"Merrily We Roll Along" (1980) - Stephen Sondheim

One of my favorite songs ever, from perhaps the most under-rated Broadway show in history. This is part of the opening number from the 1980 Sondheim/Furth musical flop 'Merrily We Roll Along'. It comes after "The Hills of Tomorrow" (cut from revised subsequent productions) and "Rich and Happy." The orchestrations are fantastic.
Franklin Shepard - Jim Walton
Mary Flynn - Ann Morrison
Charley Kringas - Lonny Price
In supporting roles: Tonya Pinkins (of "Caroline, or Change" fame), Liz Callaway, and Giancarlo Esposito.

4:07-4:18 ALWAYS gives me goosebumps -- I don't know what it is about it; it's not chilling or anything. It's just magnificent.

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Yesterday is done, see the pretty countryside
Merrily we roll along, roll along
Bursting with dreams

Travelling's the fun flashing by the countryside
Everybody; merrily, merrily
Catching at dreams
Rolling along, rolling along, rolling along

Dreams don't die,
But keep an eye on your dream
And before you know where you are,
There you are
Time goes by and hopes go dry
But you still can try for your dream

(Tend your dream) How does it happen?
(Dreams take time) When does it disappear?
(Time goes by) How did you get so far off the track?
Why don't you turn around and go back?
(Bend your dream) How does it happen?
(With the road) How can you miss it, isn't it clear?
How can you let it slip out of gear?
How did you ever get there from here?

(You roll) How does it happen?
How does it happen? (You just roll)
When does it disappear?
Isn't it always clear? (Everybody roll)
How does it start to go?
How does it slip away slow
So you never even notice it's happening?

How did you get there from here, Mr. Shepard?
What did you have to go through?
How did you get there from here, Mr. Shepard?
Boy did they do it to you!

Pick yourself a road, get to know the countryside
Soon enough you're merrily, merrily
Practicing dreams

Dreams that will explode, waking up the countryside
Making you feel merrily, merrily
What can go wrong rolling along?

Some roads are soft, and some are bumpy
Some roads you really fly
Some roads are rough and leave you grumpy
Why make it tough by getting grumpy?
Plenty of roads to try!

(One trip) Some roads are soft, and some are bumpy
(All you get is one quick ride) Some roads you really fly
Look around a bit!
(One quick ride) Some roads are rough,
And leave you jumpy
(Through the countryside) Why make it tough by
Getting grumpy? (Stay on the track)
Plenty of roads to try!
(Better look back) Some roads you really fly
Better look back, better look back,
Better look back, Better look back,
Better look --

How did you get there from here, Mr. Shepard?
What did you have to go through?
How did you get there from here, Mr. Shepard?
How did you get to be you?

Bending with the road, gliding through the countryside
Merrily we roll along, roll along
Catching at dreams

Dreams that will explode, waking up the countryside
Everybody; merrily, merrily,
Sing 'em your song!
Rolling along! Rolling along!
Rolling along! Rolling a--

Category:

Music

Tags:

• merrily
• we
• roll
• along
• stephen
• sondheim
• 1980
• george
• furth
• harold
• prince
• original
• broadway
• cast
• recording

[kahlilnelson]

I so grew up on this, 'Franklin Shephard Inc.' and 'Now You Know'.

[AtLastOnTheGround]

My personal favs are this one, "Franklin Shepard Inc," "Not A Day Goes By," "Old Friends," "Like It Was," and "Our Time."

I really don't get why this was a flop. The plot did have some problems, but they fixed those for subsequent versions. The score is just brilliant.

[KaraokeKid22]

whats it about - what was wrong with the plot?

[AtLastOnTheGround]

The plot was just like the play it was based on -- Chronologically, it worked itself backwards, and it proved to be sort of stupid when it did that.

[conniedrag]

Ooh, I don't agree that the reverse chronology of Merrily was stupid. I saw it at the Donmar, and the feeling of youthful enthusiasm at the end, set against what you've seen is to come, is heartbreaking.

If it was done chronologically, the actual plot wouldn't amount to anything.

[winetourism]

With the right director and actors, this turns out to be a very effective way of telling a story - leaving the audience to think about how they may have gotten off 'the path.' Our talkbacks with the audience were filled with people expressing remorse and being affected by the storytelling - anything but 'stupid'

[JKVideos]

Just saw Encore's version a few days ago, it's fantastic and it seems like problems or kinks the show had are gone-this seems like a great piece of work.  It's truly heart renching and the leads are perfect/spot on...

[KeladrysLove]

I did this play as a freshmen in High School and i loved it so much, it was so much fun and amazing

[sacredlunatic]

It's a lot to ask of an audience: it's a sad musical, one where the joyful optimism of the end is tinged with the bitterness of the beginning

like most sondheim, it is not there to entertain and leave us pleased, it's their to make us think and feel

[autopolydidact]

My heart kind of breaks whenever I hear people talk about how it was a flop. All I experience is the richness and joy whenever I put the original cast recording through my headphones. And to know that it just died is tragic. For me it lives, and it will live whenever I sing the songs with the sound of the original running through my head.

[librlart]

I saw a production at a small 99 seat house in LA, and I thought it was fantastic. It occurred to me that it didn't seem like it would be as enjoyable in a big broadway house, however, and that was the first time I'd had that thought after a play. I think it's a more intimate story as opposed to a Broadway blockbuster.

[xxJonathanOMalleyxx]

And I probably should have made myself clearer:

In MY opinion this was a problem - I'm quite certain that this aspect wasn't the main reason why people disliked the show, I believe that was to due the, well... bitter aftertaste it left (though I still love the themes and think, that it was better backwards... but again, that's just my opinion - which, I have to admit, is pretty stupid; still I rather like it.)