I Can Do That
Original Broadway Cast Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm watchin' Sis
Go pitterpat.
Said,
"I can do that,
I can do that."

Knew ev'ry step
Right off the bat.

Said,
"I can do that,
I can do that."

One morning Sis won't go to dance class
I grabbed her shoes and tights and all,
But my foot's too small,
So,
I stuff her shoes
With extra socks,
Run seven blocks
In nothin' flat.
Hell,
I can do that,
I can do that.

I got to class
And had it made,
And so I stayed
The rest of my life.
All thanks to Sis
(Now married and fat)

I can do this.

That I can do!
I can do that.

Overall Meaning

The song "I Can Do That" from the Original Broadway Cast album of A Chorus Line features the character Mark, who is reminiscing about how he first discovered his love for dancing. The first verse finds Mark observing his sister's dance moves with ease, and confidently declaring his ability to do the same. The second verse reveals that Mark was quick to learn choreography and began to seriously consider dance as a career. However, it was not until his sister was unable to attend a dance class that Mark had the opportunity to prove himself. Despite having smaller feet than his sister, Mark boldly stuffed her shoes with extra socks and ran seven blocks to make it to the class on time. From then on, Mark was dedicated to becoming a professional dancer and ultimately found success in this pursuit.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm watchin' Sis Go pitterpat.
I am observing my sister dancing rhythmically and quickly.

Said, "I can do that, I can do that."
I confidently declare that I am capable of performing that same dance routine.

Knew ev'ry step Right off the bat.
I immediately memorized all the dance steps with ease.

One morning Sis won't go to dance class
On a particular day, my sister was not able to go to her dance lessons.

I grabbed her shoes and tights and all, But my foot's too small,
I took my sister's dance gear, but my foot size was smaller.

So, I stuff her shoes With extra socks, Run seven blocks In nothin' flat. Hell,
To make up for the size difference, I added extra socks to the shoes and ran with them for seven blocks.

I can do that, I can do that.
My determination to attend the dance class did not falter. I still believe that I can do it.

I got to class And had it made, And so I stayed The rest of my life.
I arrived at the dance class, performed well, and decided to continue dancing for my entire life.

All thanks to Sis (Now married and fat)
I am grateful to my sister, although she is now married and overweight.

I can do this.
I can definitely do this dance routine.

That I can do! I can do that.
I can confidently perform this dance routine, and I know that for sure.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: MARVIN HAMLISCH, EDWARD KLEBAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Lily Iris

3y↑1

[MIKE]
I'm watchin' Sis
Go pitterpat.
Said,
"I can do that,
I can do that."

Knew ev'ry step
Right off the bat.
Said,
"I can do that,
I can do that."

One morning Sis won't go to dance class
I grabbed her shoes and tights and all,
But my foot's too small,
So,
I stuff her shoes
With extra socks,
Run seven blocks
In nothin' flat.
Hell,
I can do that,
I can do that.

I got to class
And had it made,
And so I stayed
The rest of my life.
All thanks to Sis
(Now married and fat),

I can do this.

That I can do!
I can do that.