Archive for Musicals.Net Musicals.Net |
| satch |
what does the song "any dream will do" mean?what do you think.i'm trying to understand the lyrics. (english is my second language) please take it easy on me. is he flashing forward to the future? is he saying he will accept any fate/destiny? i know this song was before his brothers threw him in the well. so what is he singing about? any thoughts? |
||||
| Monsieur D'Arque |
It's basically saying, "Wow. Looking back, it's been a long, crazy journey to get to where I am, but it turned out pretty well in the end." | ||||
| satch |
but isn't the song in the beginning of the production? how can he say it went pretty well in the end when it hasn't happened yet. |
||||
| Robinflamingo |
When he sings it at the beginning, I think it is more to indicate that he IS a dreamer and that anything you can dream, you can do. The whole dream motif is of course based on his ability to interpret dreams.
When he sings it at the end, many of his dreams have come true - he's rich, he's reunited with his brothers - and it's more retrospective. But that's just my opinion. |
||||
| Vanessa20 |
Personally, I've never thought of the song as taking place at the beginning of the story. How would the references to the coat in the song, especially the middle part with "my golden coat flew out of sight," make any sense then, if he sings it before he even receives the coat? The song was originally only sung at the end of the show: I don't think it was ever sung at the beginning too until the Jason Donovan revival. When he sings at the beginning, I don't think of it as taking place within the story. Since his entrance is usually through smoke, descending from overhead, or something like that, I've always thought of him as a spirit in the opening scene. He's a Biblical figure, he's been dead for centuries, and he's looking back retrospectively on his life. Then he and the Narrator go back in time (or maybe "return to the beginning" would be a more appropriate way to put it) to tell the story. That's just how I've always seen it. |
||||
| mantarnia |
I think the original reason for puting it at the begining as well was to plug Jason Donavan's single version of it. Although I think your explanation is very good, and is how it should be thought of. |
||||
| Hans |
It doesn't mean anything.
Initially it was a pop single with nonsense text that was tweaked slightly, so that it gives a slight impression of having something to do with the show. |
||||
| bittenbythetheatrebug |
This is exactly what I was going to say. 
|
||||
| bittenbythetheatrebug |
This sort of dawned on me today while I was watching our production of it.. Think of it this way: he sings the song at the beginning of the show. What if that's him returning to the beginning from when he sings it at the end?
I think that makes sense.. If it doesn't I'll try to explain more thoroughly. 
|
||||
| Brother Marvin Hinten, S. |
I get the point, but basically mantarnia's point is correct. Personally, I think if they were going to use the number for character development, they should put in the 1969 lyrics for the pop single version of "Any Dream Will Do" by that kiddie act. I think it might strengthen Joseph's character development from a self-absorbed kid into the determined young man who saved the Egyptian nation and proved that if you hang onto your dreams you can do anything. | ||||
| Beagle On Stage |
If you find a Joseph who actually employs character development and portrays a strong character who grows as an individual, call the newspaper. |
||||
| Brother Marvin Hinten, S. |
Point taken, but if they actually had something to play (even in small steps, i.e. putting in the 1969 lyrics for example), maybe that would be helped. | ||||
| Vanessa20 |
What are the 1969 lyrics? | ||||
| Brother Marvin Hinten, S. |
As soon as I find them, I'll throw them here. They used to be on an ALW fan site that is now-defunct. | ||||
| pixiedust |
I've always thought of it as a way to take a well known bible story and make it into a musical that everyone can relate to. By putting this song in it suggests that the musical is about following your dreams and not about religion. | ||||
| Brother Marvin Hinten, S. |
Found the 1969 "Any Dream Will Do" lyrics!
Okay, I know what you're saying. Gib, why are you such a champion of these lyrics? They're tacky! They read like a rush job! Like something Tim wrote in the taxi on the way to Andrew's after having promised he already had a lyric finished! But...there's a reason it works as character development, to me. It helps develop the character journey of Joseph from this bratty young kid with a seemingly divine ability to a young man in control of his (and ultimately his family's) destiny. The finale lyrics (as currently used at the top of the show in true Jason Donovan pop single form) sound too self-assured, too confident, too much like he's already learned his lesson, to be at the top of the show. These lyrics, for one, on the other hand, are self-centered. They present this image of Joseph as a (no doubt very bratty, Steven Pimlott agreed with me anyway) kid who just wants to be left alone to dream, who doesn't want any responsibility, which makes it all the more amazing when he suddenly takes on one massive responsibility after another in Egypt. He also describes his dreams, how they take him away from the world surrounding him, which incidentally explains why he's able to recall them so well (i.e., if his dreams are an escape from the world around him, he'll be able to recall and interpret them with regularity). These are the lyrics that belong at the start of the character journey suggested for Joseph by the meager material that makes up the show. |
||||
| Monsieur D'Arque |
I saw a Joseph once when the openign ANy Dream was performed simply with voice and a ukelele backing, similar to the songs "Blue Red and Grey" or "Somewhere Over The Rainbow/Wonderful World" by The Who or Israel respectively.
It didn't change it much, but by taking away the over-produced, self-confident backing music, it left the song standing alone with its naivete intact. |
||||
| Vanessa20 |
Cool I'd like to see a production that uses those lyrics at the beginning and see how it comes across. (Would it be legal to use them?)
I do still like my old idea of Joseph making his entrance as a spirit looking back on his life, then taking the audience back in time to tell them the story. But of course, there's less character development in that scenario. |
||||
| mantarnia |
I don't know where these lyrics have come from, but I have the 1969 recording, and the lyrics are exactly the same as the ones used now. |
||||
| Brother Marvin Hinten, S. |
These lyrics are for a version that was recorded and released in 1969 as a pop single by an act called "Christopher." You won't find them on the '69 album. | ||||
| mantarnia |
I don't know where you get this from. It was written in 1968, and it wasn't a pop single until 1991. |
||||
| Brother Marvin Hinten, S. |
See above, and check Tim Rice's autobiography for confirmation. It was. | ||||
| mantarnia |
Ok I have now read up on it. What was confusing me is that Dvarg's post implied that the 1969 single was the original, which it most certainly was not. The original lyric is the one still used in the show today. As shown here. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=6133 |