She expanded her repertoire to Broadway and television in the 1950s and was particularly successful in Broadway productions of 'Mame', (1966) 'Gypsy' (1973), and 'Sweeney Todd' (1979). Lansbury is perhaps best known for her role as writer Jessica Fletcher on the U.S. television series "Murder, She Wrote", in which she starred from 1984 to 1996. Her recent roles include Lady Adelaide Stitch in the 2005 film Nanny McPhee, Leona Mullen in the 2007 Broadway play Deuce, Madame Arcati in the 2009 Broadway revival of the play Blithe Spirit (2009) and Madame Armfeldt in the 2010 Broadway revival of the musical 'A Little Night Music'.
Respected for her versatility, Lansbury has won five Tony Awards, six Golden Globes, and has been nominated for numerous other industry awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress on three occasions, and eighteen Emmy Awards.
Human Again
Angela Lansbury Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Human again
Yes, think of what that means
I'll be cooking again
Be good-looking again
With a mademoiselle on each arm
When I'm human again
Poised and polished and gleaming with charm
I'll be courting again
Chic and sporting again
Which should cause severance husbands alarm
I'll hop down off the shelf
And toute suite be myself
I can't wait to be human again
When we're human again
Only human again
When we're knickknacks and what not no more
When we're human again, good and human again
O, cherie, won't it all be top drawer?
I'll wear lipstick and rouge
And I won't be so huge
Why, I'll easily fit through that door
I'll exude savoir faire
I'll wear gowns, I'll have hair
It's my prayer to be human again
When we're human again, only human again
When the world once more starts making sense
I'll unwind, for a change
Really that'd be strange
Can I help it if I'm tense
In a shack by the sea, I'll sit back, sipping tea
Let my early retirement commence
Far from fools made of wax, I'll get down to brass tacks and relax
When I'm human again
So sweep the dust from the floor
Let's let some light in the room
I can feel, I can tell someone might break the spell any day now
Shine up the brass on the door
Alert the dust pail and broom
If it all goes as planned our time may be at hand any day now
Open the shutters and let in some air
Put these here and put those over there
Sweep up the years, the sadness and tears and throw them away
We'll be human again, only human again
When the girl finally sets us all free
Cheeks a-blooming again, we're assuming again
We'll resume our long-lost joie de vivre
We'll be playing again, holidaying again
And we're praying it's ASAP
We will push, we will shove
They will both fall in love
And we'll finally be human again
We'll be dancing again
We'll be twirling again
We'll be whirling around with such ease
When we're human again
Only human again
We'll go waltzing those old one-two-threes
We'll be floating again!
We'll be gliding again!
Stepping, striding as fine as you please
Like a real human does
I'll be all that I was
On that glorious morn
When we're finally reborn
And we're all of us human again
The lyrics to "Human Again" from the Disney film Beauty and the Beast describe the hopes and desires of various animated objects in the castle. As they anticipate the end of the curse and their transformation back into human beings, they daydream about what they will be able to do once they are human again. The objects describe everything from courting and flirting to cooking and cleaning, and express a desire to feel "polished and gleaming with charm" once more. The lyrics paint a picture of a group of objects who long to be released from their inanimate states and to once again feel the joys and sorrows of being human.
These lyrics provide a useful metaphor for anyone who has ever experienced a period of feeling stuck or stagnant in their life, and who has longed for the freedom to become themselves again. Like the objects in the song, we may find ourselves wishing for an end to a particular challenge or period of difficulty, and dreaming of what we will do when we once again feel whole and complete. The song reminds us of the power of hope and the importance of imagination in helping us to survive difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah human again
Expressing excitement about becoming human again
Human again
Reiterating the excitement about being human again
Yes, think of what that means
Encouraging listeners to imagine what it will be like to be human again
I'll be cooking again
Looking forward to cooking again post-transformation
Be good-looking again
Referring to appearance after transformation
With a mademoiselle on each arm
Excitement about potential romantic partners after transformation
When I'm human again
Re-emphasizing desire to be human again
Only human again
Acknowledging their current state of not being human
Poised and polished and gleaming with charm
Looking forward to being charming and elegant post-transformation
I'll be courting again
Excitement about the prospect of dating again
Chic and sporting again
Referring to being fashionable and stylish after transformation
Which should cause severance husbands alarm
Suggesting that husbands should be nervous about their wives romantic prospects
I'll hop down off the shelf
No longer feeling like an inanimate object after transformation
And toute suite be myself
Can't wait to be their true self
I can't wait to be human again
Reiterating eagerness to be transformed
When we're human again
Referring to the group's shared desire to be human again
When we're knickknacks and what not no more
No longer wanting to be seen as inanimate objects
Good and human again
Referring to the positive changes that will come with being human
O, cherie, won't it all be top drawer?
Implying that being human will be wonderful
I'll wear lipstick and rouge
Looking forward to wearing makeup post-transformation
And I won't be so huge
Happy about no longer being oversized
Why, I'll easily fit through that door
Referring to having a more human-sized body
I'll exude savoir faire
Feeling sophisticated and charming after their transformation
I'll wear gowns, I'll have hair
Desire to look elegant and fine
It's my prayer to be human again
Expressing strong desire to be human again
When the world once more starts making sense
Implying that the world doesn't make sense in their current state
I'll unwind, for a change
Relaxation and change of pace after transformation
Really that'd be strange
Acknowledgement of how different life will be after transformation
Can I help it if I'm tense
Feeling tense and stressed in their current state
In a shack by the sea, I'll sit back, sipping tea
Desire for a peaceful and relaxed life
Let my early retirement commence
Referring to a return to a normal life
We'll be playing again, holidaying again
Looking forward to having fun and enjoying life again
And we're praying it's ASAP
Impatience to be transformed
We will push, we will shove
Eagerness to be turned into humans again
They will both fall in love
Hope for romantic relationships for their friends
And we'll finally be human again
Expressing excitement about finally becoming human again
We'll be dancing again
Looking forward to dancing post-transformation
We'll be twirling again
Looking forward to feeling light and free again
We'll be whirling around with such ease
Referring to gracefulness and agility that comes with being human
We'll go waltzing those old one-two-threes
Looking forward to dancing the waltz
We'll be floating again!
Feeling light and free after transformation
We'll be gliding again!
Referring to graceful movements that come with being human
Stepping, striding as fine as you please
Looking forward to walking gracefully as a human
Like a real human does
Desiring to be like a regular human being
I'll be all that I was
Becoming the person they once were
On that glorious morn
Looking forward to being transformed on a glorious morning
When we're finally reborn
Referring to the transformation as being reborn
And we're all of us human again
All of them being turned into humans again
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Howard Elliott Ashman, Alan Menken
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind