I Feel Pretty
Dawn Upshaw Lyrics


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I feel pretty
Oh, so pretty
I feel pretty and witty and bright!
And I pity
Any girl who isn't me tonight

I feel charming
Oh, so charming
It's alarming how charming I feel!
And so pretty
That I hardly can believe I'm real

See the pretty girl in that mirror there
Who can that attractive girl be?
Such a pretty face
Such a pretty dress
Such a pretty smile
Such a pretty me!

I feel stunning
And entrancing
Feel like running and dancing for joy
For I'm loved
By a pretty wonderful boy!

Have you met my good friend Maria
The craziest girl on the block?
You'll know her the minute you see her
She's the one who is in an advanced state of shock

She thinks she's in love
She thinks she's in Spain
She isn't in love
She's merely insane

It must be the heat
Or some rare disease
Or too much to eat
Or maybe it's fleas

Keep away from her
Send for Chino!
This is not the
Maria we know!

Modest and pure
Polite and refined
Well-bred and mature
And out of her mind!

I feel pretty
Oh, so pretty
That the city should give me its key
A committee
Should be organized to honor me

La la la la

I feel dizzy
I feel sunny
I feel fizzy and funny and fine
And so pretty
Miss America can just resign!

La la la la

See the pretty girl in that mirror there

What mirror where?

Who can that attractive girl be?

Which? What? Where? Whom?

Such a pretty face
Such a pretty dress
Such a pretty smile
Such a pretty me!

Such a pretty me!

I feel stunning
And entrancing
Feel like running and dancing for joy




For I'm loved
By a pretty wonderful boy!

Overall Meaning

The song "I Feel Pretty" is from the musical "West Side Story", written by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. In the song, the character Maria expresses her joy and confidence after meeting and falling in love with Tony. She admires herself in the mirror and sees a beautiful, charming, and attractive girl. She is so happy with herself and her life that she pities any girl who isn't her. Maria's friends, however, are in a less happy state, and she makes jokes about them, including her friend Maria, who thinks she's in love and in Spain, but is actually just insane.


The song is a perfect reflection of Maria's character, who is innocent and naive but full of life and love. The lyrics are simple and catchy, with a lighthearted and upbeat melody that is easy to remember. The song shows how love and happiness can change a person's outlook on life and make them feel beautiful and confident. The audience can hear the change in her character after meeting Tony and how joyous and carefree she feels just by being in love. The song is empowering as it encourages people to feel beautiful and confident in who they are.


Line by Line Meaning

I feel pretty
I feel beautiful


Oh, so pretty
Extremely beautiful


I feel pretty and witty and bright!
Not only beautiful but smart and cheerful as well


And I pity Any girl who isn't me tonight
I feel sorry for any girl who doesn't feel as good as I do


I feel charming
I feel delightful


Oh, so charming
Extremely delightful


It's alarming how charming I feel!
Surprising how delightful I feel


And so pretty That I hardly can believe I'm real
So beautiful that it's surreal


See the pretty girl in that mirror there Who can that attractive girl be?
Looking at myself in the mirror and admiring how beautiful I look


Such a pretty face Such a pretty dress Such a pretty smile Such a pretty me!
Admiring my beautiful features - my face, dress, smile, and myself


I feel stunning And entrancing Feel like running and dancing for joy For I'm loved By a pretty wonderful boy!
Feeling gorgeous and captivating, wanting to dance and express joy because I am loved by a wonderful boy


Have you met my good friend Maria
Asking if you've met my friend Maria


The craziest girl on the block?
She's the most insane girl in the area


You'll know her the minute you see her
You'll recognize her instantly


She's the one who is in an advanced state of shock
She's the one who is mentally unstable


She thinks she's in love She thinks she's in Spain She isn't in love She's merely insane
She believes she's in love and Spain, but not really. She's just crazy


It must be the heat Or some rare disease Or too much to eat Or maybe it's fleas
Jokingly suggesting potential reasons for Maria's insanity - heat, a rare disease, overeating, or flea infestation


Keep away from her Send for Chino!
Stay away from her and call Chino for help


This is not the Maria we know!
Maria's current behavior is not normal for her


Modest and pure Polite and refined Well-bred and mature And out of her mind!
Maria used to be proper and well-behaved, but now she's gone crazy


That the city should give me its key A committee Should be organized to honor me
Feeling so beautiful that the city should recognize and honor me for it


I feel dizzy I feel sunny I feel fizzy and funny and fine And so pretty Miss America can just resign!
Feeling lightheaded, happy, bubbly, and fine. So beautiful that Miss America might as well give up her crown


La la la la
Nonsensical singing




Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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