Neuwirth was born in Princeton, New Jersey, to Jewish American parents Lee Neuwirth (a mathematician and triathlete) and Sydney Anne.
Neuwirth started her showbiz career as a dancer. She has been featured in Broadway musicals such as Damn Yankees, Sweet Charity, and Chicago and is the winner of two Tony Awards. In 2002, she was featured in the romantic comedy How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. She also starred as actress Tabba Schwartzkopf in Oliver Stone's 1993 miniseries, Wild Palms, and appeared with Andie MacDowell and Gérard Depardieu in the movie Green Card. She also served as the voice actress for Annabelle in All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series.
Neuwirth's is known for her pale skin and her long legs.
In 2005, she co-starred in Law & Order: Trial by Jury, a spin-off of the long-running crime drama series Law & Order created by Dick Wolf; the show lasted only one season.
I Know a Girl
Bebe Neuwirth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Welcome back
Roxie′s in there being looked over by the state medical examiner
Says she's gonna have a baby
Now why didn′t I think of that?
Can you imagine
I mean can you imagine
Do you believe it
I know a girl
A girl who lands on top
You could put her face into a pale of slop
And she'd come up smelling
Like a rose
How she does it?
Heaven knows
I know a girl
A girl with so much luck
She could get run over by a
Two ton truck
And brush herself off
And walk away
How she does it?
Couldn't say
Whilst I
On the other hand
Put my face in a pale of slop
And I will smell like a pale of slop
I on ther other hand
Get run over by a truck
And I am deader than a duck
I know a girl who tells so many lies
Anything that′s true would truly cross her eyes
But what that mouse is sellin′
The whole world buys
And nobody smells a RAT!
Can you imagine
I mean can you imagine?
Do you believe it?
I mean do you believe it?
In Bebe Neuwirth's song "I Know a Girl," the singer is being sarcastic and lamenting her own misfortunes compared to a girl she knows. The song starts with the singer greeting the audience with "Hello suckers" before getting into the news that Roxie is pregnant and the singer is jealous that she didn't think of it first. The first verse is about the amazing resilience of the girl the singer knows - that she could put her face in a pail of slop and still come up smelling sweet like a rose. The second verse is about the girl's incredible luck, that she could survive being run over by a two-ton truck unscathed. The final verse is about the girl's cunning lies, but despite it all, everyone believes her.
The song is essentially a character study of someone who has everything going their way, while the singer's own character seems to be full of bad luck, self-deprecation, and cynicism. The song is from the musical "Chicago" and is sung by the character Velma Kelly, who is a vaudevillian performer and murderess. The song highlights Velma's jealousy and frustration with the young and beautiful Roxie, who is also a performer and has become the new darling of the media.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello Suckers
Welcome back
Roxie's in there being looked over by the state medical examiner
Roxie is being examined by the state medical examiner
Says she's gonna have a baby
She claims she's pregnant
Now why didn't I think of that?
I wish I had thought of that idea
Can you imagine
Can you believe it?
I mean can you imagine
I'm really surprised
Do you believe it
Are you serious?
I mean do you believe it
I'm really shocked
I know a girl
I know someone
A girl who lands on top
She always comes out on top
You could put her face into a pale of slop
Even if she were covered in filth
And she'd come up smelling
She always manages to come off smelling good
Like a rose
As if nothing bad happened
How she does it?
I don't know how she does it
Heaven knows
Only God knows
A girl with so much luck
Someone very lucky
She could get run over by a Two ton truck
Even if something bad happens to her
And brush herself off
She always recovers quickly
And walk away
She never gives up
Couldn't say
I don't know how she does it
Whilst I
On the other hand
Put my face in a pale of slop
If I were to find myself covered with filth
And I will smell like a pale of slop
I would smell terrible
I on ther other hand
I, however,
Get run over by a truck
If something bad happened to me
And I am deader than a duck
I would be defeated
I know a girl who tells so many lies
I know someone who lies a lot
Anything that's true would truly cross her eyes
She doesn't know how to tell the truth
But what that mouse is sellin′
But people believe the lies she tells
The whole world buys
Everyone believes her false statements
And nobody smells a RAT!
No one suspects her of lying
Can you imagine
Can you believe it?
I mean can you imagine?
I'm really surprised
Do you believe it?
Are you serious?
I mean do you believe it?
I'm really shocked
Writer(s): Fred Ebb, John Kander
Contributed by Caleb O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.