I Enjoy Being A Girl
Original Broadway Cast Lyrics

"I Enjoy Being A Girl" is a musical number from Meredith Willson's Tony Award-winning 1957 musical The Music Man, with lyrics by the songwriter and a melody inspired by Chinese music. Within the play, the song is sung by the town's female perk group in response to the men's "The Sadder-But-Wiser Girl" performance. The play is set in the early 20th century and the song portrays the conventional gender roles of the time where women enjoyed feminine activities, like dressing up in frilly clothes, getting their hair done, and receiving compliments from men. The 'girlish gait' described in the song refers to the stereotype of how women should walk, with delicate and graceful movements.

The lyrics come from a place of self-confidence or self-love, with the singer boasting that she loves her curvy body, has lovely hair and eyelashes, and feels unapologetically proud of it. The reasons she enjoys being a "frilly" woman are that she has male attention and appreciates men's compliments. However, this perception of beauty can also feel restrictive, as the singer is only seeking male approval and is happy to conform to the patriarchal social norms.

Overall, the song celebrates the idea of femininity and emphasizes a woman's love for traditional roles of a wife and mother, which was typical of the era. This upbeat tune and its buoyant melody have remained popular today, as music lovers continue to enjoy the song's energy even without the context of the play.

* "I Enjoy Being A Girl" was originally performed by the late actress/singer Pat Suzuki in the 1958 film of the play.
* Even though the song proudly celebrates womanhood, it was written by a man.
* Meredith Willson, the composer of the song, was inspired by Chinese music when creating the melody.
* The song's opening lines - "I'm a girl, and by me that's only great!" - became an anthem for the feminist movement during the 1960s.
* The song has been covered by several different artists, including Rosemary Clooney, Eydie Gorme, and Doris Day.
* The song's popularity increased when it was featured in a ladies' shampoo commercial in the 90s.
* There is a reference to this song in the 2003 film School of Rock, when Dewey Finn (Jack Black) says "We're gonna teach some kids how to be better than they are. Just like we did with "Lady Marmalade" and "I Enjoy Being a Girl."
* "I Enjoy Being A Girl" has been used in numerous TV shows and films, including Glee, Walking on Sunshine, and Crazy Rich Asians.
* In the musical, the song immediately follows "Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little," where the women gossip about the lead character Harold Hill.
* The song has been considered problematic by some feminist groups for seemingly glorifying traditional gender norms and male approval.

Chords (Key of D):
Intro: D, Bm, G, A7
Verse: D, Bm, G, A7, D, Bm, Em7, A7
Chorus: D, F#7, Bm, G, A7, D, F#7, Bm, Em7, A7
Bridge: Bm, Em7, A7, D, G, A7
Outro: D, Bm, G, A7, D