His awards include seven Tonys, three Grammys including Best Contemporary Classical Composition for Requiem, seven Oliviers, a Golden Globe, an Oscar, two International Emmys, the Praemium Imperiale, the Richard Rodgers Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre, a BASCA Fellowship and the Kennedy Center Honor.
He currently owns six London theatres, including the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and the London Palladium.
The Lady's Got Potential
Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lady's got potential, she ought to go far.
She always knows exactly who her best friends are.
The greatest social climber since Cinderella.
But Eva's not the only one who's getting the breaks;
I'm a research chemist who's got what it takes,
And my insecticide's gonna be a bestseller.
Yeah, just one blast and the insects fall like flies
Kapow! Die! They don't have a chance!
In the fly-killing world it's a major advance!
In my world it'll mean finance:
I'm shaping up successful capital-S-wise!
But getting back to Eva, she just saw in those guys
a step-stone, a ladder to the ultimate prize,
and he goes by the name of Colonel Peron.
He began his career in the army overseas,
teaching all the other soldiers all he knew about skis.
When others took a tumble he would always stay on.
Yeah, sure Peron could ski, but who needs a snowman?
He said:
'''Peron'''
Great men don't grow on trees!
I'm one, I ain't gonna freeze!
Dictators Don't grow on skis!
'''Che'''
Peron would be no number two to no man!
He married in the meantime but the poor girl died.
Imagine if she hadn't - we'd have been denied
Now my insecticide contains no dangerous drugs.
It can't harm humans, but it's curtains for bugs.
If you've got six legs, I ain't doin' you no favor.
Yeah, just one blast and the insects fall like flies!
Kapow! Die! They don't have a chance!
In the fly-killing world it's a major advance!
In my world it'll mean finance:
I'm shaping up successful capital-S-wise!
Yeah, just one blast and the insects fall like flies!
Kapow! Die! They don't have a chance!
In the fly-killing world it's a major advance!
In my world it'll mean finance:
I'm shaping up successful capital-S-wise!
Oh yes, Peron, he joined a faction called the G.O.U.
(G - Government, O - Order, U - Unity)
They were the gang behind the military coup,
So Peron was a heartbeat away from control of the nation.
They thought that Hitler had the war as good as won;
They were slightly to the right of Atilla the Hun,
And Eva set her sights on Peron and his situation.
And Eva set her sights on Peron and his situation.
'''Peron'''
The G.O.U. is a three pronged operation:
Government, unopposed and allied
with Order ruthlessly appplied
and Unity: those not on our side
are subject to the process of elimination.
In Andrew Lloyd Webber's song The Lady's Got Potential, Che is singing about two different stories; one about Eva and the other about himself. Che characterizes Eva as a great social climber with a lot of potential who is always “getting the breaks”. Che, on the other hand, is a research chemist who has invented an insecticide that he is confident is going to be a best-seller because it kills insects instantly. He describes his ‘bug killer’ invention as a ‘major advance’, which will bring him success and finance. Che’s story eventually leads back to Eva and her marriage to Colonel Peron. He describes Peron as a man who did not want to be considered a ‘number two to no man.’
Throughout the song, there are different themes being explored - the importance of social climbing, the desire for fame and fortune, and the desire for control and power. Eva is someone who is determined to climb the social ladder and is able to use everyone around her as a means to her success. She sees Peron as her ultimate prize because he is a person of power and control. On the other hand, Che is someone who is seeking success through his insecticide invention. His success, however, is not dependent on the support of others but rather on the quality of his product. The song thus explores the different paths that people can take to achieve their goals and the different characteristics that can lead to success.
Line by Line Meaning
The lady's got potential, she ought to go far.
The woman being referred to has a great potential and is capable of achieving a lot in life.
She always knows exactly who her best friends are.
The woman is very perceptive and can identify her true friends without being misled.
The greatest social climber since Cinderella.
The woman is an excellent social climber, even better than Cinderella, who is known for her rise from rags to riches.
But Eva's not the only one who's getting the breaks;
Apart from Eva, there are others who are receiving opportunities and chances to succeed in life.
I'm a research chemist who's got what it takes,
The artist is a chemist who possesses the necessary knowledge and skills to excel in their field.
And my insecticide's gonna be a bestseller.
The singer has developed an insecticide that will be widely popular and successful in the market.
Yeah, just one blast and the insects fall like flies
The insecticide is incredibly effective and can kill insects quickly and easily.
Kapow! Die! They don't have a chance!
The sound effect 'kapow' symbolizes the immediate and merciless killing of insects by the insecticide.
In the fly-killing world it's a major advance!
The insecticide is an incredible advancement in the world of bug-killing and pest control.
In my world, it'll mean finance:
The development and sale of the insecticide will lead to financial success for the artist.
I'm shaping up successful capital-S-wise!
The singer is taking steps to become successful in their endeavors.
But getting back to Eva, she just saw in those guys a step-stone, a ladder to the ultimate prize, and he goes by the name of Colonel Peron.
Eva sees the men around her, including Colonel Peron, as a means to an end in achieving her ultimate goal.
He began his career in the army overseas, teaching all the other soldiers all he knew about skis.
Colonel Peron started his career in the military and was an expert in skiing, teaching his fellow soldiers his skills.
When others took a tumble he would always stay on.
Even when others failed or fell while skiing, Colonel Peron managed to keep his balance and stay on his feet.
Yeah, sure Peron could ski, but who needs a snowman?
The singer implies that being a skilled skier is not much of an accomplishment and irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
Great men don't grow on trees!
According to Colonel Peron, true greatness is rare and not easily achieved.
I'm one, I ain't gonna freeze!
Colonel Peron is confident in his abilities and is not easily intimidated.
Dictators don't grow on skis!
Colonel Peron considers himself to be a dictator and suggests that his traits and abilities are not acquired through skiing.
Peron would be no number two to no man!
Colonel Peron refuses to play second fiddle to anyone and would rather be in charge.
He married in the meantime but the poor girl died.
Colonel Peron got married but unfortunately, his wife passed away.
Imagine if she hadn't - we'd have been denied the heart-warming, tear-jerking rise to fame of Eva.
If Colonel Peron's wife hadn't died, we would not have witnessed Eva's inspiring story and her rise to fame.
Now my insecticide contains no dangerous drugs.
The insecticide created by the artist does not contain any harmful substances.
It can't harm humans, but it's curtains for bugs.
The insecticide is harmless to humans but deadly to insects.
If you've got six legs, I ain't doin' you no favor.
The artist has no problem killing insects with their insecticide, regardless of how harmless they may seem.
Oh yes, Peron, he joined a faction called the G.O.U.
Colonel Peron became a part of a group called the G.O.U.
(G - Government, O - Order, U - Unity)
The acronym G.O.U. stands for Government, Order, and Unity.
They were the gang behind the military coup,
The G.O.U. was involved in orchestrating a military coup.
So Peron was a heartbeat away from control of the nation.
Colonel Peron was next in line for ruling the country.
They thought that Hitler had the war as good as won;
The group believed that Hitler was on the verge of winning the war.
They were slightly to the right of Atilla the Hun,
The G.O.U. was a right-winged and militant group, even more extreme than Atilla the Hun.
And Eva set her sights on Peron and his situation.
Eva aimed for Colonel Peron and his position of power.
The G.O.U. is a three pronged operation:
The G.O.U. is an organization consisting of three main components.
Government, unopposed and allied
The first component is the government, which is unchallenged and has allies.
with Order ruthlessly applied
The second component is the ruthless application of order.
and Unity: those not on our side
The third component is unity, which considers anyone who is not on their side as an enemy.
are subject to the process of elimination.
Those who oppose or challenge the G.O.U. will be eliminated or dealt with swiftly.
Contributed by Brody O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.