The New Girl in Town
Hairspray Lyrics


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AMBER, TAMMY & SHELLY
Hey look out for that moving van
Driving down our streets
You better lock up your man
Before he meets
The New Girl in Town

AMBER
Who just came on the scene

AMBER, TAMMY & SHELLY
The New Girl in Town

AMBER
Can't be more than sixteen

AMBER, TAMMY & SHELLY
And she's got a way of makin'
A boy act like a clown
Wo-oo, wo-oo, wo-oo, wo-oo, wo-oo
We don't know what to do
'Bout the new girl in town
The New Girl in Town

SHELLY
Seems to dance on air

AMBER, TAMMY & SHELLY
The New Girl in Town

TAMMY
She's got the coolest hair

AMBER, TAMMY & SHELLY
You better tell the homecoming queen
To hold on to her crown
Wo-oo, wo-oo, wo-oo, wo-oo
Or she's gonna loose it to
The New Girl in Town

SHELLY & TAMMY
She's hip, she's cool

AMBER
I'm gonna get her after school

AMBER, TAMMY & SHELLY
And yet we'd like to be like her
'Cause she's the kitten
That the cats prefer

ladies step aside

DYNAMITES
The New Girl in Town

DYNAMITE #1
Has my guy on a string

DYNAMITES
The New Girl in Town

DYNAMITE #3
Hey look she's wearing his ring

DYNAMITES
I can't stop crying and so
In my own tears I'm gonna drown
Wo-oo, wo-oo, wo-oo, wo-oo

DYNAMITE #1
Cause he wants to rendezvous

DYNAMITES
With the new girl

DYNAMITE #2
We're kinda sad and blue

DYNAMITES
Yes it's true
We'd like to say...
To The New Girl in Town
The New Girl in Town
Wo-oo, wo-oo, wo-oo, wo-oo
From out of the blue girl
This town's in a stew girl
What a hullabloo girl
She ain't just passing through girl
She's sticking like glue girl
To the man I thought I knew girl
Wo-oo, wo-oo, wo-oo, wo-oo
Hey look out for that moving van




Look out, look out, look out, look out
She was...The New Girl in Town

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "The New Girl in Town," from the musical Hairspray, is a playful and catty song sung by the female characters of the show, primarily Amber, Tammy, and Shelly, who are threatened by the arrival of a new girl in town. The introduction of the song sets the tone for the girls' reaction as they spot a moving van entering their neighborhood. Worried about the effect she could have on their love interests, the girls start off by singing, "Hey look out for that moving van, driving down our streets. You better lock up your man before he meets the New Girl in Town." Amber then sings the following lines, "Who just came on the scene, can't be more than sixteen, and she's got a way of makin' a boy act like a clown."


The rest of the song features each of the girls describing what they think is cool about the new girl, from her dancing skills to her hairstyle. The other girls are obviously jealous of her popularity and appeal, all feel the sting of losing attention from a man when she is around. The Dynamites, a group of African American backup singers, join in the end to express their dismay at the new girl stealing their man. Despite the insecurity and envy expressed in the song, it is performed with a bubbly, upbeat tune and exaggerated movements.


Overall, "The New Girl in Town" is a commentary on the culture of competition and how this leads to jealousy and insecurity among young women. It highlights the idea of society measuring women against each other and frequently prompting them to engage in destructive behavior instead of fostering sisterhood, understanding, and helpfulness. Hairspray is known for tackling social issues like segregation, integration, and body image, and "The New Girl in Town" fits in with this theme.


Line by Line Meaning

Hey look out for that moving van
Cautionary warning towards the arrival of someone new


Driving down our streets
Newcomer has set roots in their town


You better lock up your man
New girl has already gained attention from men in town


Before he meets
Before any man falls for her charm


The New Girl in Town
Referring to the newcomer girl causing a stir in town


Who just came on the scene
There is a new girl in town who has recently arrived


Can't be more than sixteen
She is young and still in her teenage years


And she's got a way of makin'
She has a charm about her that is captivating


A boy act like a clown
She is causing boys to act foolishly in her presence


Wo-oo, wo-oo, wo-oo, wo-oo, wo-oo
Stereotypical sounds of confusion and derision


We don't know what to do
They are confused on how to deal with the new girl's impact


'Bout the new girl in town
They are clueless about how to handle the newcomer's influence


Seems to dance on air
New girl's movements are graceful and seem effortless


She's got the coolest hair
New girl's hair is unique and outstanding


You better tell the homecoming queen
Warning the current popular girl to pay attention


To hold on to her crown
The new girl has the potential to steal the popular girl's status


She's hip, she's cool
New girl's personality and style are admirable


I'm gonna get her after school
Ambitious plan to confront the new girl after classes


And yet we'd like to be like her
Despite their feelings towards her, they still admire her


'Cause she's the kitten
Referring to the new girl's attractiveness and feminine charm


That the cats prefer
Boys in town are gravitating towards her over the other girls


ladies step aside
A call for the current girls in town to make way for the new girl


Has my guy on a string
One of the girls in town has already lost her boyfriend to the new girl


Hey look she's wearing his ring
Confirmation that the new girl is already with someone's boyfriend


I can't stop crying and so
Indicates the emotional distress of the girl who has lost her boyfriend to the new girl


In my own tears I'm gonna drown
The extent of the emotional pain caused by the arrival of the new girl


Cause he wants to rendezvous
Implication that the boy is cheating on his girlfriend with the new girl


With the new girl
Reiterating the fact that the boy is interested in the new girl


We're kinda sad and blue
The girls in town are feeling the effects of the new girl's impact


Yes it's true
Acknowledging the serious consequences of the new girl's arrival


We'd like to say...
The girls in town need to voice their opinion on the situation


From out of the blue girl
The new girl came out of nowhere and caused a lot of trouble


This town's in a stew girl
The town is experiencing chaos and confusion because of the new girl


What a hullabaloo girl
The new girl's presence is causing quite a commotion


She ain't just passing through girl
The new girl seems to be sticking around for a while


She's sticking like glue girl
People are being drawn to the new girl and are finding it hard to resist her charm


To the man I thought I knew girl
The new girl has taken the girl's boyfriend, someone she thought she knew well


Hey look out for that moving van
Repeating the initial warning towards the arrival of someone new


Look out, look out, look out, look out
Reiterating the theme of caution towards the newcomer's arrival


She was...The New Girl in Town
Closing statement reiterating the title, emphasizing the focal point of the song




Contributed by Caroline E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@coleslaw9449

"Why did you pick the same song!"
"They wrote it."
such an underrated film

@lemaretataafuli6183

Cole Chick jfa’afiafiaga samoa

@lemaretataafuli6183

Cole Chick jfa’afiafiaga samoaradio

@lemaretataafuli6183

I

@wiggl3s_821

I absolutely love how passionate it is about the discrimination of minorities and how it had to change. Big people, women and african americans especially. Such a good movie/musical.

@alexrobinson515

How is it 'underrated'?

19 More Replies...

@acd9648

the girls in the orange dresses remind me of the pillars in hercules

@MondezDurden

lol!!!! OMG YASSSS, but so will most trio black female singing groups with enough soul to launch a record label.

@micaelaenergy700

same

@EARLZ122

Books and Beanbags omfg what's creepy is I just watched them and thought the same thing and came here!!

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