Won
Broadway Cast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh dance with me, please dance with me
Papa take a chance with me
And dance with me tonight
And when you whirl me
Round and round we'll go
Right off the ground we'll go
We'll hear those trombones slidin' high
We'll both be glidin' high
Up in the sky, I love the polka
Papa won't you dance with me
Oh dance with me, please dance with me
When you hold me, hold me tight
Oh papa won't you dance with me tonight
Papa won't you dance with me
Oh dance with me, please dance with me
Papa take a chance with me
And dance with me tonight
And when you whirl me
Round and round we'll go
Right off the ground we'll go
Around and round we'll go
We'll hear those trombones slidin' high
We'll both be glidin' high
Up in the sky, I love the polka
Papa won't you dance with me
Oh dance with me, please dance with me
When you hold me, hold me tight
Oh papa won't you dance with me
Papa won't you dance with me
I said dance with me tonight.
The song "Won" from the Broadway musical In The Heights is narrated by the character Vanessa, who dreams of leaving her neighborhood and achieving bigger things. The lyrics showcase her determination and ambition as she stays focused on her goal despite the challenges and distractions she faces.
In the first verse, Vanessa describes how the noise of the elevated train no longer bothers her as it has become a lullaby to her. It shows her resilience in adapting to her environment and not letting external factors affect her goals. She also mentions how the noise drives away the boys she brings back but she is not bothered because they are just temporary distractions. She ends the verse declaring her intention to leave on that same elevated train.
In the second verse, Vanessa talks about the boys in the neighborhood who holler at her every day. She acknowledges their compliments but does not let it distract her from her goals. She also mentions working at the neighborhood salon, where she does not earn as much as she would like to but she does not mind as it serves as a reminder of her bigger ambition. The second verse also ends with her declaring her intention to fly out of JFK International Airport one day.
Line by Line Meaning
The elevated train by my window
I live near a noisy train and it used to bother me, but now I don't even notice it.
Doesn’t faze me anymore
It doesn't bother me anymore.
The rattling screams don’t disrupt my dreams
The loud noise from the train doesn't wake me up or disrupt my sleep.
It’s a lullaby, in its way
The sounds from the train have become like a lullaby for me, helping me sleep.
The elevated train drives everyone insane
The loud noise from the train bothers most people in the neighborhood.
But I don’t mind, oh no
But I don't find it bothersome.
When I bring back boys they can’t tolerate the noise
When I bring guys back to my place, they can't handle the loud noise of the train.
And that’s okay, 'cause I never let them stay
It's fine with me because I don't let them stay the night anyway.
And one day, I’m hoppin’ that elevated train and I’m riding away!
One day, I plan on taking that train away from here and leaving this neighborhood.
It won’t be long now!
I will be leaving soon.
The boys around the way holler at me when I’m walking down the street
Guys in the neighborhood catcall me when I'm walking outside.
Their machismo pride doesn’t break my stride
Their prideful catcalling doesn't affect the way I walk or my confidence.
It’s a compliment, so they say
They think it's a compliment, but I don't see it that way.
If I’m in the mood, it will not be with some dude
If I want to be with someone, it won't be with a guy who is just whistling or honking at me without having anything to say.
Who is whistling 'cause he has nothing to say
I don't want someone who is just whistling at me, without anything important to say.
Or who’s honking at me from his Chevrolet!
I also don't want someone who is just honking at me from a car, without anything important to say.
And one day, I’m hoppin’ in a limousine and I’m driving away!
One day, I plan on leaving this neighborhood in style and not looking back.
It won’t be long now!
I will be leaving soon.
Ay, Usnavi, help! SOS!
This is a cry for help from a person named Vanessa to Usnavi.
Good morning, Vanessa!
Usnavi greets Vanessa in the morning.
If it isn’t the loveliest girl in the place
Usnavi compliments Vanessa, saying she's the most beautiful girl around.
You’ve got some schmutz on your face
Usnavi points out that Vanessa has something on her face.
Vanessa!
Usnavi calls Vanessa's name.
Vanessa!
Usnavi repeats Vanessa's name to get her attention.
Vanessa!
Usnavi calls Vanessa's name one more time.
Vanessa! I’m thirsty, coño!
Usnavi is thirsty and asking Vanessa for a drink.
Can I get a Pepsi and some packing tape?
Usnavi asks for a drink and packing tape from Vanessa.
Uh, my cousin over there with his tongue hanging out, has been meaning to ask you
Usnavi introduces his cousin who has been wanting to ask Vanessa something.
Yes?
Vanessa responds to Usnavi's cousin.
What a lady such as yourself might be doing tonight?
Usnavi's cousin asks Vanessa what she might be doing later on.
Does your cousin dance?
Vanessa asks if Usnavi's cousin knows how to dance.
Like a drunk Chita Rivera
Usnavi's cousin says he can dance like Chita Rivera, but poorly.
Okay, after Nina’s dinner, we can hit a few clubs and check out the fireworks
Vanessa agrees to go out with Usnavi and his cousin after dinner and see the fireworks.
Oh snap! Who’s that?
Someone sees an attractive person and reacts excitedly.
Don’t touch me, I’m too hot! Yes!
The person being complimented insists not to be touched, as they are feeling attractive.
Qué pasó? Here I go!
The person being complimented responds boldly and confidently.
So dope! Y tu lo sabes!
The person being complimented agrees, saying they know they're awesome.
No pare
A statement that means 'don't stop' in Spanish.
Sigue sigue!
Another statement that means 'continue, continue' in Spanish.
Did you see me?
The person being complimented asks if others saw how great they looked or acted.
Freaky freakit!
An exclamation of excitement or approval.
What a way to begin the weekend
A statement about enjoying the start of the weekend.
Sonny, anything you want is free, man!
Someone named Sonny is given a free offer for anything he may want.
And my dearly beloved Dominican Republic
A statement of love for the Dominican Republic.
I haven’t forgotten
A statement indicating that the person saying it hasn't forgotten something important.
You!
An exclamation in reference to someone being addressed.
Gonna see this honey, make a little money
A statement indicating the person is going to make some money while seeing someone attractive.
And one day I’ll hop Jet
The person saying this plans to travel by jet one day.
Blue!
A reference to the JetBlue airline.
But until that fateful day, I’m grateful
The person is grateful for what they have until they can travel by jet someday.
I got a destination
The person has a specific place they want to go.
I’m runnin’ to make it home
The person is in a hurry to get home.
And home’s what Vanessa’s runnin’ away from!
The person saying this is headed home, but Vanessa is trying to leave the neighborhood.
I’m runnin’ to make it home
The person is still trying to get home.
And home’s what Vanessa’s runnin’ away from
Once again, the person is comparing their journey home to Vanessa's desire to leave the neighborhood.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JULE STYNE, SAMMY CAHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
panasonic youth
I work as a background actor and a stand-in. I was working on this production a few months ago and luckily, the set was right in my hometown, just a 5 minute drive from my house. Usually I have to travel at least 30 minutes in an Uber or 1.5 hours on public transit to make it to most sets, which are usually downtown.
I had already been working on the production for a few days, but for some reason on that day in particular, one of the wranglers made an announcement that there was going to be a new actor on set. They warned us not to approach them, ask for selfies or autographs, or post about their involvement in the production anywhere online. They reminded us that we were legally bound as per the NDAs we signed.
Now, this announcement was a bit odd because they never have to specifically tell us not to do these things. Working in the film industry, it's already a well known rule that it's never allowed to approach cast and ask for selfies or anything like that, unless they start talking to you first. Even then, it's super unprofessional to ask for a selfie or autograph. You can get into a lot of trouble for doing this. Same goes for PAs, grips, and other crew (except for more important positions like assistant directors, directors, showrunners, producers etc.) So, to have a wrangler make this announcement got me thinking... How famous is this actor for them to have to specifically instruct us not to interact with them? Because I've worked on set with actors like Bob Odenkirk, Ryan Reynolds, and Mark Ruffalo and not once have I ever been told not to approach; it's just a given.
So, before we went to set, I looked at the call sheet for the day to see who the actor was and I saw an actor's name I didn't recognize, so I looked it up and turns out it was a fake name. Weird. Also something I've never seen. Actors' real names (stage names) are always used on call sheets as far as I knew.
Anyway, we got to set and I was placed at a table with another fellow BG. This man walked past us with a little boy, which I assumed was his son. He and I exchanged a look as they both walked past us because I was (unintentionally) staring at him. I swore I recognized him. I realized why I recognized him and said "that dude looks so much like Lin-Manuel Miranda". Then I remembered the announcement and thought "Wait... was that actually Lin-Manuel Miranda?" So I looked up if he has a son, and sure enough, he does. I Googled his name along with the name of the production I was working on and there were some rumours posted by a few publications that he might be involved in the production, but it was only speculation and never actually confirmed. So it became clear to me that it was in fact him and that his involvement was being kept secret, hence the warning. It also explained why there was a fake name on the call sheet; so that no one could take a picture of it and post it online, therefore leaking his involvement.
I'm obviously not naming what the production is to keep it a secret until it comes out, but it was surreal and super cool seeing him in person like that. Not only did I see him on set, but he was in my hometown! The shitty little town I've lived in my whole life that nobody who doesn't live here has ever heard of. It was just super crazy to me to have an A-lister like 5 minutes from my house like that. Anyway, I'm excited to see this project when it does get released!! I love Lin-Manuel Miranda. I just saw Hamilton on Disney+ recently, and was an instant fan. He is a great actor, songwriter, playwright, and director as well. I saw his movie adaptation of "tick, tick... BOOM!" recently and loved it as well.
Paige R
As a theater kid I can confirm this is how we act on car rides
Leticia Alvarez
Same
thedisciple
Yep
Fiona S
Yep
Cat Person
Mhm
Anna Parkinson
I really wanted to like this but it had 51 likes so I’m gonna leave it where it is.
Ainsley Kiser
The fact that James Corden knew every word to the Hamilton songs is pretty cool because he actually really likes hamilton and he's not just there to do his show
Faye southall
He’s been in musicals in the U.K.
jeanette
he’s literally a theatre kid so it makes sense! he had his into the woods stuff too
lcverstreet
He’d in basically every movie musical lmfao /hj