His best known work includes the Disney animated movies, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, as well as Little Shop of Horrors, Enchanted, Tangled and most recently, Sister Act the Musical.
A Happy Ending / Little Shop of Horrors
Alan Menken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In an early year of a decade not too long before our own
The human race suddenly encountered a deadly threat to its very existence
And this terrifying enemy surfaced as such enemies often do
In the seemingly most innocent and unlikely of places
Little shop, little shoppa horrors
Little shop, little shoppa terror
No, oh, oh, no-oh!
Little shop, little shoppa horrors
Bop sh'bop, little shoppa terror
Watch 'em drop! Little shoppa horrors
No, oh, oh, no-oh!
Shing-a-ling, what a freaky thing to be happening!
Look out, look out, look out, look out!
Shang-a-lang, feel the sturm and drang in the air
Yeah!
Sha-la-la, stop right where you are
Don't you move a thing
You better (tellin' you, you better)
Tell your mama something's gonna get her
She better (everybody better beware!
Oh, here it comes, baby
Tell the world, baby
Oh oh, oh no
Oh, hit the dirt, baby
Tell the world, baby, oh oh, no, oh oh, no
Alley oop, hurry off to school child, I'm warnin' you
(Look out, look out, look, out, look out)
Run away, child you gonna pay if you stay, yeah
Look around, something's comin' down down the street for you
You betcha, you betcha, you betcha butt, you betcha
Best believe it, something's come to get ya
You betcha, you better watch your back in this town
Yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah!
Comma, comma, comma
Little shop, little shoppa horrors
Bop sh'bop, you'll never stop the terror
Little shop, little shoppa horrors
No, oh oh, no, oh oh, no, oh oh, no
The Prologue of the musical Little Shop of Horrors sets the tone for the rest of the show. In the opening lines, the singer informs the audience of the setting - the 21st day of September in a decade before our own. He continues to explain how the human race suddenly encounters an ominous and dangerous threat to its existence, which emerges from an unlikely place. This serves as the introduction to the main plot point and antagonist of the show - a man-eating plant that is discovered by one of the singers, Seymour, in a local flower shop. The following verses repeat the phrase “little shop, little shoppa horrors,” reinforcing the main location of the story, while also creating a catchy chorus for the audience to sing along to. The verses contain warnings of the dangers that lie within the flower shop, urging listeners to “watch ‘em drop” and “stop right where you are.” The bridge of the song features the onomatopoeic refrain, “shing-a-ling, what a freaky thing to be happening,” which adds to the eerie tone and sense of foreboding. The chorus continues with the repeated phrase “little shop, little shoppa horrors,” ending with a final warning that “something’s come to get ya.”
Line by Line Meaning
On the twenty-first day of the month of September
It was September 21st, just another day like any other.
In an early year of a decade not too long before our own
It was an early year in a decade not too far in the past, not too different than our current decade.
The human race suddenly encountered a deadly threat to its very existence
All of humanity was suddenly faced with a life-threatening danger.
And this terrifying enemy surfaced as such enemies often do
This enemy appeared to be harmless and innocent, only to later reveal its dangerous nature.
In the seemingly most innocent and unlikely of places
It was in a place that appeared to be safe and innocent, where this enemy emerged.
Little shop, little shoppa horrors
The horror was located in a small, ordinary shop.
Little shop, little shoppa terror
The terror was concentrated in this insignificant shop.
Call a cop, little shoppa horrors
The situation was so dire that the people need to call for help from the authorities.
No, oh, oh, no-oh!
The situation was so bad that it made people feel hopeless and scared.
Shing-a-ling, what a freaky thing to be happening!
The sudden and inexplicable occurrence of the horror was strange and unsettling.
Look out, look out, look out, look out!
Everyone needs to be alert and vigilant because of the danger that is present.
Shang-a-lang, feel the sturm and drang in the air
The environment is filled with tension and agitation, so much so that people could feel it.
Sha-la-la, stop right where you are
People should stop everything they are doing and pay attention to what is happening.
Don't you move a thing
People should not move or take any actions that could make the situation worse.
You better (tellin' you, you better)
The situation is so dire that people need to take it seriously and do what needs to be done.
Tell your mama something's gonna get her
People need to warn their loved ones about the danger they are facing.
She better (everybody better beware!
Everyone should be cautious and wary of what is happening around them.
Oh, here it comes, baby
The horror is about to happen, and it's going to be bad.
Tell the world, baby
People need to spread the word about what is happening so that everyone can know.
Oh oh, oh no
The situation is so serious that it makes people feel afraid and uncertain.
Oh, hit the dirt, baby
People need to take cover and prepare to defend themselves against the threat.
Alley oop, hurry off to school child, I'm warnin' you
People need to be quick and hurry off, perhaps even to the point of running away, to avoid the danger.
(Look out, look out, look, out, look out)
People need to watch out and be cautious all the time.
Run away, child you gonna pay if you stay, yeah
Staying would be dangerous and could result in the person being harmed.
Look around, something's comin' down down the street for you
People need to pay attention to their surroundings because the horror could be coming from anywhere.
You betcha, you betcha, you betcha butt, you betcha
People need to take it seriously and believe that the horror is really happening.
Best believe it, something's come to get ya
People need to know and accept that they are in danger and need to act accordingly.
Bop sh'bop, you'll never stop the terror
There is no end in sight to the terror that people are experiencing.
No, oh oh, no, oh oh, no, oh oh, no
The situation is so serious that it leaves people feeling hopeless and afraid.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HOWARD ELLIOTT ASHMAN, ALAN MENKEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
7et
A lot of comments have said it, but I want to emphasize how different Seymour is on stage and in the movie.
Musical Seymour feels like he's close to being a NiceGuy™, complimenting Audrey with her black eye as if it's pretty - like it's hardly noticeable. While in the movie, Moranis makes it look like he doesn't know that it's a black eye, he's that naïve that he thinks it might be make up.
When the plant talks Seymour into killing Orin (before he sees Audrey being slapped), Moranis again delivers the motorcycle part like he's a little kid - something he can't imagine and would feel great and amazing. He's full of a wonder and thinks the plant might be "good".
In the musical, Seymour seems to thoroughly enjoy it and relish in the thought of making people jealous with him on a bike and looking fancy. It comes off as more adulterous.
In general, the relationship between the plant and Seymour in the musical feels like they're both on the same page or on a similar power level until the plant surpasses him and he underestimates it.
In the movie, Seymour is constantly controlled by the plant.
There's also the difference of Seymours constant fear and misery at his situation in the movie - as opposed to how Seymour poses with the leather jacket, thinking that it will make Audrey like him more. Immediately imitating Orin.
I personally view this as musical Seymour being like the plant - consuming the people he's killed. He at first becomes Audrey's boyfriend, showing a lot more confidence, but still being mostly himself. Then he turns more and more into Mushnick, becoming the owner of the shop.
He starts, although he doesn't realize it, to scare Audrey, which felt to me like a parallel to her relationship with Orin. Movie Seymour never lets his feelings out on her (there's this scene where he's doing finances and the plant provokes him - he goes ballistic and scares Audrey, making it sound like she provoked him.)
Movie Seymour comes off as more likeable - someone stuck in a bad place who tried to escape it and got used at every turn until he breaks out of it. Musical Seymour is that at first and then gets corrupted and consumed by it, using others just as much as they use him.
JustWill
I wholeheartedly agree with your point about the lack of Seymour's agency in the directors cut but there's a few more reasons I think the ending fails:
1. They replaced Ya Never Know with Some Fun Now. This is probably the least important change but it's still worth noting. In Ya Never Know Seymour is clearly shown to be enjoying the success the plant is giving him whereas in Some Fun Now we see him bleeding his fingers dry and looking miserable. Him enjoying his success gives him more motivation to continue feeding the plant.
2. They cut the song Now. This is a big one. In Now, Orin begs Seymour to help him get the gas mask off and he willfully sits by and lets him die, showing his agency in Orin's death.
3. They cut the adoption subplot and Mushnik's death is different. Another big one. In the play Mushnik fully adopts Seymour and begins calling him son. In the film he's just some greedy asshole that he works for. In the film Mushnik sees Seymour cutting up Orin's body while in the play he only finds a dentist's uniform in the garbage. In the film Mushnik has concrete evidence of Seymour's guilt and uses it to blackmail him, whereas in the play he only suspects Seymour and asks him to come with him to the police station to explain things so his "conscience can rest easy." In the film Mushnik holds Seymour at gunpoint and accidentally walks backwards into the plants mouth. In the play Seymour actively tricks Mr. Mushnik (his adopted dad) into getting directly in the plants mouth even when he had no concrete evidence of Seymour's guilt.
4. In the film they cut Seymour's soliloquy from Meek Shall Inherent in which he debates letting the plant die but ultimately decided to keep feeding it so Audrey will continue to love him, thereby setting up his faustian bargain that ultimately ends in her death.
The lack of all these things makes Seymour a more likeable and unassuming character, and when combined with his helpless death in the directors cut it leaves things feeling totally unjustified.
(Sorry for any typos. I'm very passionate about this topic.)
hellomello
This was an incredible video. But something I think that's often looked over, is not only is Seymour's ending unsatisfying in the movie, movie Seymour and play Seymour are two completely different characters.
Rick Moranis did an excellent job at movie Seymour, don't get me wrong. But in the play, there was an entire song dedicated to Seymour weighing the pros and cons of killing Orin.
You could say the same thing about Mr. Mushnik too. In the movie he's much more cruel towards Seymour, whilst in the play he's still a bad person but didn't go as far as to threaten Seymour with a gun. You can kinda justify Mr. Mushnik's death in the movie. Same with Orin. Movie Seymour's just too loveable and dorky to not root for.
But like I said before, play Seymour knows what he's doing, and keeps doing it anyway. He lets his adoptive dad (which btw was so strange to me that they cut from the movie?? I'm thinking the reason was to make Mr. Mushnik appear more cruel but that doesn't make sense to me.) die voluntarily by telling him to get in the plant. He isn't threatened like in the movie. And this leads to Audrey, the person he wanted to protect the most, dying. Basically, what I'm trying to say is, play Seymour started off with good intentions but slowly let greed overtake him and that's why the play ending is suitable. Movie Seymour is more timid and the things just kinda fall in place for him, which makes his death so unsatisfying.
Hope this made sense- I'm autistic and little shop of horrors has been one of my special interests for years now so this is my take on it LOL
Alexander Chippel
I think an aspect of the movie that's also overlooked is that Seymour doesn't really do anything wrong.
Okay he does a lot wrong, but everything he does is done so passively, and in a way where it's very obvious he is woefully unprepared in dealing with the current situation.
When Orin dies, it's it takes like a minute. And Seymour looks like he doesn't even know what's really going on until he dies.
When Mushnick dies, it's because he leans into what's clearly a giant mouth with teeth and Seymour let's out of little "Sir..." before Audrey II eats him. He basically tired to warn him, but he was too nervous and terrified to do anything about it.
And I think that's the major difference between the movie and the play. They say it's just the ending but it's really the entirety of Seymour's arc.
The play is s story about the dangers of hurting others for your own benefit. He willingly kills two people, and then he ultimately gets what he deserves when he loses it all and dies. He's borderline Machiavellian in the way he contemplates helping Orin, and how he tricks Mushnick into getting into the plants mouth.
The movie is about the dangers of stumbling into something really, really good, and then just accepting that as the way it is while just standing around being complicit in bad things that happen around you, and not having the courage to stop.
It's a lot easier to get attached to a character that is passive and let's bad things happen, then it is to get attached to a character that actively and willingly makes things worse.
Szymon Adamus
Yes, the original ending is painful, unpleasant and even depressing. But that is precisely why it is interesting.
As for Seymour, again - the film version of this ending is bitter and brutal. It doesn't leave a shadow of the irony or heroism we see on the stage.
That's why it's interesting. If Audrey II is the embodiment of Seymour's bad decisions, then their total domination of him in the finale is an interesting metaphor. Perhaps Seymor could have fought and defended himself more in this scene, but sometimes our bad decisions lead to such strong consequences that we are completely vulnerable to them. Whatever we do.
In my opinion, it is interesting, although of course I understand why it performed so badly in the test screenings. The original ending of the film completely takes away this conventionality of brutality and the hilarity of the whole situation. It is very, very bitter.
I like it. It is something different, more difficult, more emotionally challenging. But I can understand why one might not like it.
Joseph Leanos
Another thing worth bringing up is that in the movie, Seymour has less of an impact with killing both Orin and Mushnik.
In the stage version, Orin's death happens over the course of an entire song, and Seymour decides that if he just does nothing, Orin will die on his own. But in the movie, Orin's death happens with no song, and over a matter of seconds, and Seymour doesn't have much time to process what to do. And when Orin asks what he did to deserve this, Seymour says "It's what you did to her", and Orin's face basically says "Oh...Maybe I DO deserve this..."
As for Mushnik, in the stage play, Mushnik doesn't have any concrete proof that Seymour killed Orin, but has lots of evidence pointing towards it. So, Seymour tricks Mushnik into climbing into the plant, which leads to him getting eaten. But in the movie, Mushnik actually knows that Seymour is responsible, because he sees Seymour chopping up Orin in the alley. But as he's about to take Seymour to the police, he instead tries to blackmail Seymour into teaching him how to feed Audrey 2, and as Mushnik begins backing up, its his own curiosity of the plant's open mouth that gets him eaten.
So, in the stage version, Seymour has more involvement of Orin and Mushnik's deaths, while in the movie, their deaths seem more accidental, which makes Seymour's death in the movie less satisfying to the narrative.
MysteryManfrom79
There was an alternate take of Mushnik's demise which made it look like Seymour edged him back on purpose - this and the full MEEK SHALL INHERIT song led the film towards a darker ending. But as the film stands, the darker ending seems out of place.
Jay Valenz
Yes!!! In the musical, seymour’s choices feel much more deliberate, while in the movie he feels to me like hes much more a victim of circumstance, swept along in a chaotic whirlwind of events. The deaths feel a lot more accidental, like. what else could he have done? mushnik held him at GUNPOINT. this combined with the removal of seymours part in meek shall inherit (and the fact that the offers were made rapidfire rather than a slow one by one seduction) all just makes me feel sorry for seymour. i feel he deserved that happy ending, in the movie at least. In the musical yeah him getting eaten is way more fitting
𝕀 ℕ𝔼𝔼𝔻𝔼𝔻 𝕋ℍ𝔸𝕋
I couldn't agree more! Though, since I do own the directors cut on Blu-ray, I almost always watch it. I just think how it was done was great, and I love "don't feed the plants".
jason cook
Here is what i think the studio should have done. When Seymour is told, "Every household in America..." They should have Seymour imagine the original ending. Maybe cut it down for time but that way we would have the best of both worlds.
Tim Carr
Dude I was thinking the same thing! Maybe when he gets knocked out when the roof falls on him during his fight with Audrey 2. But then wakes up to finally stop the plant with electricity.
It was just such a waste to not use that footage.
jason cook
@Tim Carr That would have been a great time to do it too.
madelyn forrester
I was thinking maybe Seymour and Audrey could escape from America before the ending could happen in which all the salesmen could take the leftover snippings where the ending happens
xXFlippyXx100
Oooo that's a brilliant idea. That way all those scenes wouldn't go to waste. You know those scenes cost a large chunk of their budget.
Lucinda Mobley
In a way it is the best of both worlds because anybody who has the bluray can see either both endings or just the one they like. The very first time I saw this movie it ended with the original with Seymour and Audrey dying, the some time later I saw it again with the theatrical ending and it made it even better for me.