Died New York 23 July 2002.
happiness
Clark Gesner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm so happy. That little red-headed gril dropped her pencil.
It has teeth marks all over it. She nibbles her pencil.
She's human! It hasn't been such a bad day after all.
Happiness is finding a pencil.
SNOOPY:
Pizza with sausage
LINUS:
Telling the time.
SCHROEDER:
HAPPINESS IS LEARNING TO WHISTLE.
LINUS:
TYING YOUR SHOE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.
SALLY:
HAPPINESS IS PLAYING THE DRUM IN YOUR OWN SCHOOL BAND.
CHARLIE BROWN:
AND HAPPINESS IS WALKING HAND IN HAND.
HAPPINESS IS TWO KINDS OF ICE CREAM.
LUCY:
KNOWING A SECRET.
SCHROEDER:
CLIMBING A TREE.
CHARLIE BROWN:
HAPPINESS IS FIVE DIFFERENT CRAYONS.
SCHROEDER:
CATCHING A FIREFLY.
SETTING HIM FREE.
CHARLIE BROWN:
HAPPINESS IS BEING ALONE EVERY NOW AND THEN.
ALL:
AND HAPPINESS IS COMING HOME AGAIN.
CHARLIE BROWN:
HAPPINESS IS MORNING AND EVENING,
DAY TIME AND NIGHT TIME TOO.
FOR HAPPINESS IS ANYONE AND ANYTHING AT ALL
THAT'S LOVED BY YOU.
LINUS:
HAPPINESS IS HAVING A SISTER.
LUCY:
SHARING A SANDWICH.
LUCY AND LINUS:
GETTING ALONG.
ALL:
HAPPINESS IS SINGING TOGETHER WHEN DAY IS THROUGH,
AND HAPPINESS IS THOSE WHO SING WITH YOU.
HAPPINESS IS MORNING AND EVENING,
DAYTIME AND NIGHTTIME TOO.
CHARLIE BROWN:
FOR HAPPINESS IS ANYONE AND ANYTHING AT ALL
THAT'S LOVED BY YOU.
LUCY:
You're a good man, Charlie Brown
The song "Happiness" by Clark Gesner, featured in the musical "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," explores the various things that bring happiness to different characters. The song opens with Charlie Brown expressing his happiness in seeing the little red-haired girl's pencil with teeth marks and realizing that she's human. The song then progresses to include the happiness brought on by various small things in life, like eating pizza with sausage, tying your shoe for the first time, and learning to whistle.
Each character gets a chance to express what happiness means to them. Sally talks about playing the drum in her school band, Schroeder talks about climbing a tree, and Lucy talks about knowing a secret. The characters also express that happiness is not limited to material things but can also be found in relationships, like walking hand-in-hand or having a sister.
The song concludes with the idea that happiness is anything and anyone that is loved by you. The characters come together and sing that happiness is singing together when the day is through. The simple yet heartfelt lyrics and upbeat melody of the song remind us of the simple pleasures in life that can bring us joy and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm so happy. That little red-headed gril dropped her pencil.
Charlie Brown is happy because the girl he likes dropped her pencil and he sees that she's human and imperfect, just like everyone else.
It has teeth marks all over it. She nibbles her pencil.
The girl's pencil has bite marks on it, indicating that she chews on it.
She's human! It hasn't been such a bad day after all.
Charlie Brown realizes that the girl he likes is human just like anyone else, and this realization makes him happy.
Happiness is finding a pencil.
The discovery of the girl's dropped pencil brings Charlie Brown happiness.
Pizza with sausage
Snoopy finds happiness in eating pizza with a sausage topping.
Telling the time.
Linus finds happiness in his ability to tell time.
HAPPINESS IS LEARNING TO WHISTLE.
Schroeder finds happiness in the process of learning how to whistle.
TYING YOUR SHOE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.
Linus finds happiness in tying his shoe by himself for the very first time.
HAPPINESS IS PLAYING THE DRUM IN YOUR OWN SCHOOL BAND.
Sally finds happiness in playing the drums in her school's band.
AND HAPPINESS IS WALKING HAND IN HAND.
Charlie Brown finds happiness in walking hand in hand with someone he cares about.
HAPPINESS IS TWO KINDS OF ICE CREAM.
Charlie Brown finds happiness in enjoying two different flavors of ice cream.
KNOWING A SECRET.
Lucy finds happiness in knowing a secret.
CLIMBING A TREE.
Schroeder finds happiness in climbing trees.
HAPPINESS IS FIVE DIFFERENT CRAYONS.
Charlie Brown finds happiness in using five different colors of crayons.
CATCHING A FIREFLY.
Schroeder finds happiness in catching and freeing a firefly.
SETTING HIM FREE.
Schroeder finds happiness in releasing the firefly after having caught it.
HAPPINESS IS BEING ALONE EVERY NOW AND THEN.
Charlie Brown finds happiness in occasionally being alone.
AND HAPPINESS IS COMING HOME AGAIN.
Everyone finds happiness in coming home after being away.
HAPPINESS IS MORNING AND EVENING, DAY TIME AND NIGHT TIME TOO.
Everyone finds happiness in all the different times of day, both morning and evening, day and night.
FOR HAPPINESS IS ANYONE AND ANYTHING AT ALL THAT'S LOVED BY YOU.
Happiness can come from anyone and anything that you love.
HAPPINESS IS HAVING A SISTER.
Linus finds happiness in having a sister.
SHARING A SANDWICH.
Lucy finds happiness in sharing a sandwich with someone.
GETTING ALONG.
Lucy and Linus find happiness in getting along with one another.
HAPPINESS IS SINGING TOGETHER WHEN DAY IS THROUGH, AND HAPPINESS IS THOSE WHO SING WITH YOU.
Everyone finds happiness in singing together at the end of the day, and in particular, singing with the people they love.
You're a good man, Charlie Brown
A phrase from Lucy expressing her appreciation for Charlie Brown.
Contributed by Arianna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@noellebaroman1091
This is song brings me to tears every time. It shows us to find happiness in small things :))
@gian_accetta
same here! absolutely
@jorg7882
Dwow
@DavidHalChester
I feel exactly the same way!
@tomgallowitz
Especially after last year and with things starting to reopen we need to remember it’s little things that make us happy
@quantumchase
Happiness is coming home again....🎶 Such a powerful line...during these times.
@tomgallowitz
Now a year later still powerful now places are reopening and people can start being around their friends again in person since it feels like we’re coming home to those we been separated from
@sokai0206
1996 I got to sing this song with my 4th grade class for an assembly. Music class was so fun! Fast forward to 2021 here I am still mesmerized by this song 😂.
@heatherrobbins6405
I use this song as a group finale for my end-of-year student vocal
recitals. Brings me to tears every time too!
@alexlevine2522
My daughter was your student for several years. At those end-of-year recitals, parents and guests were also in tears, year in and year out. As I am as I write this, seven years later.