Song: “Swagger”
To set the scene, when Will Shakespeare and his friend, the great actor Richard Burbage, welcome a shy young apprentice, Tom Underwood, to their company of actors, they teach him to put his heart into everything he does and to make his presence known – both onstage and in life.
We are grateful to the wonderfully talented performers who participated on the demo: Jacob Sutherland (Will), Adam Gary Normand (Richard Burbage), and Finn Dierks-Brown (Tom Underwood).
Lyrics for “Swagger”
WILL
SWAGGER INTO A ROOM
OR ONTO THE STAGE
SWAGGER A SONNET
ONTO THE PAGE
DON’T TAKE HALF-MEASURES
IN YOUR ATTITUDE
THEY MAY CALL YOU A FOOL
BURBAGE
OR JUST FUCKING RUDE!
WILL
A BOLD KIND OF DEFIANCE
THAT’S DEVIL-MAY-CARE!
GIVE THEM A GRIN
THAT HAS AN INSOLENT AIR.
IF YOU’VE GOT SWAGGER
LET THEM BEWARE!
WILL AND BURBAGE
SWAGGER TRIUMPHANT
DON’T MISS YOUR CUE
IF YOU CAN SWAGGER
THE WORLD WILL OPEN ITS ARMS TO YOU!
WILL
SWAGGER WITH ALL YOU’VE GOT –
BURBAGE
TAKE OVER THE PLACE
WILL AND BURBAGE
SWAGGER MORE SWIFTLY
TO WIN THE RACE
BURBAGE
PUSH TO THE LIMIT –
THE UNIVERSE CALLS! –
PUT YOUR WHOLE HEART IN IT
WILL
GRAB LIFE BY THE BALLS!
WILL AND BURBAGE
SO COMMAND THEIR ATTENTION
INSIST THAT YOU’RE HERE.
YOU’LL STAND THE WORLD
ON ITS PROVERBIAL EAR.
THEY WILL START CHEERING
WHEN YOU APPEAR!
WILL AND BURBAGE
SWAGGER DISRUPTIVE
TAKE WHAT YOU’RE DUE
IF YOU CAN SWAGGER
THE WORLD WILL OPEN ITS ARMS TO YOU!
TOM (tentatively)
SWAGGER INTO A ROOM
OR ONTO THE STAGE
SWAGGER A SONNET
ONTO THE PAGE
WILL
Make yourself heard, Tom. Let your presence be felt all the way up to the balcony, where the toffs sit! You can do it!
TOM (robustly)
PUSH TO THE LIMIT –
THE UNIVERSE CALLS! –
PUT YOUR WHOLE HEART IN IT
GRAB LIFE BY THE BALLS!
WILL
Yes!
TOM AND WILL
A BOLD KIND OF DEFIANCE
THAT’S DEVIL-MAY-CARE!
GIVE THEM A GRIN
THAT HAS AN INSOLENT AIR.
IF YOU’VE GOT SWAGGER
LET THEM BEWARE!
ALL
SWAGGER INTO A ROOM
OR ONTO THE STAGE
SWAGGER A SONNET
ONTO THE PAGE
DON’T TAKE HALF-MEASURES
IN YOUR ATTITUDE
THEY MAY CALL YOU A FOOL
TOM
OR JUST FUCKING RUDE!
ALL
SWAGGER TRIUMPHANT
DON’T MISS YOUR CUE
IF YOU CAN SWAGGER
THE WORLD WILL OPEN ITS ARMS TO YOU!
“Swagger” lyrics by Mark Evan Chimsky, music by Zev Burrows
© 2018 Mark Evan Chimsky and Zev Burrows
INTERVIEW ABOUT “SWAGGER,”
THE SONG AND THE SHOW
Librettist/lyricist Mark Evan Chimsky discusses the importance of “Swagger” as the title of the musical—and its title song—with musical theater historian Richard M. Morse.