Peters is particularly noted for her starring roles in the musicals Song and Dance (Tony Award, Best Actress in Musical) , Annie Get Your Gun (Tony Award, Best Actress in Musical), Sunday in the Park with George, and Into the Woods, becoming closely associated with the composers Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber, and in films including The Jerk and Pennies from Heaven, both opposite Steve Martin.
Peters has received many honorary awards over the years, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (April 1987); the Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year (1987); the Sarah Siddons Award for outstanding performance in a Chicago theatrical production (1994); the American Theatre Hall of Fame at the Gershwin Theatre in New York City (1996), becoming the youngest person so honored (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Christopher Rawson, January 25, 1996, p. C1); an Honorary Doctorate from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York (May 19, 2002) [10]; and the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame (June 28, 2002).
There Won't Be Trumpets
Bernadette Peters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They forgot one thing
The play isn't over by a long shot yet
There are heroes in the world
Prince's and heroes in the world
And one of them will save us
We can see, we can see
There won't be trumpets or bolts of fire
To say he's coming
No Roman candles, no angels choir
No sound of distant drumming
He may not be the Cavalcade
Tall and graceful, fair and strong
Doesn't matters just as long as
He comes on home
But not with trumpets or lightning flashing
Or shining armor
It maybe daring, he maybe dashing
Or maybe he's a farmer
We can wait, watch another day
He has lots of hills to climb
And the hero doesn't come
Till the nick of time
The vote for trumpets or whistles tooting
That guarantee him
There won't be trumpets, but sure as shooting
You'll know him when you see him
Don't know when, don't know where
And I can't even say but I care
All I know is some Meridian turn
Is having some flair
You won't need trumpets
There are no trumpets
Who needs trumpets
The song There Won't Be Trumpets is a poignant reminder that sometimes real world heroes don't come dressed up in grandiose attire or with flashy spectacles. The opening lines of the song refer to smug little men with their schemes, suggesting that they may have overlooked something when plotting their path. The following lines state that there are still heroes in the world, and one of them will save us. The lyrics suggest that this is simply a matter of time, and the hero may not be the cavalierly graceful kind with bolts of lightning flashing around them. The song insists that it doesn't matter what kind of hero they will be, as long as they come home. It ends with an assertion that we don't need trumpets.
The song speaks of the hero's journey as one with lots of hills to climb, which may not take them all the way to glory, but is transformative in its own right. There won't be trumpets or bolts of fire that signify the arrival of this hero. However, there is no mistaking when the hero is before us, and the song empowers us to recognise the hero even in the absence of grand gestures. The song has been seen to inspire hope at times of despair, and the lack of grandeur in the arrival of the hero speaks to those times when heroism is needed the most, despite not being glamourous. The song acts as a reminder of hope in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Smug little men with a smug little schemes
People with self-satisfied attitudes and small plans
They forgot one thing
They neglected to consider something important
The play isn't over by a long shot yet
The situation is far from its conclusion
There are heroes in the world
There are people who do great and noble things
Prince's and heroes in the world
There are people who are brave and chivalrous
And one of them will save us
One of them will come to our rescue
We can see, we can see
We can envision this possibility
There won't be trumpets or bolts of fire
There won't be grand gestures announcing his arrival
To say he's coming
To declare his imminent arrival
No Roman candles, no angels choir
No brilliant fiery explosion or angelic chorus
No sound of distant drumming
No indication from afar that he's on his way
He may not be the Cavalcade
He may not be ostentatious or commanding
Tall and graceful, fair and strong
Unimportant physical features as long as he accomplishes his goal
Doesn't matters just as long as
It's not important as long as
He comes on home
He brings peace and safety to his people
But not with trumpets or lightning flashing
But not with fanfare or electrifying spectacle
Or shining armor
Or dazzling metal covering
It maybe daring, he maybe dashing
He may be bold and adventurous
Or maybe he's a farmer
Or he could be an ordinary person
We can wait, watch another day
We can be patient and continue living in the meantime
He has lots of hills to climb
He has many obstacles to overcome
And the hero doesn't come
The hero doesn't arrive
Till the nick of time
Until the last possible moment
The vote for trumpets or whistles tooting
The desire for extravagant displays
That guarantee him
That promise to reveal him
There won't be trumpets, but sure as shooting
Despite the lack of grand announcements, he will become known
You'll know him when you see him
He will be unmistakable once he arrives
Don't know when, don't know where
Uncertainty about the timing and location of his arrival
And I can't even say but I care
Despite the lack of specifics, the artist still feels deeply invested
All I know is some Meridian turn
All I can say is that some life-changing event is taking place
Is having some flair
It's being done in a way that's exciting or impressive
You won't need trumpets
There won't be a need for lavish displays
There are no trumpets
There won't be any grand announcements
Who needs trumpets
There is no need for pomp and circumstance
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind