I Feel Pretty
Original Broadway Cast Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I feel pretty
Oh, so pretty
I feel pretty and witty and bright!
And I pity
Any girl who isn't me tonight

I feel charming
Oh, so charming

It's alarming how charming I feel!
And so pretty
That I hardly can believe I'm real

See the pretty girl in that mirror there
Who can that attractive girl be?
Such a pretty face
Such a pretty dress
Such a pretty smile
Such a pretty me!

I feel stunning
And entrancing
Feel like running and dancing for joy
For I'm loved
By a pretty wonderful boy!

Have you met my good friend Maria
The craziest girl on the block?
You'll know her the minute you see her
She's the one who is in an advanced state of shock

She thinks she's in love
She thinks she's in Spain
She isn't in love
She's merely insane

It must be the heat
Or some rare disease
Or too much to eat
Or maybe it's fleas

Keep away from her
Send for Chino!
This is not the
Maria we know!

Modest and pure
Polite and refined
Well-bred and mature
And out of her mind!

I feel pretty
Oh, so pretty
That the city should give me its key
A committee
Should be organized to honor me

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

I feel dizzy
I feel sunny
I feel fizzy and funny and fine
And so pretty
Miss America can just resign!

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

See the pretty girl in that mirror there

What mirror where?

Who can that attractive girl be?

Which? What? Where? Whom?

Such a pretty face
Such a pretty dress
Such a pretty smile
Such a pretty me!

I feel stunning
And entrancing
Feel like running and dancing for joy

For I'm loved
By a pretty wonderful boy!

Overall Meaning

The song "I Feel Pretty" is a cheerful and lighthearted tune in which the character Maria is expressing her delirious happiness after falling in love. The song starts with Maria proclaiming how beautiful, clever, and vibrant she feels. She exclaims that she pities every girl who isn't her. The second verse talks about how charming she feels, and she finds it difficult to believe that she is real. She then sings about the pretty girl she sees in the mirror and how pretty everything about her looks. In the final verses, Maria talks about her friend who is madly in love, and everyone should stay away from her. Maria is so happy that she feels like she could take on the world, and even Miss America could resign because she's feeling so pretty and stunning.

The song is significant in that it highlights the fact that Maria is a naive and innocent girl, who is easily influenced by her surroundings. She doesn't understand her friend's complicated state of mind and thinks that love can solve everything. This ignorance and inexperience make her endearing to the audience, and the song acts as a perfect tool to develop her character.

Line by Line Meaning

I feel pretty
I feel beautiful and attractive

Oh, so pretty
Extremely beautiful and attractive

I feel pretty and witty and bright!
I feel beautiful, smart, and cheerful

And I pity
I feel sorry for

Any girl who isn't me tonight
Any girl who isn't feeling as beautiful as I am tonight

I feel charming
I feel delightful and enchanting

Oh, so charming
Extremely delightful and enchanting

It's alarming how charming I feel!
It's surprising how delightful and enchanting I am feeling

And so pretty
And also beautiful and attractive

That I hardly can believe I'm real
I'm feeling so beautiful that I can't believe it's real

See the pretty girl in that mirror there
Looking at myself in the mirror