Youmans was born into a performing family; his great-uncle was Broadway composer Vincent Youmans. William made his Broadway debut in 1981, playing Leo Hubbard in The Little Foxes. He performed numerous roles in the original productions of Big River and Titanic, and sang the role of Alcindoro in the Baz Luhrmann-directed revival of La Bohème.
In 2003, Youmans originated the role of the sentient Goat, Doctor Dillamond, in the original Broadway cast of the musical Wicked.
Something Bad
William Youmans Lyrics
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Dreadful things
I've heard of an Ox, a professor from Quox
No longer permitted to teach
Who has lost all powers of speech
And an owl in Munchkin Rock
A vicar with a thriving flock
Now he only can screech
Only rumors, but still enough to give pause
To anyone with paws
Something bad is happening in Oz
Something bad? Happening in Oz?
Under the surface
Behind the scenes
Something bad
Sorry, "bad"
Doctor Dillamond
If something bad is happening to the animals
Someone's got to tell the Wizard
That's why we have a Wizard
So nothing bad
I hope you're right
Nothing all that bad
Nothing truly bad
Sorry
Bad
It couldn't happen here
In Oz
The above lyrics are from the song "Something Bad" from the Broadway musical Wicked. The song is a conversation between two characters, Madame Morrible and Galinda, who are discussing rumors they've heard about strange occurrences happening in Oz. The rumors include an Ox professor losing his ability to speak, an owl vicar who can only screech now, and other peculiar events. They acknowledge that the rumors are unsettling, but Galinda hopes that it's just bad luck, whereas Madame Morrible is more skeptical and believes that something bad is actually happening in Oz.
The first paragraph starts with Miss Elphaba showing concern towards the strange happenings taking place in Oz. The reference to an Ox professor and an owl vicar refers to how the animals in Oz were beginning to lose their ability to speak. This was particularly worrisome as the animals had always been a big part of the Oz kingdom's fabric, and their sudden inability to speak meant an important part of what made Oz unique was under attack. Madame Morrible and Galinda aim to make some sense of what's going on, pondering why the events are happening and whether they are just rumors or something more sinister.
The second paragraph shows that Galinda is hopeful that the rumors are just bad luck, whereas Madame Morrible remains skeptical. Doctor Dillamond is also mentioned, and Madame Morrible suggests that if something bad has happened to the animals, the Wizard needs to know. They discuss the need for the Wizard to intervene, for without him, they do not believe that Oz has a chance of recovering from the possible negative events taking place.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, Miss Elphaba, the things one hears these days
It's amazing what people are saying recently, Miss Elphaba.
Dreadful things
These things are terrible and terrifying.
I've heard of an Ox, a professor from Quox
There are rumors that an Ox, who used to be a professor, is no longer allowed to teach at Quox.
No longer permitted to teach
He can't teach anymore because he's forbidden.
Who has lost all powers of speech
He can't speak anymore because of what happened to him.
And an owl in Munchkin Rock
An owl in Munchkin Rock has been mentioned too.
A vicar with a thriving flock
A vicar who had a successful following has been rumored to be involved in something bad.
Forbidden to preach
He's been told he can't preach anymore.
Now he only can screech
He's only able to make unpleasant and loud noises now.
Only rumors, but still enough to give pause
Although these are only rumors, they are still serious enough to make one stop and think.
To anyone with paws
People are concerned, even those with paws like animals.
Something bad is happening in Oz
There's definitely something wrong going on in Oz.
Something bad? Happening in Oz?
Are you sure something bad is happening in Oz?
Under the surface
It may not be apparent or visible.
Behind the scenes
It's happening in secret or behind closed doors.
Sorry, "bad"
"Bad" doesn't quite capture how serious the situation is.
Doctor Dillamond
Doctor Dillamond has something to do with this.
If something bad is happening to the animals
If animals are being mistreated in any way,
Someone's got to tell the Wizard
We need to tell the Wizard.
That's why we have a Wizard
That's the whole point of having a Wizard in the first place.
So nothing bad
So nothing like this will ever happen again.
I hope you're right
I hope that things will turn out okay like you said.
Nothing all that bad
It's not as bad as we think it is.
Nothing truly bad
It's not really that serious of an issue.
It couldn't happen here
This sort of thing could never occur in Oz.
In Oz
This place is too great for anything bad to happen here.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN LAWRENCE SCHWARTZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind