Strouse was born and raised in New York City, the son of Ira and Ethel (Newman) Strouse. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Strouse studied under David Diamond, Aaron Copland and Nadia Boulanger.
Strouse's first Broadway musical was the 1960 hit Bye Bye Birdie, with lyrics by Lee Adams, who would become his long time collaborator. Strouse won his first Tony Award for best score for this musical, which is considered the precursor of the rock musical. Strouse's next show, All American, with a book by Mel Brooks and lyrics by Adams, came in 1962 and produced the standard “Once Upon a Time” (recorded by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Bobby Darin, among others). Following this was Golden Boy (1964, also with Adams), starring Sammy Davis Jr. and It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman (1966, based on the popular comic strip)which introduced the song "You've Got Possibilities" sung by Linda Lavin.
In 1970, Applause (starring Lauren Bacall, with book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and lyrics by Adams) won Strouse his second Tony Award. In 1977, Mr. Strouse adapted another comic strip for the stage, creating the hit Annie, which garnered him his third Tony Award and two Grammy Awards. Other Strouse musicals include Charlie and Algernon (1979), Dance a Little Closer (1983, with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner), Rags (1986) and Nick & Nora (1993). Strouse also wrote a number of musical revues, many with Adams.
Strouse’s film scores include the classics Bonnie and Clyde (1967), There Was a Crooked Man... (1970, with Henry Fonda and Kirk Douglas), The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968, with Adams) and the popular animated movie All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989). He and Adams also wrote the theme song “Those Were the Days” for the television show All in the Family. Strouse’s songs have been heard on the radio throughout his career and have run the gamut from girl-band pop to hip hop. In 1958, his song “Born Too Late” was number one on the Billboard charts, and in 1999 the quadruple platinum “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” by artist Jay-Z was the winner of a Grammy for Best Rap Album of the year & the Billboard R&B Album of the Year.
Strouse’s writing also extends into orchestral works, chamber music, piano concertos and opera. His Concerto America, composed in 2002 to commemorate 9/11 and the spirit of New York City, premiered at The Boston Pops in 2004, and his opera Nightingale (1982), starring Sarah Brightman, had a successful run in London, followed by many subsequent productions. In 1977, Strouse founded the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop in New York, through which many young composers and lyricists have found a forum for their work.
Upcoming works by Strouse include an adaptation of the Paddy Chayevsky film Marty starring John C. Reilly, a musical version of The Night They Raided Minsky's, and an adaptation of Theodore Dreiser’s An American Tragedy. Real Men, for which Mr. Strouse wrote the music and lyrics, premiered in January 2005 at the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami, FL , and his musical Studio, premiered at Theatre Building Chicago in August 2006.
Strouse has won Emmy Awards for music in television adaptions of Bye Bye Birdie and Annie. He is also the recipient of the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein Awards. He is also a member of the Theater Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Strouse is married to director-choreographer Barbara Siman. They have 4 children: Benjamin, Nicholas, Victoria, and William.
Musicals
* Bye Bye Birdie (1960)
* All American (1962)
* Golden Boy (1964)
* It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman (1966)
* Applause (1970)
* I and Albert (1972, London)
* Annie (1977)
* A Broadway Musical (1978)
* Charlie and Algernon (1979, London, as Flowers for Algernon); (1981)
* Bring Back Birdie (1981)
* Nightingale (1982; this work is often described as an opera)
* Dance a Little Closer (1983)
* Mayor (1985)
* Rags (1986)
* Nick & Nora (1993)
* Annie Warbucks (1993)
Film scores
* Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
* The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968)
* There Was a Crooked Man (1970)
* Just Tell Me What You Want (1980)
* Ishtar (1987)
* All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
Kids
Charles Strouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't know what's wrong with these kids today!
Kids!
Who can understand anything they say?
Kids!
They a disobedient, disrespectful oafs!
Noisy, crazy, dirty, lazy, loafers!
While we're on the subject:
You can talk and talk till your face is blue!
Kids!
But they still just do what they want to do!
Why can't they be like we were,
Perfect in every way?
What's the matter with kids today?
Kids!
I've tried to raise him the best I could
Kids! Kids!
Laughing, singing, dancing, grinning, morons!
And while we're on the subject!
Kids! They are just impossible to control!
Kids! With their awful clothes and their rock an' roll!
Why can't they dance like we did
What's wrong with Sammy Kaye?
What's the matter with kids today!
The song "Kids" from the musical "Bye Bye Birdie" by Charles Strouse is a humorous commentary on the generational gap and the tension between older and younger generations. The adults in the song are frustrated with the behavior of the "kids" and unable to understand their actions or attitudes. The song starts with the exclamation "Kids!" which is repeated several times, indicating the frustration and annoyance of the older generation at the younger one.
The song goes on to list the negative traits attributed to the kids - disobedient, disrespectful, crazy, noisy, lazy, and dirty. The adults complain that they try to talk to the kids but are unable to make them listen and do what they want them to do. The adults also compare the behavior of the kids with their own behavior when they were younger and express disappointment in how things have changed.
The song is a commentary on the changing social norms and values and how different generations navigate them. It highlights the inability of older people to understand the younger generation and the frustration that comes with it. Overall, the song is a funny take on the challenges of inter-generational communication.
Line by Line Meaning
Kids!
Expression of frustration and disapproval towards the younger generation
I don't know what's wrong with these kids today!
Lamenting the behavior and attitude of today's youth
Who can understand anything they say?
Difficulty in comprehending the language or slang used by young people
They are disobedient, disrespectful oafs!
Young people are viewed as rude and ill-mannered
Noisy, crazy, dirty, lazy, loafers!
Listing negative traits associated with youth, like being loud, unclean, and unmotivated
You can talk and talk till your face is blue!
Attempts to communicate or reason with young people are often futile
But they still just do what they want to do!
Young people tend to be rebellious and exhibit a disregard for authority
Why can't they be like we were, Perfect in every way?
Idealizing the behavior of past generations, thinking they were better behaved and more respectful
Kids! I've tried to raise him the best I could
Parental frustration with not being able to control the behavior of their child
Laughing, singing, dancing, grinning, morons!
Criticism towards the lighthearted, carefree attitudes and actions of young people
They are just impossible to control!
Again emphasizing the difficulties parents or adults have trying to regulate the behavior of the younger generation
With their awful clothes and their rock an' roll!
Disapproval of the fashion choices and music preference of young people
Why can't they dance like we did, What's wrong with Sammy Kaye?
Nostalgia towards past music and dancing styles, questioning the quality of current entertainment
What's the matter with kids today!
Final expression of frustration and confusion towards the behavior and attitudes of young people
Contributed by Maya O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.