Gee Officer Krupke
Original Broadway Cast Lyrics
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We'll snow him some more! Them cops believe everything they read
in the papers about us cruddy j.d.'s. So that's what we give 'em!
Somethin' to believe in!
TIGER (imitating Krupke)
Hey, you!
Me, Officer Krupke?
TIGER
Yeah you! Gimme one good reason for not dragging you down to the
station house, ya punk!
RIFF (sung)
Dear kindly Sergeant Krupke
You gotta understand
It's just our bringin' upke
That gets us out of hand
Our mothers all are junkies
Our fathers all are drunks
Golly Moses!
Natcherly we're punks!
ALL
Gee, Officer Krupke, we're very upset
We never had the love that every child oughtta get
We ain't no delinquents, we're misunderstood
Deep down inside us there is good!
RIFF
There is good!
ALL
There is good, there is good
There is untapped good
Like inside, the worst of us is good!
TIGER (spoken)
That's a touchin' good story
RIFF
Lemme tell it to the world!
TIGER
Just tell it to the judge!
RIFF (sung)
Dear kindly Judge, your Honour
My parents treat me rough
With all their marijuana
They won't give me a puff
They didn't want to have me
But somehow I was had
Leapin' lizards!
That's why I'm so bad!
SNOWBOY (imitating a judge)
Right!
Officer Krupke, you're really a square
This boy don't need a judge, he needs an analyst's care
It's just his neurosis that oughta be curbed
He's psychologically disturbed!
RIFF
I'm disturbed!
ALL
We're disturbed, we're disturbed
We're the most disturbed
Like we're psychologically disturbed!
SNOWBOY (spoken)
Hear ye, hear ye! In the opinion of this court, this child is depraved
on account he ain't had a normal home.
RIFF
Hey, I'm depraved on account I'm deprived!
SNOWBOY
So take him to a headshrinker!
RIFF (sung)
My daddy beats my mommy
My mommy clobbers me
My grandpa is a Commie
My grandma pushes tea
My sister wears a mustache
My brother wears a dress
Goodness gracious!
That's why I'm a mess!
ACTION (imitating a psychiatrist)
Yes!
Officer Krupke, he shouldn't be here
This boy don't need a couch, he needs a useful career
Society's played him a terrible trick
And sociologically he's sick!
RIFF
I am sick!
ALL
We are sick, we are sick
We are sick, sick, sick
Like we're sociologically sick!
ACTION (spoken)
In my opinion, this child does not need to have his head shrunk at
all. Juvenile delinquency is purely a social disease
RIFF
Hey, I got a social disease!
ACTION
So take him to a social worker!
RIFF (sung)
Dear kindly social worker
They tell me "get a job"
Like be a soda jerker
Which means like be a slob
It's not I'm anti-social
I'm only anti-work
Glory osky!
That's why I'm a jerk!
A-RAB (imitating female social worker)
Eek!
Officer Krupke, you've done it again!
This boy don't need a job, he needs a year in the pen
It ain't just a question of misunderstood
Deep down inside him, he's no good!
RIFF
I'm no good!
ALL
We're no good, we're no good
We're no earthy good
Like the best of us is no damn good!
SNOWBOY
The trouble is he's lazy!
A-RAB
The trouble is he drinks!
BABY JOHN
The trouble is he's crazy!
JOYBOY
The trouble is he stinks!
BIG DEAL
The trouble is he's growing!
ACTION
The trouble is he's grown!
ALL
Krupke, we got troubles of our own!
Gee, Officer Krupke
We're down on our knees
RIFF
'Cause no one wants a fella with a social disease
ALL
Gee, Officer Krupke
What are we to do?
Gee, Officer Krupke -
Krup you!
The song "Gee Officer Krupke" from the original Broadway cast of "West Side Story" is a satirical and humorous perspective on the societal issues faced by the Jets, a gang of young delinquents. The song takes place when Riff, the leader of the Jets, and Tiger, a police officer, have a comedic interaction. Riff and his gang purposely exaggerate their troubled upbringing and blame their actions on their dysfunctional families. They sarcastically plead with Officer Krupke, Judge, and a social worker, trying to convince them that they are not entirely to blame for their delinquent behavior.
In the first part of the song, Riff mockingly addresses Sergeant Krupke, claiming that their troubled upbringing and dysfunctional families are the cause of their unruly behavior. He suggests that their mothers are junkies and their fathers are drunks, implying that they are naturally inclined to be punks. However, their tone is sarcastic, highlighting the absurdity of blaming their behavior solely on their upbringing.
As the song progresses, Riff continues to exaggerate their troubled lives, addressing the judge and implying that his parents' drug and alcohol abuse led him to become "bad." The gang members join in, imitating a judge who suggests that Riff's problems are psychological and can be solved through therapy. They all claim to be disturbed and psychologically sick, again sarcastically suggesting that these are the root causes behind their delinquency.
The satirical depiction continues when Snowboy, imitating a psychiatrist, suggests that society is to blame for their troubles and that juvenile delinquency is a social disease. Riff agrees, claiming that he has a "social disease." The gang members imitate a social worker, implying that a job is not a solution for them, as they sarcastically claim to be anti-social and lazy.
In the final part, the gang members each contribute their own comedic reasons for their troubled behavior, including laziness, drinking, being crazy, and growing up. They conclude by humorously dismissing Officer Krupke's authority and blaming society for their troubles. The song ultimately highlights the absurdity of blaming individuals for societal issues and suggests that there are larger systemic problems at play.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear kindly Sergeant Krupke
Addressing Officer Krupke in a sarcastic manner
You gotta understand
You need to comprehend
It's just our bringin' upke
It's simply the way we were raised
That gets us out of hand
That makes us behave recklessly
Our mothers all are junkies
Our mothers are all drug addicts
Our fathers all are drunks
Our fathers are all alcoholics
Golly Moses!
OMG!
Natcherly we're punks!
Naturally, we are troublemakers!
Gee, Officer Krupke, we're very upset
Officer Krupke, we are extremely distressed
We never had the love that every child oughtta get
We never received the affection that every child deserves
We ain't no delinquents, we're misunderstood
We are not delinquents, we are simply misunderstood
Deep down inside us there is good!
Beneath the surface, we have goodness within us
That's a touchin' good story
That's a heartwarming tale
Lemme tell it to the world!
Let me share it with everyone!
Just tell it to the judge!
Just narrate it to the judge!
Dear kindly Judge, your Honour
Respected Judge, your Honor
My parents treat me rough
My parents treat me harshly
With all their marijuana
Because of their marijuana usage
They won't give me a puff
They won't let me have a smoke
They didn't want to have me
They didn't desire to have me
But somehow I was had
But somehow I came into existence
Leapin' lizards!
Good grief!
That's why I'm so bad!
That's why I behave poorly!
Right!
Exactly!
Officer Krupke, you're really a square
Officer Krupke, you are truly old-fashioned
This boy don't need a judge, he needs an analyst's care
This boy doesn't require a judge, he needs therapy
It's just his neurosis that oughta be curbed
It's only his neurotic behavior that needs to be controlled
He's psychologically disturbed!
He suffers from psychological issues!
Hear ye, hear ye! In the opinion of this court, this child is depraved
Listen up! As per the court's assessment, this child is morally corrupt
on account he ain't had a normal home.
because he hasn't had a conventional upbringing.
Hey, I'm depraved on account I'm deprived!
Hey, I am morally corrupt because I have been deprived!
So take him to a headshrinker!
So, refer him to a psychiatrist!
My daddy beats my mommy
My father physically abuses my mother
My mommy clobbers me
My mother physically harms me
My grandpa is a Commie
My grandfather is a communist
My grandma pushes tea
My grandmother peddles drugs
My sister wears a mustache
My sister behaves in an unconventional way
My brother wears a dress
My brother exhibits unconventional gender expression
Goodness gracious!
Oh my goodness!
That's why I'm a mess!
That's why I'm a bundle of problems!
Yes!
Indeed!
Officer Krupke, he shouldn't be here
Officer Krupke, he doesn't belong here
This boy don't need a couch, he needs a useful career
This boy doesn't need therapy, he needs a meaningful occupation
Society's played him a terrible trick
Society has treated him harshly
And sociologically he's sick!
And from a social standpoint, he is ill!
In my opinion, this child does not need to have his head shrunk at all.
In my view, this child doesn't need therapy at all.
Juvenile delinquency is purely a social disease
Youth misconduct is solely a result of social factors
Hey, I got a social disease!
Hey, I have a social problem!
So take him to a social worker!
So, refer him to a social worker!
Dear kindly social worker
Kind social worker
They tell me 'get a job'
They tell me to find employment
Like be a soda jerker
Like being a low-paying job like a soda jerk
Which means like be a slob
Which implies being untidy
It's not I'm anti-social
I'm not against socializing
I'm only anti-work
I'm just against working
Glory osky!
Good heavens!
That's why I'm a jerk!
That's why I'm a lousy person!
Eek!
Oh no!
Officer Krupke, you've done it again!
Officer Krupke, you have made another mistake!
This boy don't need a job, he needs a year in the pen
This boy doesn't need a job, he needs to spend a year in prison
It ain't just a question of misunderstood
It's not only a matter of being misunderstood
Deep down inside him, he's no good!
Deep inside him, he is a bad person!
The trouble is he's lazy!
The problem is that he is lazy!
The trouble is he drinks!
The problem is that he drinks alcohol!
The trouble is he's crazy!
The problem is that he is mentally ill!
The trouble is he stinks!
The problem is that he smells bad!
The trouble is he's growing!
The problem is that he is maturing!
The trouble is he's grown!
The problem is that he has become an adult!
Krupke, we got troubles of our own!
Krupke, we have our own problems!
Gee, Officer Krupke
Gee, Officer Krupke
We're down on our knees
We are begging earnestly
'Cause no one wants a fella with a social disease
Because no one desires a guy with a social problem
Gee, Officer Krupke
Gee, Officer Krupke
What are we to do?
What should we do?
Gee, Officer Krupke -
Gee, Officer Krupke
Krup you!
Screw you, Krupke!
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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