Upon coming back to live in New York City, he went to work as a producer for RCA Records, but shortly thereafter began to work in the Broadway theatre. His first major credit was the title song for the play Butterflies Are Free; the song was eventually used in the movie version as well.
In 1971, he wrote the music and new lyrics for Godspell, for which he won several awards including two Grammys. This was followed by the English texts, in collaboration with Leonard Bernstein, for Bernstein's Mass, which opened the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
The following year, he wrote the music and lyrics for Pippin and two years later, The Magic Show. Next were the music and lyrics for The Baker's Wife, which closed before reaching Broadway after a disastrous out-of-town tryout tour in 1976. However, the cast album went on to attain cult status, leading to several subsequent productions, including a London revival directed by Trevor Nunn in 1988.
Mr. Schwartz's next Broadway project was a musical version of Studs Terkel's Working, which he adapted and directed, winning the Drama Desk Award as best director, and contributed four songs to the score. He also co-directed the television production, which was presented as part of the PBS "American Playhouse" series.
Next came songs for a one-act musical for children, The Trip, and a children's book, The Perfect Peach. He then wrote music for three of the songs of an Off-Broadway revue, Personals, and lyrics to Charles Strouse's music for Rags.
In 1991, Mr. Schwartz wrote the music and lyrics for the popular Children of Eden, book by John Caird. He then began working in film, collaborating with composer Alan Menken on the scores for the Disney animated features Pocahontas, for which he received two Academy Awards, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He also provided songs for DreamWorks' first animated feature, The Prince of Egypt, for which he won another Academy Award for the song When You Believe. Mr. Schwartz provided music and lyrics for the original television musical, Geppetto, seen on The Wonderful World of Disney.
In 2003, Schwartz returned to Broadway in earnest, as composer and lyricist for Wicked, a musical based on Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which uses L. Frank Baum's Oz characters as a base for a tale of two witches. Schwartz won a Grammy Award for his work as composer/lyricist and producer of Wicked's cast recording.
Ironically, Schwartz has won every major award in his field (3 Oscars, 4 Grammys, 3 Drama Desk Awards and a self-described "tiny handful of tennis trophies") except the Tony Award, which his scores have been nominated for numerous times but have never won.
Finale
Stephen Schwartz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh God, I'm bleeding
Oh God, you're bleeding
Oh God, I'm dying
Oh God, I'm dying
Oh God, you're dying
Oh God, I'm dead
Oh God, you're dead
Oh God, you're dead
Long live God, long live God
Long live God, long live God
Long live God, long live God
Prepare ye, the way of the
Lord (Long live God, long
live God)
Prepare ye, the way of the
Lord (Long live God, long
live God)
Prepare ye, the way of the
Lord (Long live God, long
live God)
The lyrics to Stephen Schwartz's song Finale are a powerful message about life and death, and the idea that everyone is connected through a divine force. The repetition of the lines "Oh God, I'm bleeding," "Oh God, I'm dying," and "Oh God, I'm dead" presents a sense of finality and acceptance of death, as well as an acknowledgement of the inevitable pain that comes with it. However, the following lines "Oh God, you're bleeding," "Oh God, you're dying," and "Oh God, you're dead" illustrate the idea that death is not an isolated incident but a universal experience that we all share.
The final lines of the song, "Long live God, long live God/ Prepare ye, the way of the Lord," suggest that even in the face of death, we should celebrate life and prepare ourselves for our eventual reunion with a higher power. The repetition of "Long live God" reinforces the idea that there is more to life than just the physical world, and that the connection we share with a divine force can transcend death.
Overall, the lyrics to Finale are a poignant reminder that life is short and that we should focus on the things that truly matter. The song encourages us to embrace our experiences and to find comfort in the idea that death is not an end but a new beginning.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh God, I'm bleeding
I am experiencing physical harm that causes blood to come out of my body and I am calling out to God for help
Oh God, I'm dying
I am experiencing a state of decline and approaching an end of my life and I am calling out to God for assistance
Oh God, you're bleeding
I am acknowledging that God is also a victim of suffering and is bleeding
Oh God, you're dying
I am acknowledging that God is also mortal and can experience death
Oh God, I'm dead
I am acknowledging that I have passed away and my physical body is no longer functioning
Oh God, you're dead
I am acknowledging that God also has the capability of mortality and death
Long live God, long live God
I wish for God to continue existing and being revered forever
Prepare ye, the way of the Lord (Long live God, long live God)
I am urging people to make way for God and to have a long-lasting reverence for the deity
Contributed by Jeremiah B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.