Something Bad
William Youmans Idina Menzel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
"Something Bad" is a song from the hit musical Wicked, written by Stephen Schwartz. The song is sung by two characters, Galinda (later known as Glinda) and Elphaba, as they speculate about the strange happenings in Oz, specifically regarding the treatment of animals. Throughout the song, they list rumors they have heard about animals losing their abilities to speak and preach, alluding to a deeper problem that may be happening behind the scenes in the seemingly perfect world of Oz.
The lyrics are full of double meanings and symbolism, with the "something bad" being both a literal event happening to the animals, as well as a metaphor for the underlying flaws and injustices in society. The song speaks to the theme of hidden agendas and corruption in politics and power structures, and the importance of speaking out against injustice.
It is interesting to note that the song was almost cut from the original production of Wicked, with Schwartz initially feeling that it did not fit in with the rest of the score. However, it was kept in after some reworking and has since become a fan favorite.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, Miss Elphaba, the things one hears these days
People talk behind each other's back
Dreadful things
Hearing negative things about others is unpleasant
I've heard of an Ox
Rumors are being spread about a particular individual
A professor from Quox
The person in question is a professor from Quox
No longer permitted to teach
The professor has lost their job or permission to continue teaching
Who has lost all powers of speech
The professor has become speechless
And an owl in Munchkin Rock
Another rumor is spread about an owl in Munchkin Rock
A vicar with a thriving flock
Another person being talked about is a vicar with a successful following
Forbidden to preach
This vicar has been forbidden from preaching
Now he only can screech!
The vicar has lost the ability to speak properly and can only screech
Only rumors, but still
These are only rumors but they still carry weight
Enough to give pause
The rumors are significant enough to cause concern
To anyone with paws
Any concerned individual, even those without hands
Something bad is happening in Oz
Collectively, rumors suggest something negative is happening in Oz
Something bad? Happening in Oz?
A concerned tone as the rumors are relayed
Under the surface
The negative events are occurring secretly and not out in the open
Behind the scenes
The negative events are happening away from public view
Sorry: "Bad"
An apology for using the word 'bad' multiple times earlier
Doctor Dillamond, if something bad is happening
One individual seeks out another to relay the rumors
to the animals, someone's got to tell the Wizard.
They believe if something is truly wrong, The Wizard should be informed
That's why we have a wizard.
The Wizard is there to solve problems such as these
I hope you're right
They wish for the previous person's optimism to be true
Nothing all that bad
The situation is not as bad as it could be
Nothing truly bad
There's still hope that the situation isn't critical
It couldn't happen here
The person refuses to believe that something bad can happen in their territory
In Oz
The aforementioned statement refers specifically to the land of Oz
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: STEPHEN LAWRENCE SCHWARTZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@amazingstarzz6259
Doc Dillamond deserves to be talked about more TBH
@kwaziness
#dillapremacy
@musicalsunlimited3740
"Norbert’s cellphone rings during the Lion Cub scene" Actors are allowed to have their phones on them?
@Broadwayriah
i’m not really sure about how it is now but considering cellphones back then in the day were just used to make calls and texts, i don’t think there was any limitation.