Sondheim has been writing for the American Musical Theatre for the past four decades. His breakthrough musical Company revolutionized the art form. He is considered by many to be the finest living composer of our time.
His scores include Passion, Assassins, Bounce, Into The Woods, Sunday In The Park With George, Merrily We Roll Along, Sweeney Todd, Pacific Overtures, A Little Night Music, Follies, Company, The Frogs, Anyone Can Whistle, and A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to The Forum, as well as the lyrics for Gypsy and West Side Story.
He studied composition with the legendary avant-garde composer Milton Babbitt. Sondheim says that when he asked Babbitt if he could study atonality, Babbitt replied "You haven’t exhausted tonal resources for yourself yet, so I’m not going to teach you atonal." Sondheim agreed, and despite frequent dissonance and a highly chromatic style, his music remains resolutely tonal.
A notable aspect of Sondheim's songwriting is the use of complex and innovative rhyme patterns that "delight the ear."
Losing My Mind
Stephen Sondheim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I think about you
The coffee cup
I think about you
I want you so
It's like I'm losing my mind
The morning ends
I talk to friends
I think about you
And do they know?
It's like I'm losing my mind
All afternoon, doing every little chore
The thought of you stays bright
Sometimes I stand in the middle of the floor
Not going left
Not going right
I dim the lights
And think about you
Spend sleepless nights
To think about you
You said you loved me
Or were you just being kind
Or am I losing my mind?
I want you so
It's like I'm losing my mind
Does no one know?
It's like I'm losing my mind
All afternoon, doing every little chore
The thought of you stays bright
Sometimes I stand in the middle of the floor
Not going left
Not going right
I dim the lights
And think about you
Spend sleepless nights
To think about you
You said you loved me
Or were you just being kind!
Or am I losing my mind?
Stephen Sondheim's Losing My Mind is a ballad about unrequited love and the overwhelming emotions that can come with it. The lyrics discuss how the singer's thoughts and feelings are consumed by their love interest, to the point where they feel like they are losing their mind. Throughout the song, the singer is unable to control their thoughts or actions, and they are constantly reminded of the object of their affection.
The repetition of the phrase "I think about you" in the lyrics underscores the intense fixation the singer has on their love interest. This is further emphasized when the singer states "the thought of you stays bright" and "sometimes I stand in the middle of the floor, not going left, not going right." It is clear that the singer is struggling to focus on anything else besides their love interest.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of uncertainty, as the singer questions whether their love interest truly loves them or if they were simply being kind. The line "Does no one know?" suggests that the singer feels alone in their feelings and unsure of how to proceed.
Overall, Losing My Mind is a powerful portrayal of the all-encompassing emotions that can come with unrequited love. The lyrics capture the feelings of longing, uncertainty, and helplessness that often accompany such experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun comes up
Every morning begins anew, and yet you are still the first thing on my mind.
I think about you
Despite your absence, I am constantly preoccupied by thoughts of you.
The coffee cup
Even my routine activities, like drinking coffee, remind me of you.
I want you so
My desire for you is so intense that it feels like I am going crazy.
It's like I'm losing my mind
My obsession with you and the intensity of my desire is starting to take a toll on my mental wellbeing.
The morning ends
As the day goes on, I am still consumed by thoughts of you.
I talk to friends
Even when I try to connect with other people, my thoughts always drift back to you.
And do they know?
I wonder if my friends can tell how much I am struggling with my feelings for you.
All afternoon, doing every little chore
I try to keep myself busy and distract myself from my feelings, but nothing seems to work.
The thought of you stays bright
No matter how much I try to push it away, thoughts of you remain at the forefront of my mind.
Sometimes I stand in the middle of the floor
I feel paralyzed and unable to make any progress in my life because of my all-consuming thoughts of you.
Not going left
I feel stuck and unable to move forward with my life.
Not going right
I feel like I am unable to make any decisions or take any action because I am so consumed by my feelings for you.
I dim the lights
I try to create an atmosphere that feels intimate and romantic, as if you were actually here with me.
And think about you
Once again, my thoughts are consumed by you.
Spend sleepless nights
I am so consumed by thoughts of you that I have trouble sleeping at night.
You said you loved me
Despite my irrational thoughts and feelings, I am still desperately holding onto the hope that you love me too.
Or were you just being kind!
I am plagued by doubts and insecurities, wondering if your expressions of love were genuine or just an empty kindness.
Does no one know?
Despite my best efforts to hide my feelings, I fear that everyone around me can see how much I am struggling.
Or am I losing my mind?
I am so overwhelmed by my feelings that I am starting to question my own sanity.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind