Matilda the musical, is based on the children's novel by Roald Dahl.
It… Read Full Bio ↴Matilda the musical, is based on the children's novel by Roald Dahl.
It is written by Dennis Kelly, with the score & lyrics written by Tim Minchin.
The musical was first performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in December 2010.
In October 2011 it made it's way to the Cambridge Theatre in the west end.
Also in October 2011, it won best musical production and best actor (Bertie Carvel) in the Theatre Awards UK, and in November 2011 it won the Ned Sherrin Award for Best Musical as part of The Evening Standard Awards.

Telly
Matilda the Musical Original Cast Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Somewhere on a show I heard
That a picture tells a thousand words,
So telly, if you bothered to take a look,
Is the equivalent, of like, lots of books!

All I know I learned from telly,
This big beautiful box of facts.
If you know a thing already,

Baby, you can switch the channel over just like that.

Endless joy and endless laughter...
Folks living happily ever after...
All you need to make you wise
Is 23 minutes plus advertisements.

Why would we waste our energy?
Turning the pages 1, 2, 3,
When we can sit comfortably
On our lovely bumferlies,
Watching people singing and talking and doing stuff?!

All I know I learned from telly.
The bigger the telly, the smarter the man!
You can tell from my big telly,
Just what a clever fella I am!

Take it away, son.
You can't learn that from a stupid book.

All I know I learned from telly -
What to think and what to buy.
I was pretty smart already,
But now I'm really, really smart - very very smart.
Endless content, endless channels...
Endless chat on endless panels...
All you need to fill your muffin,
Without having to really think or nothing!

Why would we waste our energy,
Trying to work out Ulysses,
When we can sit happily
On our lovely bapperlies
Watching slightly famous people,
Talking to really famous people?

Who the dickens is Charles Dickens?
Mary Shelly? Gosh, she sounds smelly.
Harry Potter? What a rotter...
Jane Austen in the compost bin...
James Joyce doesn't sound nice.
Ian McEwen? Ugh, I feel like spewin'.
William Shakespeare? Swilliam Shmakespeare...
Moby Dick – easy Grandma!

All together now!

Thank you very much!

Overall Meaning

The song "Telly" in Matilda the Musical Original Cast is a playful, satirical take on how television has become the primary source of information, entertainment, and education in modern times. The lyrics suggest that people can learn everything they need to know from television, including endless joy, laughter, and wisdom. The song praises television as a big box of facts that can make anyone smart, and even smarter if one has a bigger television. The lyrics also mock the idea of reading books or working out complex literature, suggesting that it is easier and more entertaining to just watch people sing, talk, and do stuff on television.

The song highlights the importance of television as an influential medium that shapes people's ideas, beliefs, and perceptions. The lyrics suggest that television can tell people what to think and what to buy, and that it is easier to consume endless content and endless channels without having to really think or nothing. The playful jabs at famous literary authors like Charles Dickens, Mary Shelly, Harry Potter, Jane Austen, James Joyce, and William Shakespeare also reveal the irony of how television has replaced literary classics as a primary source of entertainment and information.

Line by Line Meaning

Somewhere on a show I heard
I heard on a show once

That a picture tells a thousand words,
That a picture can convey a lot of information

So telly, if you bothered to take a look,
If you took the time to watch TV,

Is the equivalent, of like, lots of books!
It's like reading many books!

All I know I learned from telly,
I learned everything from TV

This big beautiful box of facts.
TV has so much factual content.

If you know a thing already,
If you already know something,

Baby, you can switch the channel over just like that.
You can easily switch to something else on TV.

Endless joy and endless laughter...
TV has infinite happy content

Folks living happily ever after...
TV shows have happy endings.

All you need to make you wise
To become wise,

Is 23 minutes plus advertisements.
All you need is a 23 minute TV show plus ads.

Why would we waste our energy?
Why bother exerting ourselves?

Turning the pages 1, 2, 3,
To flip through books one by one,

When we can sit comfortably
When we can sit and relax,

On our lovely bumferlies,
On our lovely sofas,

Watching people singing and talking and doing stuff?!
Watching people on TV doing things.

The bigger the telly, the smarter the man!
The larger the TV, the more intelligent the viewer.

Just what a clever fella I am!
I must be very smart!

Take it away, son.
That's enough of me, your turn!

You can't learn that from a stupid book.
You can't learn everything from books.

What to think and what to buy.
TV teaches us what to think and what to purchase.

I was pretty smart already,
I was intelligent already,

But now I'm really, really smart - very very smart.
But now I am even more intelligent - very very smart.

Endless content, endless channels...
TV has so much content and channels.

Endless chat on endless panels...
TV has infinite talk shows.

All you need to fill your muffin,
To entertain oneself,

Without having to really think or nothing!
Without having to think or do anything!

Trying to work out Ulysses,
Trying to read and understand a complex book like Ulysses,

When we can sit happily
When we can sit comfortably and happily,

On our lovely bapperlies
On our lovely chairs,

Watching slightly famous people,
Watching slightly famous people on TV,

Talking to really famous people?
Talking to very famous people on TV?

Who the dickens is Charles Dickens?
Who is Charles Dickens?

Mary Shelly? Gosh, she sounds smelly.
Mary Shelley? Ew, her name sounds bad.

Harry Potter? What a rotter...
Harry Potter? He sucks.

Jane Austen in the compost bin...
Jane Austen is not worth keeping.

James Joyce doesn't sound nice.
James Joyce doesn't sound appealing.

Ian McEwen? Ugh, I feel like spewin'.
Ian McEwan? He disgusts me.

William Shakespeare? Swilliam Shmakespeare...
William Shakespeare? Whatever.

Moby Dick – easy Grandma!
Moby Dick? Too easy!

All together now!
Let's sing together now!

Thank you very much!
Thank you so much!

Contributed by Reagan W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@billydavis3847

5y↑56

Somewhere on a show I heard
That a picture tells a thousand words
So telly, if you bothered to take a look
Is the equivalent, of like, lots of books!

All I know I learned from telly
This big beautiful box of facts
If you know a thing already
Baby, you can switch the channel over just like that

Endless joy and endless laughter...
Folks living happily ever after...
All you need to make you wise
Is 23 minutes plus advertisements

Why would we waste our energy?
Turning the pages 1, 2, 3
When we can sit comfortably
On our lovely bumferlies
Watching people singing and talking and doing stuff?!

All I know I learned from telly
The bigger the telly, the smarter the man!
You can tell from my big telly
Just what a clever fella I am! (spoken)
Take it away, son
(Michael plunks out a few notes on a guitar)
You can't learn that from a stupid book

All I know I learned from telly -
What to think and what to buy
I was pretty smart already
But now I'm really, really smart - very very smart
Endless content, endless channels...
Endless chat on endless panels...
All you need to fill your muffin
Without having to really fink or nothing!

Why would we waste our energy
Trying to work out "Ulysses"
When we can sit happily
On our lovely bapperlies
Watching slightly famous people
Talking to really famous people?

All I know I learned from telly
The bigger the telly, the smarter the man!
You can tell from my big telly
Just what a clever fella I am!
Who the dickens is Charles Dickens?
Mary Shelley? Cor, she sounds smelly
Harry Potter? What a rotter
Jane Austen? In the compostin'
James Joyce? Doesn't sound noice
Ian McEwan? Ugh, I feel like spewin'
William Shakespeare? Schwilliam Schmakespeare
Moby Dick? Easy Grandma!

All together now!

All I know I learned from telly
The bigger the telly, the smarter the man!
You can tell from my big telly
Just what a clever fella I am!

Thank you very much!

@nightcoresubliminals2038

4y↑18

Now. Who here has ever read a book?
uncomfortable silence
Well, go on, go on, raise your hands.
a few hands go up
You, you there, what's your name?
"Bill."
Well, Bill, don't take this the wrong way, but...
BOOKWORM, BOOKWORM, STINKY LITTLE BOOKWORM! READING ALL YOUR BOOKS LUKE A STUPID LITTLE BOOKWORM! You read books like a WORM! Worms read books, you read books, worms are stupid...
two brain cells in motion
YOU'RE A SWORM!
Well, Bill can learn from that. It won't stop him reading, but he'll never raise his hand in a theater again.
Now, let me introduce you to man's greatest invention. The pinnacle of our achievements as a species. The very reason we bothered evolving out of unicorns in the first place.

Somewhere - on a show - I heard
That a picture tells a thousand words...

(Hope I got it right. This wasn't my part, but he practiced it enough for me to pick it up XD)

All comments from YouTube:

@mil0.sc0ut

1y↑19

this song and loud both feel really important for the parents v. matilda conflict and how it contrasts with trunchbull as an antagonist, because it shows that the parents aren't actually actively malevolent. they're just comically stupid and woefully inept lmao

@madeleinep.828

4y↑166

I am prepared to fight anyone who says this is not the best song from the musical.

@nightcoresubliminals2038

4y↑20

This and Loud. I will fight alongside you.

@lucscott3631

4y↑2

Nightcore Subliminals 100 percent

@poppy_watermelon0510

3y↑5

K, but ima reck you, cause the school song is the best

@lorelaipotter8457

I love this song so much but its my 5th favorite

@Pepper_Jvck

2y↑3

I'm in a high school version of this and I'm playing Mr. Wormwood, I am honored to get to perform this song

15 More Replies...

@jonathanfromchurch6877

2y↑39

Best part of this song is it kind of sounds like an infomercial, like he’s trying to sell you something, which is very on theme

@Egghead_12

2y↑15

I saw this musical a few years ago and loved it so much. So hilarious! I wish I had joined the theater group before they performed it, looked so fun!

@totallyfictional3778

5y↑60

2:50 He sings so well and it's so good to listen to

@emmakukla5857

2y↑11

I'm doing this musical with my theater group. So much fun! All the songs are amazing and funny! (especially the wormwoods songs!)

@twistingbrake3466

2y↑29

I’m playing Mr. Wormwood in my school’s performance of Matilda this year! Super excited to do this song!

@Pepper_Jvck

2y↑1

Same here!

@beastman6484

2y↑1

How did it go?

@twistingbrake3466

@Beastman64 It went really well! The whole musical was a life changing experience and it was overall a ton of fun. I also constantly apologized to the actress of Matilda after scenes haha

@Pepper_Jvck

2y↑1

@Beastman64 It went very well!

@Pepper_Jvck

2y↑1

@TwistingBrake34 Dude I feel that, having to scream at her relentlessly makes me feel bad.
This is the first villain I've ever played, especially since I usually get cast as the heroic character, like Malcolm from Macbeth, or Marius in Les Misérables. It's easy to get into the mindset of a good guy.
But to get into the mind of an abusive character and justify the terrible things Mr. Wormwood does is a real challenge. Because he really thinks that he's right.

4 More Replies...

@maggietrebilcock3578

6y↑174

If he hates books, how does he know more authors than I do?

@moonlightfaerie9524

6y↑41

Probably heard it on telly

@ryanrenn4815

5y↑39

in the production we saw, he was pulling books off a shelf.

@BlackKnight413

5y↑27

He's picking the books off of a shelf and throwing them into a bin

@natalizelaureano5180

Jaja

@NathanDavidK

2y↑4

In my school's production this year, we're setting it up so he is just getting some books, (presumably from Matilda's stack from the last time she went to the library), and just tosses them on stage. The kicker here is that in the bit right after that, when the girl explains to the audience that she gong to put a newt into the vase, she is picking up the books when she says she can't say any more. She is blatantly picking up the books mid-scene and justifying it as part of the fourth-wall break. Gosh I love it.

4 More Replies...

@billydavis3847

5y↑56

@ducklenin8161

4y↑8

Actually in this version where you have the Harry Potter line, he says, "Charlotte Bronte, do not want-y."

@MultiNictom

2y↑3

I love this song!

@eerbothepirate

3y↑5

I did this musical in school awhile ago, but we weren’t able to perform it because of corona :(. This was the song that we tap danced to, and I just rediscovered my tap shoes and tried it out again lol

@BassS1nger

1y↑9

The song is actually named All I know in the musical notes, its just more well known as Telly

@skittycecil2332

8y↑41

I might be performing this in our school's talent show!

@kristalpena-taylor3855

did you?

@skittycecil9786

Kristal Peña-Taylor Yep!

@natalizelaureano5180

Jaja XdD

@atom8810

Howd it go?

@skittycecil9786

@Alan Power It went pretty well!

1 More Replies...

@Talyuhhh

3y↑7

We ended up doing Matilda jr and though telly isn’t in it, it’s in the scene change music and it was great.

I played mrs.wormwood and escapologist

@leighmiller356

same- except I didn't play mrs wormwood XD

@nightcoresubliminals2038

4y↑18

@0ut.the.0x

How did you memorize that all wtf😂

@nightcoresubliminals2038

@JayIsAnEmoNobody Isaac recited it. A lot. Being ensemble and therefore not having to be anywhere immediately after intermission has its perks.

@thermodynamiclawyer

2y↑2

dude our mr. wormwood was SO good at this
I was Matilda and being backstage I could hear everything he said and he picked on my DAD 😭😭 so it was like
“you, what’s your name?”
“Bedford”
“Oh,,, that’s unfortunate. Your mom must’ve hated you.”

@izz8926

52w

Yup! 😂 I just went to my friends performance of Matilda and he played mr wormwood and it was hilarious when he called me out

@miaisloveiy

44w↑1

I play micheal and I fricking love this song as well as loud.

@RanBoo-jb5kp

29w

Got to play Michael for the musical and gotta say this song was the best thing I did

@frohawkmaster

1y↑4

Shame the parents didnt sing in the movie.

@brentauerbach6603

6y↑12

The terrible guitar solo is the guy's loser son playing guitar. He plays two notes, badly, and the father's proud of him. (He hates his genius daughter, Matilda). The son barely has a brain the entire show, except that he says "Telly" every time the father says it. The family are all cretins. The insight into our society is incredible. The song "Loud," also from Matilda and which is amazing as well, is brilliant political satire. Who cares about facts? The loudest person wins.

@BlackKnight413

5y↑7

r/iamverysmart

@nightcoresubliminals2038

4y↑1

@Mr Hupwop Dude, chill

@neelydeloach7704

3y↑14

ok but like 2:54 STOP thats a little too good

@lightningbolts6308

8y↑19

I watched this in london it is not the same this is really different the son shouts telly at the top of his voice every time his dad says telly thus is completely different to the real musical

@SilentSecretss

8y↑14

Yes, there are differences between the London and Broadway version of the songs within the musical but I don't believe you're justified in saying it's not the real musical not to mention you can't expect someone to shout at the top of their voice in a recording done in a studio.

@jadespurgeon6481

8y↑5

yes, my favourite part was when the son did that... quite disappointed now! oh well

@BlackKnight413

5y↑3

They do it in every performance, they couldn't do it on the cast recording because, well, headphones warning

@AndresGodoyMagaldi

42w↑1

In the show I watched yesterday every single kid was booing at Mr Wormwood

@sportsfan8404

4y↑25

0:31 - 1:09 Audition time

@doyouhaveanyregrets

3y↑4

oh please you mean 2:35

@sportsfan8404

@Radish it was my audition

@brennanbrock6161

5y↑8

Im confused, does Mr. Wormwood sing this whole song?

@alexysjamesfarmer3140

5y↑3

Yes he does, but Bruce comes in and yells "telly!" every time Mr. Wormwood sings it.

@brennanbrock6161

5y↑3

@Alexys Farmer Do you mean Micheal?

@alexysjamesfarmer3140

5y↑2

@Brennan Brock ahhhh yeah sorry, wasn't thinking

@Nothing_to_see807

4y↑3

I already wanted bruce but seeing this comment made me want it more so I auditioned for my high school show (it was my first show at that school and they never give freshman roles) but I got it only to find out that micheal was the one who sang the part in Telly and now I’m sad but at least I have revolting childeren, miracle and when I grow up

@nightcoresubliminals2038

4y↑3

@Alexys Farmer I'm imagining Bruce and Lavender coming over to ask if Matilda can play but accidentally walking into a musical number. Lavender turns and walks out but Bruce decides he might as well join in XD

@MrNonsenseSr

4y↑5

2:32 ALL TOGETHER NOWWW

@geoxgia8242

2y↑5

anyone else thinking his big "telly" is something else? im so sorry

@legomangamesnetwork1151

I play Mr. Wormwood in my school’s production of Matilda, and I wonder the same thing

@outc4st550

4y↑2

I gotta sing dis for a play it not awful

@NathanDavidK

Aww aww

@jackstone6159

7y↑4

What does the son do in the musical break?

@lottiegrey2003

7y↑8

plucks some strings

@Goblinjohn839

5y↑1

Some very bad strings

@zoecolquitt1355

5y↑7

Somewhere on an app there are things that tells a thousand words so Twitter if you can bother to take a look is the equivalent of life lots of tweets

All i know he learned from Twitter ! The bigger the Twitter the dumber the man you can tell from my big Twitter! You are clever fella all right

@deborahmiggins5869

Zoe Colquitt ok

@zoecolquitt1355

Its a Donald Trump song

@inarem_jpg

6y↑19

Where is the terrible guitar solo???

And the Harry Potter joke???

@brennanbrock6161

what harry potter joke?

@brennanbrock6161

Whats the harry potter joke?

@SpartanDuck

5y↑4

Brennan Brock While he is making fun of authors in that part in the original English version of the musical he says “harry potter, what a rotter,”

@fatcat8088

5y↑5

This show takes place in the 1980s. Philosopher's Stone came out in 1997. Unless Harry Wormwood is far smarter than he lets on it would make no sense for him to say that so they removed it.

The guitar solo is replaced with two flat notes. I think It's more funny this way, but its really a matter of preference.