Her second husband was the dancer and choreographer, Bob Fosse.
Roxie
Gwen Verdon Lyrics
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Before Aremus, I used to date this well to do ugly bootlegger
He used to like to take me out and show me off
Ugly guys like to do that
Once it said in the paper
"Gangland's Al Capelli
Seen with cute red-headed Corenne"
Look I'm gonna tell you the truth
Not that the truth really matters
But I'm gonna tell you anyway
The thing is see, I'm older than I ever intended to be
And all my life I wanted to be a dancer
In Vaudeville, ooh yeah
Have my own act, but no, no, no
They always turned me down
It was one big world full of no, life
Then Amus came along, sweet, safe, Amus who never says no
You know, some guys are like mirrors
And when I catch myself in Amus's face
I'm always a kid, you could love a guy like that
Look now I gotta tell you
Now I hope this ain't too crude
In the bed department, Amus was zero
I mean when we went to bed
He made love to me like he was
Fixing a carburetor or something
I love ya, honey I love ya
Anyway to make a long story short
I started fooling around
Then I started screwing around
Which is fooling around without dinner
I gave up the Vaudeville idea
Because well, after all those years
He sorta figured opportunities just passed you by
Ooh, it ain't, oh, no, no, no, no, babe, it ain't
If this film guy gets me off
And with all this publicity, now I got me a world full of yes
The name on everybody's lips is gonna be Roxie
The Lady raking in the chips is gonna be Roxie
I'm gonna be a celebrity that means somebody everyone knows
They're gonna recognize my eyes
My hair, my teeth, my boobs, my nose
From just some dumb mechanic's wife
I'm gonna be Roxie
Who says that murder's not an art
And who in case she doesn't hang
Can say she started with a bang
Roxie heart
I gotta get me some boys
I'm gonna get me a whole bunch of boys
They're gonna wait outside in line to get to see Roxie
Think of those autographs outside, good luck to you, Roxie
And I'll appear in a Lavaliere that goes all the way down to my waist
Here a ring, there a ring, everywhere a ring-a-ling
But always in the best of taste
I'm a star and they love me and I love them
And they love me for loving them
And I love them for loving me and we love each other
That's because none of us got enough love in our childhood
And that's showbiz, kid
She's giving up her hum-drum life
I'm gonna be a Roxie
She made to stand tall and a star
And Sophie duck her old ship I know
To see her name yet build below
Roxie, Roxie heart
Those are my boys, bye
The song "Roxie" is a character study of Roxie Hart, the singer of the musical Chicago. In the beginning of the song, Roxie admits that she always wanted her name in the papers and tells a story about a former lover who was a bootlegger. She implies that he used to show her off in public to compensate for his own physical shortcomings. It is later revealed that Roxie always wanted to be a dancer and have her own act in vaudeville, but was constantly turned down. She then meets Aremus, a man who never says no, and eventually marries him. While he may not be the most passionate lover, Roxie loves him nonetheless. However, she admits that she began cheating on him and gave up on her vaudeville dreams. After being accused of murdering her lover, Roxie sees this as an opportunity to finally become famous and gain the recognition she always craved.
The lyrics showcase Roxie's desperation for fame and attention, as well as her willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve it, including using a murder trial to her advantage. While she comes across as selfish and manipulative, the song also highlights her vulnerability and the underlying sense of loneliness that drives her actions. Ultimately, Roxie's character represents the darker side of show business and the lengths that individuals may go to in order to achieve their dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
I always wanted my name in the papers
Since childhood, my greatest desire has been to become a famous celebrity whose name is known by everyone and is published in print media.
Before Aremus, I used to date this well to do ugly bootlegger
Prior to Aremus, I dated a wealthy, unattractive bootlegger who enjoyed being seen with me in public.
He used to like to take me out and show me off
The unattractive man I dated enjoyed displaying my good looks in public to make himself seem better.
Once it said in the paper
"Gangland's Al Capelli
Seen with cute red-headed Corenne"
That was me, I clipped it out and saved it
When my date with an unattractive man appeared in print media, I clipped out the article and kept it as proof of my time in the spotlight.
Look I'm gonna tell you the truth
Not that the truth really matters
But I'm gonna tell you anyway
Although the truth may not be important, I will reveal it anyway.
The thing is see, I'm older than I ever intended to be
And all my life I wanted to be a dancer
In Vaudeville, ooh yeah
Have my own act, but no, no, no
They always turned me down
I am older than I expected to be, and my lifelong dream of becoming a dancer in Vaudeville has been repeatedly denied and rejected.
It was one big world full of no, life
Then Amus came along, sweet, safe, Amus who never says no
My life previously was full of constant rejections, but then Amus entered and brought safety and sweetness that I never experienced before.
You know, some guys are like mirrors
And when I catch myself in Amus's face
I'm always a kid, you could love a guy like that
Some men are like a reflection of ourselves, and whenever I look at Amus, I feel like a child, and it makes it easy to love someone like him.
Look now I gotta tell you
Now I hope this ain't too crude
In the bed department, Amus was zero
I mean when we went to bed
He made love to me like he was
Fixing a carburetor or something
I love ya, honey I love ya
Although I love Amus, I have to admit that he is terrible in bed, and his lovemaking is mechanical like fixing a car engine or something.
Anyway to make a long story short
I started fooling around
Then I started screwing around
Which is fooling around without dinner
To summarize, I started cheating on Amus and engaged in sexual relationships outside of my marriage.
I gave up the Vaudeville idea
Because well, after all those years
He sorta figured opportunities just passed you by
Ooh, it ain't, oh, no, no, no, no, babe, it ain't
If this film guy gets me off
And with all this publicity, now I got me a world full of yes
I abandoned my Vaudeville dreams because years of rejection made me feel that the opportunities had passed me by. However, this new opportunity (presumably a film role) could lead to a world of opportunities, and I have gained fame from this recent publicity.
The name on everybody's lips is gonna be Roxie
The Lady raking in the chips is gonna be Roxie
I'm gonna be a celebrity that means somebody everyone knows
They're gonna recognize my eyes
My hair, my teeth, my boobs, my nose
I will become a famous celebrity, and everyone will know me by name. They will recognize me from my physical attributes, including my eyes, hair, teeth, chest, and nose.
From just some dumb mechanic's wife
I'm gonna be Roxie
Who says that murder's not an art
And who in case she doesn't hang
Can say she started with a bang
Roxie heart
I, who was previously viewed as just an insignificant housewife of a mechanic, will become a renowned figure under the name of Roxie, known for running with the art of murder. Even if I don't succeed in avoiding punishment, I will begin with a powerful impact under the banner of Roxie.
I gotta get me some boys
I'm gonna get me a whole bunch of boys
They're gonna wait outside in line to get to see Roxie
Think of those autographs outside, good luck to you, Roxie
And I'll appear in a Lavaliere that goes all the way down to my waist
Here a ring, there a ring, everywhere a ring-a-ling
But always in the best of taste
I will have a group of admirers who will wait in line to see me and have my autograph. I will wear an elegant necklace that will sparkle and draw attention to my waistline. Finally, I will adorn myself with lots of lovely rings, but always tastefully.
I'm a star and they love me and I love them
And they love me for loving them
And I love them for loving me and we love each other
That's because none of us got enough love in our childhood
And that's showbiz, kid
I am a famous and beloved star, and my fans love me as much as I love them. We love each other because none of us received enough love as children. This is simply part of the entertainment industry.
She's giving up her hum-drum life
I'm gonna be a Roxie
She made to stand tall and a star
And Sophie duck her old ship I know
To see her name yet build below
Roxie, Roxie heart
Those are my boys, bye
I am leaving my ordinary and boring life to become Roxie, a star with a strong and confident image. Even Sophie, who had given up on her dreams, will come to see my name elicit admiring glances wherever it is mentioned. And those young men were associated with me and now they must leave.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FRED EBB, JOHN KANDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hansvonrittern9168
They were and STILL are the definitive Roxie and Velma!!
@richardmayora5310
I saw the show six and a half times on Broadway. The flop Rex was playing across the street and we thought we would rather see Chita Rivera again than the second act of Rex so we just strolled in for act two. Watching these two greats together will always be my favorite theater memory.
@coloraturaElise
Wow....Gwen does Fosse's moves so naturally and easily...incredible!
@johnmirabile1137
Priceless footage. Thanks for posting it.
@mg-vo1vy
Incredible!!
@peteradaniel
So strange to compare Ann Reinking’s and Bob Fosse’s different takes on the choreography. They’re similar but very Different. Especially on the Razzle Dazzle number.
@bonkerss2073
Was this ever released on video?
@mg-vo1vy
Do you by any chance have the footage of nowadays? There is a Kander and ebb documentary that contains it and I was wondering if there were anymore too it, in the same documentary there is Gwen singing funny honey.
@FolliesFan-yu8mf
Unfortunately not at the moment. The clip of "Nowadays" was shot in sound by Bob Fosse himself, during rehearsals with Liza Minnelli. The clip of "Funny Honey" instead seems to have been shot professionally, but I do not know where it comes from.
@mg-vo1vy
1971FolliesFan so if I’m getting you right, is that Liza as Roxie or still Gwen? As for the funny honey it makes you just think someone has more of it!