* A Family Affair (1962) - lyrics by James & William Goldman
* Flora the Red Menace (1965)
* Cabaret (1966)
* Go Fly A Kite (1966) - music and lyrics also by Walter Marks
* The Happy Time (1968)
* Zorba (1968)
* 70, Girls, 70 (1971)
* Chicago (1976)
* The Act (1978)
* Woman of the Year (1981)
* The Rink (1984)
* Diamonds (1984) - 1 song: Winter In New York
* And The World Goes 'Round (1991)
* Kiss of the Spider Woman (1992)
* Steel Pier (1997)
* Fosse (1999)
* Over and Over (1999) - working title: The Skin Of Our Teeth
* The Visit (2001)
* Curtains (2006)
* All of Us (2007 revision of Over and Over)
(From Wikipedia)
Razzle Dazzle
John Kander Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give 'em the old razzle dazzle
Razzle dazzle 'em
Give 'em an act with lots of flash in it
And the reaction will be passionate
Give 'em the old hocus pocus
Bead and feather 'em
How can they see with sequins in their eyes?
What if your hinges all are rusting?
What if, in fact, you're just disgusting?
Razzle dazzle 'em
And they'll never catch wise!
Give 'em the old
Billy and Company
Razzle dazzle
Razzle dazzle 'em
Give 'em a show that's so splendiferous
Billy
Row after row will crow vociferous
Billy and Company
Give 'em the old flim flam flummox
Fool and fracture 'em
Billy
How can they hear the truth above the roar?
Billy and Company
Throw 'em a fake and a finagle
They'll never know you're just a bagel,
Billy
Razzle dazzle 'em
And they'll beg you for more!
Billy and Company
Give 'em the old double whammy
Daze and dizzy 'em
Back since the days of old Methuselah
Everyone loves the big bambooz-a-ler
Give 'em the old three ring circus
Stun and stagger 'em
When you're in trouble, go into your dance
Though you are stiffer than a girder
They let you get away with murder
Razzle dazzle 'em
And you've got a romance
Billy and Company
Give 'em the old
Razzle dazzle
Billy
Razzle dazzle 'em
Show 'em the first rate sorcerer you are
Billy and Company
Long as you keep 'em way off balance
How can they spot you got no talents?
Billy
Razzle dazzle 'em
Company
Razzle dazzle 'em
Billy
Razzle dazzle 'em
Billy and Company
And they'll make you a star!
In John Kander's song "Razzle Dazzle," the lyrics describe the art of putting on a dazzling show to distract and impress an audience. The song advises performers to give their audience the old "hocus pocus" and "flim flam flummox," using flashy acts and fake stunts to keep them entertained and unaware of any flaws or shortcomings. The key is to keep the audience off balance and dazzled, so they never realize that the performer might not be as talented as they appear.
The lyrics also touch on the desperation of performers who might be struggling to keep up their act, highlighting the fear of being caught out as a fraud. The line "What if your hinges all are rusting? What if, in fact, you're just disgusting?" shows the insecurity that comes with trying to maintain a facade. However, the lyrics suggest that as long as the performer can keep up the razzle dazzle, they'll be able to win over the audience and become a star.
Overall, "Razzle Dazzle" is a commentary on the art of performance, and the lengths that performers sometimes go to in order to keep up appearances. It suggests that sometimes, it's not just about talent, but about the ability to dazzle and deceive.
Line by Line Meaning
Give 'em the old razzle dazzle
Impress them with your charm and wit
Razzle dazzle 'em
Entertain and excite them
Give 'em an act with lots of flash in it
Present yourself with grandiose flair
And the reaction will be passionate
And their response will be fervent
Give 'em the old hocus pocus
Trick them with clever deception
Bead and feather 'em
Cover them in flashy jewelry and clothing
How can they see with sequins in their eyes?
How can they see through the glitz and glamour?
What if your hinges all are rusting?
What if you're flawed and vulnerable?
What if, in fact, you're just disgusting?
What if you're unappealing or repulsive?
And they'll never catch wise!
And they'll never realize what's really going on
Give 'em a show that's so splendiferous
Give them a spectacular performance
Row after row will crow vociferous
Audience members will cheer loudly
Give 'em the old flim flam flummox
Trick and confuse them
Fool and fracture 'em
Trick and break their spirit
How can they hear the truth above the roar?
How can they discern the truth amidst all the hype and noise?
Throw 'em a fake and a finagle
Deceive them with a phony act
They'll never know you're just a bagel,
They'll never realize you're a fraud
And they'll beg you for more!
And they'll crave more of your deception
Give 'em the old double whammy
Hit them with a double blow
Daze and dizzy 'em
Confuse and disorient them
Everyone loves the big bambooz-a-ler
Everyone loves the master of deception
Give 'em the old three ring circus
Give them a wild and chaotic show
Stun and stagger 'em
Shake them up and leave them stunned
When you're in trouble, go into your dance
Dance your way out of difficult situations
Though you are stiffer than a girder
Although you lack flexibility
They let you get away with murder
They forgive your shortcomings
And you've got a romance
And you've won their hearts
Show 'em the first rate sorcerer you are
Demonstrate your exceptional talent
Long as you keep 'em way off balance
As long as you keep them confused and uncertain
How can they spot you got no talents?
How can they see through your lack of skill?
And they'll make you a star!
And they'll elevate you to stardom
Contributed by Landon C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.