Special
Original Broadway Cast (Avenue Q) Lyrics


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[Lucy]
I can make you feel
Special.
When it sucks to be you.
Let me make you feel
Special.
For an hour or two.
Your life's a routine
That repeats each day.
No one cares who you are
Or what you say.
And sometimes you feel
Like you're nobody,
But you can feel like
Somebody with me.

[Princeton]
Wow!

[Lucy]
Yeah, they're real.

When we're together
The earth will shake
And the stars will fall
Into the sea.
So come on, baby,
Let down your guard.
When your date's in
The bathroom,
I'll slip you my card.
I can tell just by looking
That you've got it hard
For me! for me!
For me! for me!
For me! for me!
I can tell just by looking




That you are especially
Hard for me!

Overall Meaning

The song “Special” from the musical Avenue Q, sung by Lucy, is a seductive offer to an unknown person to feel special for a brief moment, maybe an hour or two. Lucy realizes that the unknown person’s life is monotonous, and he/she feels nobody, and the plan is to turn everything upside down with an hour or two of simple joy. The truth about Lucy’s “magic” is that she is a prostitute, as revealed in the show’s context, but the lyrics don’t explicitly state that. The offer to make someone feel special is instead conveyed through her sexual prowess, which she offers to use for the benefit of an anonymous individual. The song is a brilliant display of how some people try to fill the void in their lives with sex, and how such transactions are devoid of any emotional connection or relationship.


From the background of the song, it is evident that the character who sings this song is not human, but puppet-like in appearance. Hence, the song satirizes the common human tendency to chase false promises of being special. It’s not clear whether Lucy is asking for money or not but in the show’s context where she is a sex worker, it’s pretty evident. Another notable aspect of the song is the contrast between the lyrics and the music. Lucy’s sexual offer is sung with a cheerful, lively tune, which makes it seem more cheerful and lively, and prompts one to question the implications of such lyrics. The song's characters and context also highlight the show's central themes of race, gender, and sexuality, which are treated with irreverence and humor throughout. The lyrics subtly point out the loneliness and emptiness felt by many people, prompting them to make choices that may not be in their best interest in the long run.


Line by Line Meaning

I can make you feel Special.
I am capable of giving you a feeling of being unique and important.


When it sucks to be you.
Especially when you are at your lowest point and things seem unbearable.


Let me make you feel Special.
Allow me to give you that feeling of being someone special.


For an hour or two.
Even for a brief time, I can make you feel special.


Your life's a routine That repeats each day.
Your life has become monotonous and repetitive, where every day seems similar to the one before.


No one cares who you are Or what you say.
Your presence and your opinions seem to go unnoticed by others.


And sometimes you feel Like you're nobody,
At times you experience a sensation of being insignificant or unimportant.


But you can feel like Somebody with me.
However, when you are with me, you can feel like somebody who matters and has worth.


Yeah, they're real.
The feelings that I can evoke in you are genuine and not contrived.


When we're together The earth will shake And the stars will fall Into the sea.
The intense bond and strong emotions that we share can change the world around us, causing a seismic shift.


So come on, baby, Let down your guard.
Allow yourself to be vulnerable and open up to me.


When your date's in The bathroom, I'll slip you my card.
I'll offer you an opportunity to be with me when your current partner is unavailable.


I can tell just by looking That you've got it hard For me! for me! For me! for me! For me! for me!
I can sense and see in your eyes that you have a great attraction and desire for me.


I can tell just by looking That you are especially Hard for me!
I can read your body language and know that you crave me more than anyone else.




Lyrics © Walt Disney Music Company
Written by: ROBERT LOPEZ, JEFF MARX

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@robertjonas6216

Dorothy Loudon OWNED this role. She was one of a kind!!

@reelred13

This might be my favorite version of Andrea singing Tomorrow. Her voice is so raw and powerful here.

@aylalillenas9835

+Robert Lee Amen to that. Andrea "is" the best Annie and always will be

@geiselmartinez7097

When she's in hers late teens she sounds even BETTER

@lilgiggler35

I wish a recording of this show with this marvelous cast was available on DVD.

@trentaccid2177

TRUE SOMETIMES YOU WONDER WHY PRODUCERS OF THIS SHOW DID NOT THINK TO DO SUCH SIMPLE THINGS LIKE KEEP A RECORDING OF THIS CAST AS IT WAS THE BEST. PLUS REMEMBER CELL PHONES AND DVD'S DID NOT EXIST YET. WE ALL FORGET THINGS WE NOW HAVE AT ONE TIME WAS NOT HERE.

@ttryon_65478

I love the Annie's who have strong voices, like Andrea and Joanna pacitti ( sorry if I spelled her last name wrong!) They are just Annie to me. I wish that they wouldn't have fired Joanna cause she was excellent.

@hfleah

That is exactly how I feel. I don’t care if she comes off as vulnerable or strong or whether she can dance or act very well. All I care about is that belting voice.... that’s where they went wrong with the true Annie lovers like us.

@BoraViolin

Agree 1000%!!

@snopesshop1903

Get over it

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