So many good songs get written fast, because you know exactly what has to work. Stephen Sondheim More Quotes by Stephen Sondheim More Quotes From Stephen Sondheim Hit songs did not come out of musicals. Pop-rock was creating the hits. There were very few songs that made the charts out of any Broadway musical. Stephen Sondheim creatingrockssong I was raised to be charming, not sincere. Stephen Sondheim charmingraisedsincere They all deserve to die. Even you, Mrs. Lovett Even I. Because the lives of the wicked should be made brief For the rest of us death would be relief. Stephen Sondheim reliefwickedwould-be Let Pirelli's / Miracle Elixir / Activate your roots, sir... Keep it off your boots, sir- / Eats right through. Yes, get Pirelli's! / Use a bottle of it! / Ladies seem to love it... Flies do, too! Stephen Sondheim bottlesmiracleroots To wish and wait From day to day Will never keep The wolves away. Stephen Sondheim day-to-daywaitingwish I'm before him on my knees, and he kisses me He assumes I lose my reason and I do. Men are stupid, men are vain, Love's disgusting, love's insane, A humiliating business-oh how true. Stephen Sondheim businessstupidlove The truth is that I don't like rehearsals. I get embarrassed hearing my own work. I assume that the cast is embarrassed to sing the stuff. Stephen Sondheim rehearsalhearingstuff Over a period of time it's been driven home to me that I'm not going to be the most popular writer in the world, so I'm always happy when anything in any way is accepted. Stephen Sondheim homewayworld In the Rodgers and Hammerstein generation, popular hits came out of shows and movies. Stephen Sondheim moviegenerationssong Every day a little death. Stephen Sondheim littlesdeath You move just a finger, say the slightest word, something's bound to linger-be heard. Stephen Sondheim fingersjusticemoving A song is such a short form ... that 'the slightest flaw seems like a mountain.' And so every song needs to be revised 'til it's close to perfection... But achieving perfection takes a lot of energy. Stephen Sondheim perfectionwritingsong Dreams are a sweet mistake Stephen Sondheim dreammistakesweet Anything that is white is sweet. Stephen Sondheim whitefoodsweet Now, this one might be a little stringy, but then again, it's fiddle player." That isn't fiddle player, it's piccolo player." How can you tell?" It's PIPING hot!" Then blow on it first! Stephen Sondheim playerblowhot Automobile in America,Chromium steel in America,Wire-spoke wheel in America,Very big deal in America!Immigrant goes to America,Many hellos in America,Nobody knows in America,Puerto Rico's in America!I like the shores of America!Comfort is yours in America!Knobs on the doors in America!Wall-to-wall floors in America! Stephen Sondheim walldoorsamerica One difference between poetry and lyrics is that lyrics sort of fade into the background. They fade on the page and live on the stage when set to music. Stephen Sondheim stagepagesdifferences I really don't want to write a score until the whole show is cast and staged. Stephen Sondheim scorewantwriting For anyone approaching any one of the cast albums, if they don't like what they hear, it's not the performer's fault. Stephen Sondheim castsfaultsalbums Musical comedies aren't written, they are rewritten. Stephen Sondheim brainstormingcomedymusical
