just you wait
My Fair Lady Lyrics


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Just you wait, 'enry 'iggins, just you wait!
You'll be sorry, but your tears'll be to late!
You'll be broke, and I'll have money;
Will I help you? Don't be funny!
Just you wait, 'enry 'iggins, just you wait!
Just you wait, 'enry 'iggins, till you're sick,
And you scream to fetch a doctor double-quick.
I'll be off a second later And go straight to the the-ater!
Oh ho ho, 'enry 'iggins, just you wait!
Ooooooh 'enry 'iggins!
Just you wait until we're swimmin' in the sea!
Ooooooh 'enry 'iggins!
And you get a cramp a little ways from me!
When you yell you're going to drown I'll get dressed
and go to town! Oh ho ho, 'enry 'iggins!
Oh ho ho, 'enry 'iggins! Just you wait!
One day I'll be famous! I'll be proper and prim;
Go to St. James so often I will call it St. Jim!
One evening the king will say:
"Oh, Liza, old thing,
I want all of England your praises to sing.
Next week on the twentieth of May
I proclaim Liza Doolittle Day!
All the people will celebrate the glory of you
And whatever you wish and want I gladly will do."
"Thanks a lot, King" says I, in a manner well-bred;
But all I want is 'enry 'iggins 'ead!"
"Done," says the King with a stroke.
"Guard, run and bring in the bloke!"
Then they'll march you, 'enry 'iggins to the wall;
And the King will tell me: "Liza, sound the call."
As they lift their rifles higher, I'll shout:
"Ready! Aim! Fire!"
Oh ho ho, 'enry 'iggins,




Down you'll go, 'enry 'iggins!
Just you wait!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Just You Wait" from the musical My Fair Lady are sung by Eliza Doolittle, the singer, as a warning to Henry Higgins, a phonetics professor who takes on the challenge of teaching her to speak like a lady. The lines express her bitterness and frustration towards Higgins's arrogant and controlling behavior towards her, and how she will take revenge on him once she achieves her goals.


The first few lines of the song show Eliza's confidence that she will emerge victorious in the end. She warns Higgins that he will regret treating her the way he did and that his tears will come too late. Eliza mocks him by saying that he will end up broke as she acquires wealth and success, and she won't help him in return. In the subsequent lines, Eliza's tone turns more sinister as she talks about how she will let Higgins suffer when he needs her the most, for instance, when he falls sick or drowns in the sea. The song ends with her imagining her own triumph, where she becomes famous and celebrated while Higgins faces humiliation and eventual death.


Overall, "Just You Wait" is a power-packed song that captures the anger, resentment, and eventual triumph of the underdog against the oppressor. Eliza's transformation from a lowly flower-girl to a confident and successful lady is the primary narrative of the musical, and this song shows how she overcomes the hurdles in her path with ruthless determination.


Line by Line Meaning

Just you wait, 'enry 'iggins, just you wait!
I am warning you, Henry Higgins, wait and watch what happens to you!


You'll be sorry, but your tears'll be too late!
You will regret, but it will be too late for even crying.


You'll be broke, and I'll have money;
You will become broke, and I will be rich.


Will I help you? Don't be funny!
You will not get any help from me, don't even think about it.


Just you wait, 'enry 'iggins, just you wait!
I am warning you again, Henry Higgins, wait and watch what happens to you!


Just you wait, 'enry 'iggins, till you're sick,
Wait and watch until you fall sick.


And you scream to fetch a doctor double-quick.
When you scream for a doctor, I'll leave immediately to go to the theatre.


I'll be off a second later And go straight to the the-ater!
I will leave for the theatre seconds after you scream for help.


Oh ho ho, 'enry 'iggins, just you wait!
I am laughing at you, Henry Higgins, wait and watch what happens to you!


Ooooooh 'enry 'iggins! Just you wait until we're swimmin' in the sea!
Oh, Henry Higgins! Wait and watch when we go swimming in the sea!


Ooooooh 'enry 'iggins! And you get a cramp a little ways from me!
Oh, Henry Higgins! And when you get a cramp, I'll be nearby.


When you yell you're going to drown I'll get dressed and go to town!
When you shout for help while drowning, I will get ready and leave you alone.


Oh ho ho, 'enry 'iggins! Oh ho ho, 'enry 'iggins! Just you wait!
I am still laughing at you, Henry Higgins, wait and watch what happens to you!


One day I'll be famous! I'll be proper and prim;
Someday, I will become famous and very refined.


Go to St. James so often I will call it St. Jim!
I will visit St. James's so frequently that I'll begin to call it St. Jim.


One evening the king will say: "Oh, Liza, old thing,
One day, the king will address me, 'Liza, dear lady,'


I want all of England your praises to sing.
He will ask all of England to sing my praises.


Next week on the twentieth of May I proclaim Liza Doolittle Day!
On May 20th, I will officially proclaim the Liza Doolittle Day.


All the people will celebrate the glory of you And whatever you wish and want I gladly will do.
Everyone will be celebrating my glory, and I will grant any of my wishes.


"Thanks a lot, King" says I, in a manner well-bred;
I will thank the king, in a manner that is well-mannered.


But all I want is 'enry 'iggins 'ead!"
But what I really want is Henry Higgins's embarrassment.


"Done," says the King with a stroke. "Guard, run and bring in the bloke!"
"Done," says the King abruptly. "Guard, bring in Henry Higgins!"


Then they'll march you, 'enry 'iggins to the wall;
Then they will take you, Henry Higgins, to the wall.


And the King will tell me: "Liza, sound the call."
The king will tell me to sound the call.


As they lift their rifles higher, I'll shout: "Ready! Aim! Fire!"
As they lift their rifles, I will command them to shoot at Henry Higgins.


Oh ho ho, 'enry 'iggins, Down you'll go, 'enry 'iggins! Just you wait!
And finally, after all these antics, Henry Higgins, you will go down. Wait and watch.




Contributed by Ella L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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