Alan Menken (born July 22, 1949 in New Rochelle, New York, United States) i… Read Full Bio ↴Alan Menken (born July 22, 1949 in New Rochelle, New York, United States) is an American musical theatre and film composer, and pianist. Menken has collaborated with several renowned lyricists including Howard Ashman (1950-1991), Tim Rice and Stephen Schwartz. For his work he has won eight Academy Awards as well as ten additional nominations.
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.

Grow For Me
Alan Menken Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Seymour]
I've given you sunshine
I've given you dirt
You've given me nothin'
But heartache and hurt!
I'm beggin' you sweetly
I'm down on my knees.
Oh please-

Grow for me.

I've given you plantfood
And water to sip
I've given you potash.
You've given me zip.
Oh god how I mist you
Oh pod how you tease
So please-
Grow for me.

I've given you Southern exposure
To get you to thrive
I've pinched you back hard,
Like I'm supposed ta,
Your're barely alive
I've tried you at levels of moisture,
From desert to mud.

I've given you grow-lights and mineral supplements.
What do you want from me?
Blood?

{spoken}
Ouch! Damned roses! Damned thorns! Clumsy me.
Hey, Twoey, look what I did! Hey, you opened up! I
wonder what made you do that?
I think I know what made you do that. Well, I guess
a few drops couldn't hurt. Long as you don't make a
habit out of it or anything.
{end of spoken lines}

I've given you sunlight
I've given you rain
Looks like you're not happy
'less I open a vein!
I'll give you a few drops
If that'll appease
Now please-
Oh please-

Grow for me?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Grow For Me by Alan Menken convey the desperation of Seymour, the singer of the musical Little Shop of Horrors, who is besotted with a rather peculiar plant that demands nothing short of human blood to grow sustainably. As Seymour goes on to express his frustration with the plant's reluctance to respond to his efforts, his tone of voice and choice of words gradually assume a pleading, beseeching quality as he makes physical offerings to the plant. Seymour shares how he has provided the plant all its needs, from plant food to potash, southern exposure, moisture, and supplements, but in spite of his efforts, the plant continues to wither and is barely alive. The plant only grows when Seymour accidentally pricks his finger and some blood lands on it. The lyrics of the song depict Seymour's affection for the plant turning into a desperate plea to have it do what he wishes.

The song's lyrics show us the lengths our passion can drive us to go. Seymour is so infatuated with the plant that he's willing to give a little of himself to the plant he so deeply adores. It also highlights how the plant becomes the center of Seymour's existence and the obstacle to his dream of being understood and loved. The plant becomes more than just a typical plant to Seymour; it represents a dream: a purpose after a life of disappointment and loneliness. Seymour is afraid that his last chance to achieve something he wants so deeply is beginning to wither away, and pleads for the plant to grow for him.

Line by Line Meaning

I've given you sunshine
I have provided you with everything you need for growth and survival.

I've given you dirt
I have given you the foundation you need to grow and thrive.

You've given me nothin'
You haven't given me any signs of growth despite everything I have provided.

But heartache and hurt!
I feel disappointed and hurt because you haven't grown despite my efforts.

I'm beggin' you sweetly
I am pleading with you to grow and thrive for my sake.

I'm down on my knees.
I am humble and willing to do what it takes to see you grow and flourish.

Oh please-
I am begging you earnestly to grow for me.

I've given you plantfood
I have provided you with the necessary nutrients to promote your growth.

And water to sip
I have given you water to drink and quench your thirst.

I've given you potash.
I have supplied you with potash to enhance your growth and development.

You've given me zip.
You haven't provided me with any signs of growth despite my efforts.

Oh god how I mist you
I have missed you and your growth, which I have been eagerly anticipating.

Oh pod how you tease
You have been teasing me with your lack of growth despite everything I have done.

So please-
I am imploring you to grow and flourish for my sake.

I've given you Southern exposure
I have exposed you to the right amount of sunlight to help you thrive.

To get you to thrive
My actions are intended to bring out the best in you and promote your growth.

I've pinched you back hard,
I have taken measures to help you grow properly and avoid stunted growth.

Like I'm supposed ta,
I am doing everything that is expected of me to help you grow properly.

Your're barely alive
You haven't shown any signs of significant growth despite all my efforts.

I've tried you at levels of moisture,
I have tried different levels of humidity to find what works best for your growth.

From desert to mud.
I have tried different extremes to determine what would be the best environment for your growth.

I've given you grow-lights and mineral supplements.
I have provided you with supplementary measures to enhance your growth.

What do you want from me?
I am at a loss about what else to do to promote your growth.

Blood?
Can't you grow unless I give you something drastic like blood?

Hey, Twoey, look what I did!
I am pleased with myself for something I did for you.

Hey, you opened up!
I am happy you are showing signs of growth and development.

I think I know what made you do that.
I have an idea about what promoted your growth and development.

Well, I guess a few drops couldn't hurt.
I am willing to go to extreme lengths if it means promoting your growth but not at the expense of my health.

Long as you don't make a habit out of it or anything.
I am willing to give you a few drops of my blood if it means boosting your growth, but I don't want it to become a habit.

I've given you sunlight
I have provided you with optimum conditions for your growth and development.

I've given you rain
I have provided you with water to quench your thirst and promote your growth.

Looks like you're not happy
It appears as though the conditions that I provided to promote your growth aren't making you happy.

'less I open a vein!
I am willing to go to extreme lengths to promote your growth, even if it means sacrificing my health.

I'll give you a few drops
I am offering my blood as a last resort to promote your growth.

If that'll appease
If blood is what you need for your growth and survival, I am willing to give it.

Now please-
I am begging you with urgency to grow and flourish for my sake.

Oh please-
I am earnestly pleading with you to grow and flourish for my sake.

Grow for me?
Please grow and flourish to make all my efforts worth it.

Contributed by Elena A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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