” – “New York, New York” from On the Town
“Give my regards to Broadway
Remember me to Herald Square
Tell all the gang at Forty-Second Street
That I will soon be there
Whisper of how I’m yearning
To mingle with the old time throng
Give my regards to old Broadway
And say that I’ll be there e’er long.” – “Give My Regards to Broadway” from George M. Cohan’s Little Johnny Jones
“In the heart of little old New York,
You’ll find a thoroughfare.
It’s the part of little old New York
That runs into Times Square.
A crazy quilt that “Wall Street Jack” built,
If you’ve got a little time to spare,
I want to take you there.
Come and meet those dancing feet,
On the avenue I’m taking you to…
Come and meet those dancing feet,
On the avenue I’m taking you to,
Forty-Second Street.
Hear the beat of dancing feet,
It’s the song I love the melody of,
Forty-Second Street.
Little “nifties” from the Fifties,
Innocent and sweet;
Sexy ladies from the Eighties,
Who are indiscreet.
They’re side by side, they’re glorified
Where the underworld can meet the elite,
Forty-Second Street.” – “42nd Street” from 42nd Street
Peggy: I’m sorry show business isn’t for me. I’m goin’ back to Allentown!
Julian: What was the word you’ve just said, Allentown?
I’m offering you a chance to star in biggest musical
Broadway’s seen in twenty years and you say: “Allentown?”
“Come on along and listen to
the lullaby of Broadway.
The hip hooray and bally hoo,
the lullaby of Broadway.
The rumble of the subway train,
the rattle of the taxis.
The daffy-dills who entertain
at Angelo’s and Maxie’s.
When a Broadway baby says “Good night,”
it’s early in the morning.
Manhattan babies don’t sleep tight until the dawn:
good night, baby,
good night, milkman’s on his way.
Sleep tight, baby,
sleep tight, let’s call it a day,
Listen to the lullaby of old Broadway.” – “Lullaby of Broadway” from 42nd Street
And perhaps, the most famous of them all…
“They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway (On Broadway)
They say there’s always magic in the air (On Broadway)
But when you’re walkin’ down the street
and you ain’t had enough to eat
the glitter rubs right off and you’re nowhere (On Broadway)
They say the women treat you fine on Broadway (On Broadway)
But looking at them just gives me the blues (On Broadway)
‘Cause how ya gonna make some time
when all you got is one thin dime
and one thin dime won’t even shine your shoes
On Broadway
They say that I won’t last too long on Broadway (On Broadway)
I’ll catch a Greyhound bus for home, they all say (Catch a Greyhound)
But they’re dead wrong, I know they are
’cause I can play this here guitar
They say that I won’t last too long
They say that I won’t last too long
And I won’t quit till I’m a star
I won’t quit till I’m a star
I won’t quit till I’m a star
On Broadway!” – “On Broadway” (most recently) from Beautiful: the Carole King Musical
BuzzFeed created this cool list called “25 Best Broadway Songs About the Theater,” which, despite the fact that they spelled theatre wrong (because they’re talking about an art form), I think is pretty cool. I’ve even used it to come up with ideas for titles for some of my posts. I think it’s worth sharing.
The point is: people write about what they know and what they love. And theatre people know and love theatre! There are many brilliant songs that express a love for one of the most amazing and magical forms of art and self-expression. To theatre fans, these songs are our anthems. They celebrate all that we represent. Baseball fans have “Take me out to the ball game” or “Sweet Caroline,” for Boston Red Sox fans, and Liverpool Football Club stole “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from Carousel – but we have “On Broadway” and tons of other fantastic music because that’s what we’re all about!
As a bonus, let’s celebrate again a more modern song about Broadway: the 2013 Tony Awards’ opening number, “Bigger.”
What are some of your theatre anthems?
The View From Duffy Square 