She is now widely known for her role as Vivian Charles on the ABC series Pushing Daisies and as Virginia Gray in NBC's Heroes.
Skid Row
Ellen Greene Lyrics
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Alarm goes off at seven
and you start uptown.
You put in your eight hours
for the powers that have always been.
(Sing it, child.)
Til it's five p.m.
(Then you go)
Downtown
Where the folks are broke
You go
Downtown
Where your life's a joke
You go
Downtown
When you buy your token, you go-
Home to Skid Row!
Home to Skid Row!
(Yes, you go)
Downtown
Where the cabs don't stop.
Downtown
Where the food is slop.
Downtown
Where the hop-heads flop in the snow!
Down on Skid Row!
[Weeks, Arnold, Campbell]
Uptown you cater to a million jerks
Uptown your messengers and mailroom clerks
Eatin' all your lunches at the hot-dog carts
The bosses take your money
And they break your hearts
And uptown you cater to a million whores
You disinfect terrazzo on their bathroom floors
Jobs are really meanial, You'll make no bread
And then at five o'clock you head
(By subway)
[Ellen Greene]
Downtown
Where the guys are drips.
Downtown
Where they rip your slips.
Downtown
Where relationships are no-go.
Down on Skid Row!
[Rick Moranis]
Poor!
All my life, I've always been poor!
I keep asking God what I'm for,
And he tells me,
"Gee, I'm not sure...
Sweep that floor, kid"
Oh!
I started life as an orphan,
A child of the street, here on Skid Row!
He took me in, gave me shelter,
A bed, crust of bread, and a job-
Treats me like dirt,
Calls me a slob,
Which I am!
So I live...
Downtown
That's your home address, ya live
Downtown
When your life's a mess, ya live
Downtown
Where depression's jes' status quo!
Down on Skid Row!
Someone show me a way to get outa here
Cause I constantly pray I'll get outa here
Please won't somebody say I'll get outa here
Someone gimme my shot or I'll rot here!
Show me how and I will, (Downtown)
I'll get outa here (There's no rules for us)
I'll start climbin' up hill (Downtown)
and get outa here (Cause it's dangerous)
Someone tell me I still (Downtown)
could get outa here (Where the rainbow's just)
Someone tell lady luck (A no-show)
that I'm stuck here
(When you live)
[Rick Moranis & Ellen Greene]
Gee, it sure would
be swell to get outta here
Bid the gutter farewell and get outta here
I'd move heaven and hell to get outa Skid
I'd do I-dunno-what to get outta Skid,
But a hell of a lot to get outta Skid,
People tell me theres
not a way outta Skid
But believe me I
gotta get outta
Skid Row!
The song "Skid Row" is about the struggles of living in poverty and being stuck in a cycle of working tirelessly to serve the wealthy while being unable to escape the bleak and hopeless situation of Skid Row. The lyrics express the harsh reality of living in a world where the rich prosper while the poor struggle to survive. The first verse talks about working for the "powers that have always been" and going downtown where life is a joke and relationships are nonexistent. The chorus repeats the phrase "home to Skid Row" as a reminder of the reality of their living conditions.
The second verse talks about how those who work uptown cater to a million jerks and whores while their bosses take their money and break their hearts. They are paid meagerly for their hard work and often suffer from depression due to the hopelessness of their situation. The song ends with a desperate plea for someone to show them a way out of Skid Row and that they would do whatever it takes to escape poverty and start anew.
Line by Line Meaning
Alarm goes off at seven
and you start uptown.
You wake up in the morning and start your day uptown.
You put in your eight hours
for the powers that have always been.
You work eight hours a day for your employers.
Til it's five p.m.
Until it's time to go home at 5 p.m.
Downtown
Where the folks are broke
You go
Downtown
Where your life's a joke
You go
Downtown
When you buy your token, you go-
Home to Skid Row!
Home to Skid Row!
(Yes, you go)
You travel downtown, where people are poor and your life is a joke, to get home to Skid Row.
Downtown
Where the cabs don't stop.
Downtown
Where the food is slop.
Downtown
Where the hop-heads flop in the snow!
Down on Skid Row!
Downtown is a place where cabs don't stop, the food is unappetizing, and drug addicts linger in the snow. Skid Row is worse than downtown.
Uptown you cater to a million jerks
Uptown your messengers and mailroom clerks
Eatin' all your lunches at the hot-dog carts
The bosses take your money
And they break your hearts
Uptown, you work with rude people and your superiors take advantage of you, and eat your lunches when you're not looking.
And uptown you cater to a million whores
You disinfect terrazzo on their bathroom floors
Jobs are really meanial, You'll make no bread
And then at five o'clock you head
(By subway)
Uptown, you clean the bathrooms of prostitutes and it's a low-paying, unfulfilling job. At 5 p.m., you go home by subway.
Downtown
Where the guys are drips.
Downtown
Where they rip your slips.
Downtown
Where relationships are no-go.
Down on Skid Row!
Downtown is where there are unpleasant men who tear your stockings and relationships are not possible. All this is worse in Skid Row.
Poor!
All my life, I've always been poor!
I keep asking God what I'm for,
And he tells me,
"Gee, I'm not sure...
Sweep that floor, kid"
Oh!
I started life as an orphan,
A child of the street, here on Skid Row!
He took me in, gave me shelter,
A bed, crust of bread, and a job-
Treats me like dirt,
Calls me a slob,
Which I am!
So I live...
A man who has always been poor is unsure of what his purpose is in life. He describes his difficult upbringing on Skid Row and how his 'boss' treats him poorly.
Downtown
That's your home address, ya live
Downtown
When your life's a mess, ya live
Downtown
Where depression's jes' status quo!
Down on Skid Row!
Downtown and Skid Row are where you live when your life is a mess and you're depressed. The latter is worse.
Someone show me a way to get outa here
Cause I constantly pray I'll get outa here
Please won't somebody say I'll get outa here
Someone gimme my shot or I'll rot here!
Show me how and I will, (Downtown)
I'll get outa here (There's no rules for us)
I'll start climbin' up hill (Downtown)
and get outa here (Cause it's dangerous)
Someone tell me I still (Downtown)
could get outa here (Where the rainbow's just)
Someone tell lady luck (A no-show)
that I'm stuck here
(When you live)
The singer asks for help in leaving Skid Row and finding a way out, willing to take chances to escape. They ask for someone to help them find hope in their dire situation.
Gee, it sure would
be swell to get outta here
Bid the gutter farewell and get outta here
I'd move heaven and hell to get outa Skid
I'd do I-dunno-what to get outta Skid,
But a hell of a lot to get outta Skid,
People tell me theres
not a way outta Skid
But believe me I
gotta get outta
Skid Row!
The singer expresses their strong desire to leave Skid Row and their determination to do whatever it takes, despite being told that there is no way out.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAN MENKEN, HOWARD ELLIOTT ASHMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
cVictori
Ellen Greene's wiping away tears at the end and I'm like, yeah, I feel you Ellen.
shpei88
🤧🤧
ricarleite
She later said it was very emotional because she knew it was the last time she would perform Little Shop of Horrors on stage
Christopher MacPherson
An amazing moment, because it fits in character as Audrey but also were I Ellen I would 1000% be crying going back to an iconic role like that. The rush of emotion it must have brought back to perform that song live again with a full cast and band must have been something else.
Jadensamma
She felt that last note. :3
Dermacrosis
Damn I never expected Jake to sound so good. If there is an updated film of this then they need to cast him as Seymour.
Originally Ellen wasn't the one they wanted to play Audrey in the film they wanted Cyndi Lauper to play her, but she couldn't so Ellen was a fall back, and thank god they had to do that. No one can play Audrey as well as she did.
sha11235
Ellen played the role originally on stage so she was good for that.
I'm Breaking Down
@Dermacrosis yea like Ariana's portrayal of Penny Pingleton in Hairspray. She drag those Ariana traits in the character.
Dermacrosis
I am not. Singers in the pop music sense don't always translate to good actors or actresses in musicals. The same applies the other way round those that are great in musicals doesn't mean they can pull it off for the "chart" listening public. Sometimes never the twain shall meet.
When they try and "die" in the other area it can destroy their career, and that would have been a terrible shame.
Obviously there are exceptions to this but from my experience I could count them on one hand even after over 40 years.
MooseBoy
Ellen Greene is the perfect Audrey, no question. But I have to admit I'm a little curious about how Cyndi Lauper's portrayal would've gone. :)