BROADWAY
* Evita (1979) — Che (Tony Award, 1980)
* Sunday in the Park with George (1984) — George (Tony Award Nominee, 1984)
* Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Dress Casual (1989)
* The Secret Garden (1991) — Archibald Craven
* Falsettos (1993) — Marvin (Replacement)
* Sunday in the Park with George (Tenth Anniversary Concert) (1994) — George
* Mandy Patinkin in Concert (1997)
* Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Mamaloshen (1998)
* The Wild Party (2000) — Burrs (Tony Award Nominee, 2000)
* Celebrating Sondheim
DISCOGRAPHY
* Evita (1978)
* Sunday in the Park with George (1984)
* Mandy Patinkin (1989)
* Dress Casual (1990)
* The Secret Garden (1991)
* Experiment (1994)
* Oscar & Steve (1995)
* Mamaloshen (1998)
* The Wild Party (2000)
* Kidults (2001)
* Mandy Patinkin sings Sondheim (2002)
Patinkin can also be heard in Adam Guettel's Myths and Hymns, the Placido Domingo-starring studio cast recording of Man of La Mancha (1996), the Leonard Bernstein compilation Leonard Bernstein's New York (1996), Madonna's album I'm Breathless (1990), the studio cast recording of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific (1986), and the concert version of Sondheim´s Follies in Follies in Concert (1985).
Lesson #8
Mandy Patinkin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Charles shows them his crayons.
Marie has the ball of Charles.
Good for Marie.
Charles misses his ball.
George misses Marie.
George misses a lot.
George is alone.
He sees the park.
It is depressing.
George looks ahead.
George sees the dark.
George feels afraid.
Where are the people out strolling on Sunday?
George looks within.
George is adrift.
George goes by guessing.
George looks behind.
He had a gift.
When did it fade?
You wanted people out strolling on Sunday.
Sorry, Marie.
See George remember how George used to be.
Stretching his vision in every direction.
See George attempting to see a connection,
When all he can see
Is maybe a tree.
The family tree.
Sorry, Marie.
George is afraid.
George sees the park.
George sees it dying.
George, too, may fade,
Leaving no mark,
Just passing through.
Just like the people out strolling on Sunday.
George looks around.
George is alone.
No use denying.
George is aground.
George has outgrown
What he can do.
George would have liked to see
People out strolling on Sunday...
In Mandy Patinkin's song Lesson #8, the lyrics depict George's sense of isolation, despair, and fear as he wanders around the park alone on a Sunday. The opening lines introduce the characters of Charles and Marie, with Charles having a book and a box of crayons, and Marie having Charles' ball. Marie is praised for having the ball, while Charles misses it. The absence of Charles' ball seems to symbolize the loss of childhood innocence and joy, and George's longing for Marie suggests isolation and loneliness.
As George begins to explore the park, he feels depressed and scared, wondering where all the people are who should be out strolling on this Sunday. He turns inward, attempting to make sense of his disconnected feelings, but can only see a tree, the family tree. As the song comes to an end, George realizes that he, too, will pass through this world without leaving a mark. He has outgrown what he can do and is left with only his memories.
Overall, Lesson #8 is a poignant meditation on the fleeting nature of life and the human desire for connection and meaning. Despite its melancholic tone, the song's message is ultimately uplifting, as it encourages us to cherish the moments we have and appreciate the people in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Charles has a book.
There is a person named Charles who possesses a book.
Charles shows them his crayons.
Charles is displaying his crayons to other people.
Marie has the ball of Charles.
A person named Marie has the ball that belongs to Charles.
Good for Marie.
It is fortunate for Marie to have the ball.
Charles misses his ball.
Charles regrets not having the ball anymore.
George misses Marie.
A person named George feels lonely and misses the company of Marie.
George misses a lot.
George feels like he is missing out on many things.
George is alone.
George is by himself and does not have company.
George looks around.
George is observing his surroundings.
He sees the park.
George notices the park area.
It is depressing.
George feels sad or hopeless about the park.
George looks ahead.
George shifts his gaze to what is in front of him.
George sees the dark.
George notices the negative aspects or potential outcomes of his situation.
George feels afraid.
George experiences fear or worry about what he sees.
Where are the people out strolling on Sunday?
George wonders why there are not more people walking around on a leisurely day like Sunday.
George looks within.
George turns his attention inward and reflects on his thoughts or feelings.
George is adrift.
George feels directionless or uncertain.
George goes by guessing.
George is making decisions based on limited information or intuition.
George looks behind.
George reflects on past experiences or memories.
He had a gift.
At some point in the past, George had a particular talent or ability.
When did it fade?
George wonders when he lost his special talent or ability.
You wanted people out strolling on Sunday.
Someone, possibly Marie, wished to see more people walking around on a lazy day like Sunday.
Sorry, Marie.
George feels regret or disappointment for not fulfilling Marie's wish or expectation.
See George remember how George used to be.
George is reminiscing about his past self or past experiences.
Stretching his vision in every direction.
George is trying to broaden or change his perspective in various ways.
See George attempting to see a connection,
George is trying to find a correlation or relationship between different things.
When all he can see
Despite his efforts, George can only perceive or understand so much.
Is maybe a tree.
The only thing George can focus on is a tree.
The family tree.
Perhaps the specific tree George is considering is related to his family or genealogy.
Sorry, Marie.
George feels bad or apologetic towards Marie for not meeting her expectations.
George is afraid.
George is scared or anxious about his current situation.
George sees the park.
George is perceiving the park area.
George sees it dying.
George believes the park is deteriorating or in decline.
George, too, may fade,
George realizes that like the park or other people, he also has a limited lifespan.
Leaving no mark,
George worries that when he is gone, he will not have made a notable or lasting impact on the world or on others.
Just passing through.
George believes that his existence is brief and transient.
Just like the people out strolling on Sunday.
George compares himself to people who are also just briefly passing through the environment without making a significant impact.
George looks around.
George is again surveying his surroundings.
George is alone.
George is isolated and solitary.
No use denying.
George has given up on denying or avoiding the truth.
George is aground.
George feels stuck or unable to escape his situation.
George has outgrown
George has surpassed or grown beyond certain limitations or conditions.
What he can do.
George recognizes that he has limits to what he is capable of achieving or accomplishing.
George would have liked to see
George wishes he could have experienced or enjoyed something specific.
People out strolling on Sunday...
George again expresses his desire to see more people leisurely walking about on a Sunday.
Writer(s): STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Contributed by Scarlett H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@withdavidbowie
I've rarely ever felt emotion as strongly as when I watched the Sondheim 90th Birthday concert live. "Where are the people out strolling on Sunday?" Ugh, so so good.
@aarongilmore1254
The fact that he usually sings in such a full voice.... And yet his voice is breaking because life is imitating art... All buildings... No people
@sunnydayzie1202
Why am I crying. Gosh this song. Omgosh, this musical, this man. Nobody did George like Mandy..."George wanted people out strolling on Sunday. "
@WillScarlet16
Some might wonder why he chose this song instead of Finishing the Hat or Move On, but if you read James Lapine's book on the making of the musical, you'll see how important Lesson #8 was to the show, and to Mandy - every original cast and crew member notes how the audience didn't fully understand the final scene before they added Lesson #8 to show George's struggle, and even Mandy admits he didn't understand George's arc until he first performed this song.
@littlelisaluna
I adore Mandy Patinkin! This is fantastic!
@jkrfan7
Mandy is aging like fine wine
@Kim-lc3fv
RIP Stephen Sondheim. 🙏 Thank you, Many, for the a capella.
@Olissas4EverDraw
All my love to this unique, wonderful and quirky musical <3 This was fun to watch.
@1Kaileegirl
I adore Mandy Patinkin
@camillethompson572
After seeing him on Finding Your Roots this performance is much more meaningful. Art reflecting life and what ALL goes into creating a meaningful life and heritage.