Overture
1998 London Cast Lyrics
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Come on babe
Why don´t we paint the town?
And all that Jazz
I´m gonna rouge my knees
And roll my stockings down
And all that jazz
Start the car
I know a whoopee spot
Where the gin is cold
But the piano´s hot
It´s just a noisy hall
Where there´s a nightly brawl
And all
That
Jazz
Slick your hair
And wear your buckle shoes
And all that Jazz
I hear that Father Dip
Is gonna blow the blues
And all that Jazz
Hold on, hon
We´re gonna bunny hug
I bought some aspirin
Down at United Drug
I case you shake apart
And want a brand new start
To do that-
[VELMA AND COMPANY]
Jazz
[COMPANY]
Skidoo!
[VELMA]
And all that Jazz
[COMPANY]
Hotcha!
Whoopee!
[VELMA]
And all that Jazz
[COMPANY]
Ha! Ha! Ha!
It´s just a noisy hall
Where there´s a nightly brawl
[ALL]
And all that jazz
[CASELY (spoken)]
Listen, your husband ain´t home, is he?
[VELMA (Spoken)]
No, her husband is not at home.
Find a flask
We´re playing fast and loose
[ALL]
And all that jazz
[VELMA]
Right up here
Is where I store the juice
[ALL]
And all that jazz
[VELMA]
Come on, babe
We´re gonna brush the sky
I bet you luck Lindy
Never flew so high
´Cause in the stratosphere
How could he lend an ear
to all that Jazz?
[COMPANY]
Oh, you´re gonna see your sheba shimmy shake
[VELMA]
And all that jazz
[COMPANY]
Oh, she´s gonna shimmy ´till her garters break
[VELMA]
And all that jazz
[COMPANY]
Show her where to park her girdle
Oh, her mother´s blood´d curdle
If she´d hear her baby´s queer
For all that jazz
[VELMA]
And All that jazz
Come on, babe
Why Don´t we paint
The town?
And all that jazz
[COMPANY]
Oh, you´re gonna see
Your
Sheba
Shimmy shake
And all that jazz
[VELMA]
I´m gonna
Rouge my knees
And roll my
Stockings down
And all that jazz
[COMPANY]
Oh
She´s gonna shimmy
´Till her garters
Break
And all that jazz
[VELMA]
Start the car
I know a whoopee spot
Where the gin is cold
But the piano´s hot
It´s just a noisy hall
Where there´s a nightly brawl
And all that jazz
[COMPANY]
Show her where to
Park her girdle
Oh, her mother´s blood´d
Curdle
If she´d hear
Her baby´s queer
For all that jazz
[ROXIE (Spoken)]
So that´s it, huh Fred?
[CASELY (Spoken)]
yeah, I´m afraid so, Roxie.
[ROXIE (Spoken)]
Oh, Fred...
[GIRLS (Spoken)]
Oh, Fred...
[CASELY (Spoken)]
Yeah?
[ROXIE (Spoken)]
Nobody walks out on me.
[CASELY (Spoken)]
Sweetheart-
[ROXIE (Spoken)]
Oh, don´t "sweetheart" me,
you son-of-a-bitch!
[COMPANY]
Hotcha!
Whoopee!
Jazz!
[ROXIE (Spoken)]
Oh, I gotta pee!
[VELMA]
No, I´m no one´s wife
But, Oh, I love my life
And all that Jazz!
[COMPANY]
That Jazz!
Renée Zellweger (Roxy)
Catherine Zeta-Jones (Velma)
Taye Diggs (Casely)
The opening number of the musical "Chicago", "Overture", is performed by Velma Kelly and the company. In the song, Velma invites the audience to join her in painting the town red and experiencing the thrill of the nightlife. She suggests rougeing their knees, rolling their stockings down, slicking their hair, wearing buckle shoes, and suiting up for a night of drinks, dancing, and jazz music. She then shares her excitement about a gin joint where the alcohol is cold and the piano's hot, and where Father Dip is going to play some blues. Velma paints a picture of a noisy hall where nightly brawls are commonplace and everyone is consumed by the excitement of the moment. The song ends with Roxie Hart, Casely, and Velma in a bit of a scuffle before the show really begins.
"Overture" is a high-energy, toe-tapping number that excites the audience and sets the tone for the entire musical. The lyrics are suggestive and mischievous, promising a night of excitement with the company. The song encourages the audience to lose themselves in the moment and forget their troubles, just like the characters in the show. The number also introduces the concept of jazz, which becomes a recurring theme throughout "Chicago".
Line by Line Meaning
Come on babe
Why don´t we paint the town?
And all that Jazz
Let's go out and have a good time, dancing and drinking, like we always do
I´m gonna rouge my knees
And roll my stockings down
And all that jazz
I'm going to dress up, wear makeup, and show off my body, like a performer
Start the car
I know a whoopee spot
Where the gin is cold
But the piano´s hot
It´s just a noisy hall
Where there´s a nightly brawl
And all
That
Jazz
Let's go to a bar where we can drink and dance to music played on a piano, surrounded by lively people
Slick your hair
And wear your buckle shoes
And all that Jazz
Get dressed up with nice shoes and hair, and look great on the dancefloor
I hear that Father Dip
Is gonna blow the blues
And all that Jazz
I heard that a musician named Father Dip is going to perform blues music, and that will be amazing
Hold on, hon
We´re gonna bunny hug
I bought some aspirin
Down at United Drug
I case you shake apart
And want a brand new start
To do that-
[VELMA AND COMPANY]
Jazz
Let's dance together, and if you get tired or overwhelmed, I got some aspirin to refresh you so we can continue with all that jazz
Skidoo!
Let's go, hurry up!
Ha! Ha! Ha!
Laughing at the fun we're having
It´s just a noisy hall
Where there´s a nightly brawl
And all that jazz
We're partying in a boisterous, rowdy place, dancing to the rhythm of jazz music
Find a flask
We´re playing fast and loose
And all that jazz
Let's play a drinking game, and be wild and crazy, continuing the party vibe
Right up here
Is where I store the juice
And all that jazz
I keep my drinks up here, and we're going to enjoy it all with dancing and jazz music
"Cause in the stratosphere
How could he lend an ear
to all that Jazz?
We're going to party so hard and high that we'll be on a whole other level, feeling unreachable
Oh, you´re gonna see your sheba shimmy shake
And all that jazz
You will enjoy an impressive performance by amazing dancing women, who are going to shake their bodies to the beat of jazz music
"Show her where to park her girdle
Oh, her mother´s blood´d curdle
If she´d hear her baby´s queer
For all that jazz
Teaching how to remove her undergarments so everything can go smoother, but making sure to be discreet to avoid causing any bad feelings to her or her family and friends
So that´s it, huh Fred?
Is this the end of our encounter, are we done talking?
Oh, Fred...
Feeling conflicted or despondent about ending the encounter
Yeah?
What do you want or need?
Nobody walks out on me.
Feeling betrayed or disrespected by someone leaving without giving proper attention or respect
Sweetheart-
Trying to soften the mood or address someone with affection
Oh, don´t "sweetheart" me,
you son-of-a-bitch!
Getting angry, being insulted or offended by someone's behavior or words
Oh, I gotta pee!
Suddenly needing to go to the bathroom, interrupting or delaying the proceedings
No, I´m no one´s wife
But, Oh, I love my life
And all that Jazz!
Asserting independence, celebrating singlehood or freedom, and living life to the fullest, partying and enjoying the music and the moment
That Jazz!
All of this lively energy and excitement is what we call "jazz" or an amazing time
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN KANDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Amanda E
When I saw a recent production of cats in my city all the cats were spread out amongst the audience sleeping , playing etc once the overture kicked in it went dark and all the cats perked up and started to head towards the stage down the aisles ..it was too cute!.
coolcattigger
Amazing - when I went to see it in the west end, the stage looks as if we were observing it as in the round, but when the overture began, the stage and the lucky front rows rotated round so that it became a full front stage view
Amanda E
@Will Fomes it was spectacular!.
During intermission I got photos of my daughter with old Deuteronomy and some of the assemble..such a fun show that's perfect for all ages
Will Fomes
Wow. That must’ve been great.
Nick Mesogianes
It's a shame they never released an offical soundtrack for this film version. I think most of us are familiar with this version compared to the 1981 and 83 versions
homeiswonderland
@Andrew Brooking Do you know what changed?
Rene Astle
What if they did? That could've been a smash.
Hh Hh
If you’ve never seen this live on broadway, you don’t know how truly enchanting the beginning is.
Watermelon_Cat13
Sadly when I saw it I was a bit late and missed that part.
Watermelon_Cat13
Well I am today