Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind
Spring Awakening [Original Broadway Cast] Lyrics
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Awful sweet to be a little butterfly
Just wingin' over things, and nothin' deep inside
Nothin' goin', goin' wild in you, you know
You're slowin' by the riverside or floatin' high and blue
Or maybe, cool to be a little summer wind
Like once through everything, and then away again
With a taste of dust in your mouth all day but no need to know
'Cause, you know, I don't do sadness
Not even a little bit
Just don't need it in my life
Don't want any part of it
I don't do sadness
Hey, I've done my time
Lookin' back on it all
Man, it blows my mind
I don't do sadness, so been there
Don't do sadness, just don't care
ILSE: Moritz Stiefel!?
MORITZ: Ilse?! You frightened me.
ILSE: What're you looking for?
MORITZ: If only I knew.
ILSE: Then what's the use of looking? I'm on the way home, want to come?
MORITZ: I don't know.
ILSE: God, you remember how we used to run back to my house and play pirates? Wendla Bergman, Melchior Gabor, you, and I?
Spring and summer, every other day
Blue wind gets so sad
Blowin' through the thick corn through the bales of hay
Through the open books on the grass
Spring and summer
Sure, when it's autumn
Wind always wants to creep up and haunt you
Whistling, it's got you
With its heartache, with its sorrow
Winter wind sings, and it cries
Spring and summer, every other day
Blue wind gets so pained
Blowin' through the thick corn, through the bales of hay
Through the sudden drift of the rain
Spring and summer
MORITZ: Actually, I better go.
ILSE: Walk as far as my house with me.
MORITZ: I wish I could.
ILSE: Then why don't you?
MORITZ: Eighty lines of Virgil, sixteen equations, a paper on the Hapsburgs...
So, maybe I should be some kinda laundry line
Hang their things on me, and I will swing 'em dry
You just wave in the sun through the afternoon
And then see: they come to set you free, beneath the risin' moon
MORITZ / ILSE
'Cause, you know / Spring and summer
I don't do sadness / Every other day
Not even a little bit / Blue wind gets so lost
Just don't need it in my life / Blowin' through the thick corn through the bales of hay
Don't want any part of it / Spring and summer
I don't do sadness / Every other day
Hey, I've done my time / Blue wind gets so lost
Lookin' back on it all / Blowin' through the thick corn
Man, it blows my mind / Through the bales of hay
I don't do sadness / And the wandering
So been there / Clouds of the dust
Don't do sadness / Spring and...
Just don't care / Summer
The lyrics of Don't Do Sadness / Blue Wind, from the musical Spring Awakening, express the feelings of Moritz Stiefel, a character who is struggling with his studies and the expectations of his parents. He longs to be free from the pressures of society and imagines himself as a butterfly or a summer wind, something carefree and without any deep emotions. He doesn't want any part of sadness in his life, having already experienced his fair share, so he's decided not to do sadness anymore. But the blue wind, which represents change and the passage of time, can also bring pain and sorrow. The wind blows through the corn, hay and open books, and can haunt you in every season.
When Moritz meets his friend Ilse, he seems lost and unsure of what he wants. Ilse invites him to come home with her, but he's preoccupied with his studies and other responsibilities. He feels like he's drowning, unable to escape the demands of society and his own mind. In the end, he imagines himself as a laundry line, swaying in the wind and free from sorrow. The song is a reflection of the challenges of growing up and finding one's place in the world, and the struggle to balance individual desires with societal expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Awful sweet to be a little butterfly
It's nice to be carefree and not worry about anything
Just wingin' over things, and nothin' deep inside
Not having any deep emotions or feelings
Nothin' goin', goin' wild in you, you know
Not feeling any intense emotions
You're slowin' by the riverside or floatin' high and blue
Enjoying the peacefulness of nature or feeling free like the blue sky
Or maybe, cool to be a little summer wind
Summer is a cool season to be carefree and enjoy the weather
Like once through everything, and then away again
Going through everything once and not lingering on it
With a taste of dust in your mouth all day but no need to know
Experiencing something unpleasant but not being bothered by it
Like sadness, you just sail away
Not letting sadness affect your life and just moving on
'Cause, you know, I don't do sadness
Sadness is not a part of my life
Not even a little bit
Not even a small amount
Just don't need it in my life
Don't want to deal with sadness at all
Don't want any part of it
Don't want to be involved with sadness in any way
Hey, I've done my time
Have experienced sadness in the past
Lookin' back on it all
Reflecting on past experiences with sadness
Man, it blows my mind
It's hard to believe how much sadness was experienced
I don't do sadness, so been there
Don't want to experience sadness again
Just don't care
Don't have any emotional attachment to sadness
Spring and summer, every other day
Referring to the changing of seasons
Blue wind gets so sad
The wind can be associated with sadness
Blowin' through the thick corn through the bales of hay
The wind blowing through the fields of crops
Through the open books on the grass
The wind blowing through the pages of books left on the grass
Sure, when it's autumn
Autumn is a season of change and can bring about sadness
Wind always wants to creep up and haunt you
The wind can bring about feelings of sadness
Whistling, it's got you
The sound of the wind can bring about strong emotions
With its heartache, with its sorrow
The wind can be associated with feelings of heartache and sorrow
Winter wind sings, and it cries
The sound of the winter wind can be sad and mournful
Blue wind gets so pained
The wind can also bring about emotions of pain and hurt
Blowin' through the sudden drift of the rain
The wind blowing through the sudden downpour of rain
So, maybe I should be some kinda laundry line
Metaphorically suggesting being a laundry line that just lets things hang and swing away
Hang their things on me, and I will swing 'em dry
Allowing others to hang their emotional burdens on oneself and just let them swing away
You just wave in the sun through the afternoon
Enjoying the peacefulness and warmth of the sun
And then see: they come to set you free, beneath the risin' moon
Letting go of the emotional burdens and feeling free under the moonlight
Contributed by Adeline L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.