In 1994, he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in She Loves Me. Additionally, he appeared in the Broadway revival productions of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Producers, On the Town, and 42nd Street, during which his caricature was drawn for Sardi's restaurant in 2002.
He also joined the cast of Beauty and the Beast as a replacement for Cogsworth, and currently plays Grimsby in the Original Broadway Cast of The Little Mermaid.
You're Only Second Rate
Jonathan Freeman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your parlor tricks are amusing
I bet you've got a bunny
Under your hat!
Now here's your chance
To get the best of me,
Hope your hand is hot!
C'mon, clown,
You try to slam me
With your hardest stuff
But your double whammy
Isn't up to snuff
I'll set the record straight
You're simply out of date
You're only second rate!
You think your cat's a meanine,
But your tiger's tame
You've got a lot to learn
About the genie game
So for your information,
I'll reiterate
You're only second rate!
Men cower at the power
In my pinky
My thumb is number one
On every list
But if you're not convinced
That I'm invincible,
Put me to the test!
I'd love to lay this rivalry to rest!
Go ahead and zap me
With the big surprise
Snap me in a trap,
Cut me down to size
I'll make a big escape
It's just a piece of cake
You're only second rate!
You know, your hocus-pocus
Isn't tough enough
And your mumbo-jumbo
Doesn't measure up
Let me pontificate
Upon your sorry state
You're only second rate!
Zaba-caba-dabra!
Granny's gonna grab ya!
Alakazam-da-mus
And this thing's bigger than the both of us!
So spare me your tremendous scare!
You look horrendous in your underwear!
And I can hardly wait
To discombobulate
I'll send ya back and packing
In a shipping crate
You'll make a better living
With a spinning plate
You're only second rate!
The lyrics to Jonathan Freeman's song "You're Only Second Rate" express a powerful taunt towards the antagonist, who is supposed to be a sorcerer or magician. The singer looks down upon the antagonist's tricks and challenges him to a test of magic. The singer, who claims to be the genie, shows his confidence in his abilities and seemingly looks down upon the sorcerer with a haughty attitude. Freeman's mocking tone and impolite words create a sense of arrogance and menace, as he portrays himself as the ultimate victor of this imaginary battle between forces of magic. The underlying theme here seems to be that nothing is more effective than true skill and power.
Lyrically, "You're Only Second Rate" is very clever, with its many allusions and puns. The song pokes fun at the antagonist's costume and his supposed magical abilities, as the singer describes them as nothing more than parlor tricks. The line "Your cat's a meanie, but your tiger's tame" suggests that the antagonist's purportedly evil feline is no match for the genie's superior magic. The song also reveals the singer's supreme confidence in his own abilities, as he claims that he can escape even the sorcerer's deadliest traps with ease. In essence, the song's lyrics are a celebration of true magic, skill, and strength over the mere appearance of magical abilities.
Line by Line Meaning
I must admit,
I acknowledge that
Your parlor tricks are amusing
Your tricks entertain me
I bet you've got a bunny Under your hat!
I assume you have a rabbit hidden in your hat
Now here's your chance To get the best of me, Hope your hand is hot! C'mon, clown, Let's see what you've got!
This is your opportunity to impress me, show me what you're capable of.
You try to slam me With your hardest stuff But your double whammy Isn't up to snuff
You attempt to attack me with your best material, but it's not good enough.
I'll set the record straight You're simply out of date You're only second rate!
I'll correct your misconceptions about your abilities, as you are outdated and mediocre
You think your cat's a meanine, But your tiger's tame You've got a lot to learn About the genie game So for your information, I'll reiterate You're only second rate!
You believe that you have a fierce cat, but your tiger is docile. You lack knowledge about the genie world, so I'll remind you that you are only average.
Men cower at the power In my pinky My thumb is number one On every list But if you're not convinced That I'm invincible, Put me to the test!
People are afraid of my power. My thumb is the highest rank. If you still doubt my strength, challenge me!
I'd love to lay this rivalry to rest!
I want to end this competitive relationship.
Go ahead and zap me With the big surprise Snap me in a trap, Cut me down to size
Try to shock me with your best move. Trap me, tear me down.
I'll make a big escape It's just a piece of cake You're only second rate!
I'll easily break free from your trap, as you are still subpar.
You know, your hocus-pocus Isn't tough enough And your mumbo-jumbo Doesn't measure up Let me pontificate Upon your sorry state You're only second rate!
Your magic is weak and insufficient. Allow me to speak on how terrible you are, as you are still mediocre.
Zaba-caba-dabra! Granny's gonna grab ya! Alakazam-da-mus And this thing's bigger than the both of us! So spare me your tremendous scare! You look horrendous in your underwear!
I mock your magic spells, as it's childish. You frighten me little, and you look ridiculous.
And I can hardly wait To discombobulate I'll send ya back and packing In a shipping crate You'll make a better living With a spinning plate You're only second rate!
I'm excited to disorient your magic. I'll send you away in a box or to do something less demanding, like juggling. You are still only average.
Contributed by Harper V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.