Top 10 Broadway Songs That Haven't Aged Well
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Date: 2023-11-21
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Comments and reviews: 30
Barry
Many of the comments below express my thoughts quite accurately. In watching this video, I thought the creator(s) were acting more like the Republican women who show up at library board and/or school board meetings to complain about books and curriculum but completely miss the context. And that's what this video does. It completely misinterprets many of the songs while denying the characters who are singing them. Many of these songs express the characters' beliefs and values. That's who they are and that's what songs in musicals are suppose to do: they tell us who the person is, what they are thinking and feeling.
There are a lot of songs in musicals with which I don't agree. I understand why the character in Oliver sings As Long As He Needs Me, but in her case it's very tragic. But it's a great song. In Ballroom, the song 50 Percent is another cry for a relationship even if it's with a married man. Streisand refuses now to sing People because she doesn't believe what it is saying, and I cringe every time I hear it. But that's what Fanny Brice believed in the story and so she sang it. And it's another brilliant song. Maurice Chevalier isn't a groomer in Thank Heaven for Little Girls even if you take the lyrics out of context to suggest he is. His point is that they grow up to be beautiful, alluring women which the movie Gigi is all about. It tells the story of a young girl being groomed by her relatives to be a cultured and desirable courtesan. Yet, they are thankful when she doesn't have to do this line of work. In fact, I'm shocked that a major studio produced this film in the 1950s given what it's about. But it won a basketful of Oscars. And the score is gorgeous.
So, the next time you do a video about songs in musicals you find offensive, I suggest you take a moment and consider the songs in the context of the story and their role in delineating the characters singing them. Then, you might find some songs that should be cut. Maybe you could start with Sweeney Todd's A Little Priest, a delightfully witty song about cannibalism. except it's a brilliant piece of work. Well, good luck.
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Many of the comments below express my thoughts quite accurately. In watching this video, I thought the creator(s) were acting more like the Republican women who show up at library board and/or school board meetings to complain about books and curriculum but completely miss the context. And that's what this video does. It completely misinterprets many of the songs while denying the characters who are singing them. Many of these songs express the characters' beliefs and values. That's who they are and that's what songs in musicals are suppose to do: they tell us who the person is, what they are thinking and feeling.
There are a lot of songs in musicals with which I don't agree. I understand why the character in Oliver sings As Long As He Needs Me, but in her case it's very tragic. But it's a great song. In Ballroom, the song 50 Percent is another cry for a relationship even if it's with a married man. Streisand refuses now to sing People because she doesn't believe what it is saying, and I cringe every time I hear it. But that's what Fanny Brice believed in the story and so she sang it. And it's another brilliant song. Maurice Chevalier isn't a groomer in Thank Heaven for Little Girls even if you take the lyrics out of context to suggest he is. His point is that they grow up to be beautiful, alluring women which the movie Gigi is all about. It tells the story of a young girl being groomed by her relatives to be a cultured and desirable courtesan. Yet, they are thankful when she doesn't have to do this line of work. In fact, I'm shocked that a major studio produced this film in the 1950s given what it's about. But it won a basketful of Oscars. And the score is gorgeous.
So, the next time you do a video about songs in musicals you find offensive, I suggest you take a moment and consider the songs in the context of the story and their role in delineating the characters singing them. Then, you might find some songs that should be cut. Maybe you could start with Sweeney Todd's A Little Priest, a delightfully witty song about cannibalism. except it's a brilliant piece of work. Well, good luck.
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Paul
My mother couldn't stand Shipoopi. I cringed at I'm an Indian too. I would go easy on Can't say no, though. Victorians and Edwardians did not think as we do, especially out in rural areas. Why can't the English describes Professor Higgins's mindset. Pickering has a different perspective, so the show has a chance to come down somewhere in between the two. The final scene in My fair lady differed from the one Shaw intended. The show debuted in the 1950s, as did Gigi, Flower drum song, and Music man. Annie get your gun was late forties, and How to succeed in business was early 1960s. Grease is set in the fifties. There was a burst of optimism between the end of World War II and the turbulence after about 1965. That helps explain why these shows remain so popular.
FYI, Flower drum song was extensively revamped in the last twenty years or so. The 1950s version adroitly mirrored the mindset of 1950s immigrants, who couldn't figure out why their children were becoming so Americanized. Gliding through my memory is cringeworthy. Don't marry me is amusing, Love look away is poignant. There's a kaleidoscope of moods and mindsets, just as in Chop suey. American society was diverse, and the musical reflected that
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My mother couldn't stand Shipoopi. I cringed at I'm an Indian too. I would go easy on Can't say no, though. Victorians and Edwardians did not think as we do, especially out in rural areas. Why can't the English describes Professor Higgins's mindset. Pickering has a different perspective, so the show has a chance to come down somewhere in between the two. The final scene in My fair lady differed from the one Shaw intended. The show debuted in the 1950s, as did Gigi, Flower drum song, and Music man. Annie get your gun was late forties, and How to succeed in business was early 1960s. Grease is set in the fifties. There was a burst of optimism between the end of World War II and the turbulence after about 1965. That helps explain why these shows remain so popular.
FYI, Flower drum song was extensively revamped in the last twenty years or so. The 1950s version adroitly mirrored the mindset of 1950s immigrants, who couldn't figure out why their children were becoming so Americanized. Gliding through my memory is cringeworthy. Don't marry me is amusing, Love look away is poignant. There's a kaleidoscope of moods and mindsets, just as in Chop suey. American society was diverse, and the musical reflected that
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Debbie
I object to most of your objections for the same reasons I object to rewriting history to pretty it up. However, Im feeling were in the prude cycle of society right now, so well just have to wait it out. I just want to throw in my two cents on the first and last songs. When commenting on My Fair Lady, you said he had his wife fetch him his slippers. Eliza was not his wife. She was no relation to him at all. He was deliberately baiting her, and she was deliberately playing along. Doesnt this sort of nonsense take place anymore? If not, how sad!
With Thank Heaven For Little Girls, you cut off the vocals just before the completion of the phrases that wouldve made it not sound creepy. For one example, those little eyes, so helpless and appealing. /cut/ as if hes getting off on that image. But the next words are someday will flash and send you crashing through the ceiling. He is thanking heaven for little girls, because they GROW UP in the most delightful way not because he desires them the way they are now.
These things always remind me of another Chevalier song from Gigi. With all the tendency now to take offense instead of enjoy, I find I truly am so glad that Im not young anymore.
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I object to most of your objections for the same reasons I object to rewriting history to pretty it up. However, Im feeling were in the prude cycle of society right now, so well just have to wait it out. I just want to throw in my two cents on the first and last songs. When commenting on My Fair Lady, you said he had his wife fetch him his slippers. Eliza was not his wife. She was no relation to him at all. He was deliberately baiting her, and she was deliberately playing along. Doesnt this sort of nonsense take place anymore? If not, how sad!
With Thank Heaven For Little Girls, you cut off the vocals just before the completion of the phrases that wouldve made it not sound creepy. For one example, those little eyes, so helpless and appealing. /cut/ as if hes getting off on that image. But the next words are someday will flash and send you crashing through the ceiling. He is thanking heaven for little girls, because they GROW UP in the most delightful way not because he desires them the way they are now.
These things always remind me of another Chevalier song from Gigi. With all the tendency now to take offense instead of enjoy, I find I truly am so glad that Im not young anymore.
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markmh835
Almost all of this voluminous Comment section is critical of Ms. Mojo for the inclusion of this or that song. And rightfully so. But allow me to criticize for exclusion.
Every single song on this list is deemed problematic because of cringyness or offensiveness toward racial minorities or females. What about the songs that demean men, Ms. Mojo? Men and their stereotypes are frequently played for laughs on Broadway and in movies, and yet not a single one is on your Mojo list. Might I nominate I Hate Men from Kiss Me Kate, or My Unfortunate Erection from Putnam County Spelling. If these songs had been about hating women or the woes of menstruation, I'm quite sure they would have been on your list. But if the target is men, Ms. Mojo always gives them a pass.
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Almost all of this voluminous Comment section is critical of Ms. Mojo for the inclusion of this or that song. And rightfully so. But allow me to criticize for exclusion.
Every single song on this list is deemed problematic because of cringyness or offensiveness toward racial minorities or females. What about the songs that demean men, Ms. Mojo? Men and their stereotypes are frequently played for laughs on Broadway and in movies, and yet not a single one is on your Mojo list. Might I nominate I Hate Men from Kiss Me Kate, or My Unfortunate Erection from Putnam County Spelling. If these songs had been about hating women or the woes of menstruation, I'm quite sure they would have been on your list. But if the target is men, Ms. Mojo always gives them a pass.
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Vicky
Um, Eliza Doolittle wasnt Henry Higginss wife. And there is a poignant scene in which Eliza reflects on what Higgins has turned her into: a woman who can no longer work for a living but just must marry to survive, which makes her no better than a prostitute. The ending is troublesome George Bernard Shaw, who wrote the source material (Pygmalian) objected strongly to Eliza returning to the Higgins household. I kind of feel like you dont understand the whole premise of the summer fling versus back to school dichotomy; Danny and Sandy are different at school than they were at the beach, and they need to figure out what is more important, their personas versus their relationship.
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Um, Eliza Doolittle wasnt Henry Higginss wife. And there is a poignant scene in which Eliza reflects on what Higgins has turned her into: a woman who can no longer work for a living but just must marry to survive, which makes her no better than a prostitute. The ending is troublesome George Bernard Shaw, who wrote the source material (Pygmalian) objected strongly to Eliza returning to the Higgins household. I kind of feel like you dont understand the whole premise of the summer fling versus back to school dichotomy; Danny and Sandy are different at school than they were at the beach, and they need to figure out what is more important, their personas versus their relationship.
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SmashBroRazz
You do realize that Dance Ten; Looks Three is based on the true story of a Broadway dancer, Mitzi Hamilton, who contributed to the project alongside other real Broadway dancers whose stories are chronicled throughout the show, right? The song is meant to underline and make light of an irony she had to overcome in her own career which, sadly, speaks some serious truths for literally hundreds if not thousands of others even to this day. The entire show is meant to bring light to the real, lived experience of Broadway dancers while letting the audience see and reflect upon the light and dark of each lived experience.
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You do realize that Dance Ten; Looks Three is based on the true story of a Broadway dancer, Mitzi Hamilton, who contributed to the project alongside other real Broadway dancers whose stories are chronicled throughout the show, right? The song is meant to underline and make light of an irony she had to overcome in her own career which, sadly, speaks some serious truths for literally hundreds if not thousands of others even to this day. The entire show is meant to bring light to the real, lived experience of Broadway dancers while letting the audience see and reflect upon the light and dark of each lived experience.
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Connie
Oh brother, did you miss the point of most of these songs. If the songs are sung by men who are misogynistic it is usually a song sung near the beginning of the play. Over the course of the play, the man or idiot learns his lesson. With most of these songs, they are usually sung near the beginning of the show. The beginning has to provide a issue or problem so that by the end the characters resolve the issue. Next time hire a musical historian who actually knows the point of these songs instead of just judging a song without context.
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Oh brother, did you miss the point of most of these songs. If the songs are sung by men who are misogynistic it is usually a song sung near the beginning of the play. Over the course of the play, the man or idiot learns his lesson. With most of these songs, they are usually sung near the beginning of the show. The beginning has to provide a issue or problem so that by the end the characters resolve the issue. Next time hire a musical historian who actually knows the point of these songs instead of just judging a song without context.
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James
I'm surprised no has hit the worst somg in the original cast of Grease, Greased Lightning (you know that ain't no shit, I'll be getting lots of tit in greased lightning - You are supreme (ah-ah, the chicks'll cream (ah-ah, for greased lightnin' - With new boosters, plates and shocks, I can get off my rocks
You know that I ain't braggin', she's a real pussy wagon, greased lightnin' ) and come on, what exactly does greased lightning mean? I mean surely you figure this out easily.
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I'm surprised no has hit the worst somg in the original cast of Grease, Greased Lightning (you know that ain't no shit, I'll be getting lots of tit in greased lightning - You are supreme (ah-ah, the chicks'll cream (ah-ah, for greased lightnin' - With new boosters, plates and shocks, I can get off my rocks
You know that I ain't braggin', she's a real pussy wagon, greased lightnin' ) and come on, what exactly does greased lightning mean? I mean surely you figure this out easily.
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Dan
I suppose it's always been off-Broadway, but It Depends on What you Pay from The Fantasticks. I mean the original version, where the word rape is repeated like two dozen times.
Even Tom Jones, the writer of the song regretted the word choice. He was echoing a translation of a play, but the word was far too charged to be used in that context. They apparently wouldn't let him change it until the play closed in the early 2000s.
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I suppose it's always been off-Broadway, but It Depends on What you Pay from The Fantasticks. I mean the original version, where the word rape is repeated like two dozen times.
Even Tom Jones, the writer of the song regretted the word choice. He was echoing a translation of a play, but the word was far too charged to be used in that context. They apparently wouldn't let him change it until the play closed in the early 2000s.
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Bethany
10: Why Can't the English? - My Fair Lady
9: Shipoopi - The Music Man
8: I Cain't Say No - Oklahoma!
7: Ugg-A-Wugg - Peter Pan
6: I'm An Indian, Too - Annie Get Your Gun
5: Dance: Ten; Looks: Three - A Chorus Line
4: I Enjoy Being A Girl - Flower Drum Song
3: Summer Nights - Grease
2: Sobbin' Women - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
1: Thank Heaven for Little Girls - Gigi
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10: Why Can't the English? - My Fair Lady
9: Shipoopi - The Music Man
8: I Cain't Say No - Oklahoma!
7: Ugg-A-Wugg - Peter Pan
6: I'm An Indian, Too - Annie Get Your Gun
5: Dance: Ten; Looks: Three - A Chorus Line
4: I Enjoy Being A Girl - Flower Drum Song
3: Summer Nights - Grease
2: Sobbin' Women - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
1: Thank Heaven for Little Girls - Gigi
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EricIrl
ALL those songs are still performed. NONE of them have been withdrawn from any of the shows featured. If you are performinbg Grease, My Fair Lady, Oklahoma etc - none of those songs will be omitted - at all.
Maybe the songs may seem a bit strange to modern ears - but they are often very clever and in some cases, still relevant and funny.
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ALL those songs are still performed. NONE of them have been withdrawn from any of the shows featured. If you are performinbg Grease, My Fair Lady, Oklahoma etc - none of those songs will be omitted - at all.
Maybe the songs may seem a bit strange to modern ears - but they are often very clever and in some cases, still relevant and funny.
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Christopher
I do not agree but I like who me started was classic musicals The Wizard of Oz and seven brides and seven brothers and Oklahoma and bye-bye, Birdie and singing in the rain and Grease and and the Willy wonka and the chocolate factory and State fair and no The phantom of Opera and The sound of music I will not cross the of these Musicals
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I do not agree but I like who me started was classic musicals The Wizard of Oz and seven brides and seven brothers and Oklahoma and bye-bye, Birdie and singing in the rain and Grease and and the Willy wonka and the chocolate factory and State fair and no The phantom of Opera and The sound of music I will not cross the of these Musicals
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coolaunt516
Carousel has a few. There's Nothing So Bad For A Woman which trashes dependable, non dramatic men. And the Soliliqy where he will get money for his child, but names mostly illegal means. And the clambake song and the one about June are mostly annoying. Carousel as a whole is problematic because of it's acceptance of violence by Julie.
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Carousel has a few. There's Nothing So Bad For A Woman which trashes dependable, non dramatic men. And the Soliliqy where he will get money for his child, but names mostly illegal means. And the clambake song and the one about June are mostly annoying. Carousel as a whole is problematic because of it's acceptance of violence by Julie.
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romandelarose
I think the main thing that will age poorly is this video, which is breathtakingly obtuse. I agree that Peter Pan is cringe-worthy, but whoever put this together clearly missed the point about just about every other song in this montage. That's impressive in its own way, but probably not in the way intended.
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I think the main thing that will age poorly is this video, which is breathtakingly obtuse. I agree that Peter Pan is cringe-worthy, but whoever put this together clearly missed the point about just about every other song in this montage. That's impressive in its own way, but probably not in the way intended.
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levy
I was waiting for It depends on what you pay from fantasticks, and the I remembered this if Ms. Mojo, that even though it is from the longest running show ever, since it is not popular enough it will never get mentioned. Which is a shame because so many great shows and songs are overlooked in these lists.
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I was waiting for It depends on what you pay from fantasticks, and the I remembered this if Ms. Mojo, that even though it is from the longest running show ever, since it is not popular enough it will never get mentioned. Which is a shame because so many great shows and songs are overlooked in these lists.
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Danielle
Most of these songs are either sung from characters who are meant to be seen as in the wrong or are social commentary. Dance 10, Looks 3, for instance, isn't saying that she SHOULD have gotten plastic surgery but that society, especially for dancers, EXPECTS women to look a certain way.
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Most of these songs are either sung from characters who are meant to be seen as in the wrong or are social commentary. Dance 10, Looks 3, for instance, isn't saying that she SHOULD have gotten plastic surgery but that society, especially for dancers, EXPECTS women to look a certain way.
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Mrs
I personally feel that none of these songs has aged poorly. They are pivotal to storylines and character understanding. If someone gets so butt hurt that they find these songs offensive, then they don't need to watch the shows. They are not political statements, just good entertainment.
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I personally feel that none of these songs has aged poorly. They are pivotal to storylines and character understanding. If someone gets so butt hurt that they find these songs offensive, then they don't need to watch the shows. They are not political statements, just good entertainment.
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Mary
Have you lost your minds? I do not know anyone who would not appreciate these talented people and songs. Goodness! These are actors are the best of entertainment! I cannot stand criticism from people who are non talented! My Fair Lady? Rex Harrison. You people need therapy or a life!
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Have you lost your minds? I do not know anyone who would not appreciate these talented people and songs. Goodness! These are actors are the best of entertainment! I cannot stand criticism from people who are non talented! My Fair Lady? Rex Harrison. You people need therapy or a life!
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Kristi
I Caint Say No is a song written in the 1940s about life in Oklahoma in the 1900s and Ado Annie lurves her some physical affection. It's a sly wink to the fact that women have feelings and actions beyond what is expected of them at that time. And Ali Stroker is flipping brilliant.
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I Caint Say No is a song written in the 1940s about life in Oklahoma in the 1900s and Ado Annie lurves her some physical affection. It's a sly wink to the fact that women have feelings and actions beyond what is expected of them at that time. And Ali Stroker is flipping brilliant.
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Kelli
I think It Takes A Woman from Hello Dolly should be a dishonorable mention. Mostly how the men appreciate women just being house wives. I get it that this happened in that time period and I can see why some people think it's funny, but the song just bugs me everytime I hear it.
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I think It Takes A Woman from Hello Dolly should be a dishonorable mention. Mostly how the men appreciate women just being house wives. I get it that this happened in that time period and I can see why some people think it's funny, but the song just bugs me everytime I hear it.
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Janece
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is my favorite musical! The whole point is about getting over misogyny, especially the oldest brother. Also my whole family will randomly start singing any of the songs loudly and purposefully off-key cause the lyrics are just so ridiculous lol
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Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is my favorite musical! The whole point is about getting over misogyny, especially the oldest brother. Also my whole family will randomly start singing any of the songs loudly and purposefully off-key cause the lyrics are just so ridiculous lol
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Eriks
Oversensitive much? Yes these songs are of thier time but that's kind of the point. They work within the story. Also who researched this? There are no husbands or wives at the end of My Fair Lady dear. If you're going to criticise a joke at least get your facts right
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Oversensitive much? Yes these songs are of thier time but that's kind of the point. They work within the story. Also who researched this? There are no husbands or wives at the end of My Fair Lady dear. If you're going to criticise a joke at least get your facts right
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BelievingRebel
I absolutely hate Grease. What a message to girls: if the boy you like doesnt like you for yourself, become exactly what he wants even if its the antithesis of who you are. Please. How about dump his sorry azz instead.
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I absolutely hate Grease. What a message to girls: if the boy you like doesnt like you for yourself, become exactly what he wants even if its the antithesis of who you are. Please. How about dump his sorry azz instead.
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memester
I actually liked I Enjoy Being a Girl, and with context, it's understandable. The character who sings it is a showgirl who wants to leave the limelight and have a more conventional life with the man she loves.
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I actually liked I Enjoy Being a Girl, and with context, it's understandable. The character who sings it is a showgirl who wants to leave the limelight and have a more conventional life with the man she loves.
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Carol
Next you should do Top 10 Disney Songs That Haven't Aged Well. Examples: 'The Siamese Cat Song' from Lady and the Tramp, 'What Makes the Red Man Red' from Peter Pan, and 'A Girl Worth Fighting For' from Mulan.
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Next you should do Top 10 Disney Songs That Haven't Aged Well. Examples: 'The Siamese Cat Song' from Lady and the Tramp, 'What Makes the Red Man Red' from Peter Pan, and 'A Girl Worth Fighting For' from Mulan.
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Catherine
Dance 10 Looks 3 comes from a true conversation given by a dancer when they were workshopping the premise for A Chorus Line. Thats the whole point- that to make it a lot of dehumanizing things happen.
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Dance 10 Looks 3 comes from a true conversation given by a dancer when they were workshopping the premise for A Chorus Line. Thats the whole point- that to make it a lot of dehumanizing things happen.
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Harry
Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm is definitely satirical. The whole premise is Rosemary singing about the joys of being completely ignored by a business-obsessed husband. It's just as cutting now as ever.
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Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm is definitely satirical. The whole premise is Rosemary singing about the joys of being completely ignored by a business-obsessed husband. It's just as cutting now as ever.
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Tyler
As usual, MsMojo is way off the mark. Yes to the Native American Songs being bad, but the rest are time period songs from time period shows. We can't go back and change history for some woke whiners.
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As usual, MsMojo is way off the mark. Yes to the Native American Songs being bad, but the rest are time period songs from time period shows. We can't go back and change history for some woke whiners.
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Summer
Maybe next time watch the musicals before making content like this. Also, the songs reflect the time periods of the stories, so to change them (or omit them) would ruin the musical in most cases.
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Maybe next time watch the musicals before making content like this. Also, the songs reflect the time periods of the stories, so to change them (or omit them) would ruin the musical in most cases.
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Three
A little surprised no songs from Guys And Dolls were on the list. The men's views on women were. not great. And the song Marry The Man is basically about how to trap a man in marriage.
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A little surprised no songs from Guys And Dolls were on the list. The men's views on women were. not great. And the song Marry The Man is basically about how to trap a man in marriage.
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