The pair wrote nine musicals together and collaborated on a musical film, State Fair. As producers, they also brought Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun to the stage, leaving an indelible mark on American musical theater and a legacy of successes that has never been equaled.
Our greatest living Broadway composer, Steven Sondheim, spent summers with Oscar Hammerstein during his formative adoplescent years. The legacy lives on.
Song of the King
Rodgers And Hammerstein Lyrics
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A woman is a female who is human,
Designed for pleasing man, the human male.
A human male is pleased by many women,
And all the rest you hear is fairy tale.
ANNA
Then tell me how this fairy tale began, sir.
You cannot call it just a poet's trick
Explain to me why many men are faithful
And true to one wife only.
KING
(Spoken) They are sick!
(Singing) A girl must be like a blossom
With honey for just one man.
A man must be like honey bee
And gather all he can.
To fly from blossom to blossom
A honey bee must be free,
But blossom must not ever fly
From bee to bee to bee.
The lyrics to Rodgers and Hammerstein's Song of the King are a perfect example of the extravagant and exaggerated world of musical theatre. The song begins with the king proclaiming that women are created with the sole purpose of pleasing men. He continues to explain that a male, being pleased by many women, does not care for the rest of their story as it is just a fairy tale. When Anna, a British schoolteacher, asks the king to explain why many men are faithful and true to one wife, he simply says they are sick.
The song highlights the patriarchal nature of Thai society during the 1860s when the musical is set. The king of Siam wishes to maintain his image of being dominant over women and perceives them as creatures put on earth to serve the male gender. However, a woman like Anna, being from a different culture, has the ability to challenge his stance and make him question his beliefs.
Despite its controversial and outdated message, the Song of the King is an integral part of the classic musical The King and I. With its extravagant costumes, exquisite choreography, and beautiful melodies, the song is still celebrated for its beautiful composition and catchy tune.
Line by Line Meaning
A woman is a female who is human,
A female is biologically and anatomically humanoid in nature
Designed for pleasing man, the human male.
Their anatomical attributes were constructed to satisfy male needs.
A human male is pleased by many women,
The male species are attracted to multiple women
And all the rest you hear is fairy tale.
The fairy tale notion of monogamy is just a myth.
Then tell me how this fairy tale began, sir.
Explain the origin of this mythical concept, your majesty.
You cannot call it just a poet's trick
This concept cannot simply be reduced to a literary metaphor.
Explain to me why many men are faithful
Please enlighten me on why some men choose to be loyal in relationships.
And true to one wife only.
And why they remain devoted to one woman exclusively.
They are sick!
Men who choose monogamy are regarded as disturbed by the king.
A girl must be like a blossom
Women should exist like flowers
With honey for just one man.
With nectar exclusive to one male.
A man must be like honey bee
A man should aspire to be like a bee,
And gather all he can.
Collecting as much nectar as possible.
To fly from blossom to blossom
In order to flit from flower to flower
A honey bee must be free,
The bee must be unrestricted in its movement
But blossom must not ever fly
The nectar should not be shared nor should the woman act on her own desires
From bee to bee to bee.
Moving freely from one male to another must not occur.
Contributed by David B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.