Historical Context
Merrily We Roll Along is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by George Furth. The musical tells the story of Franklin Shepard, a successful Broadway composer and lyricist, and his friends and colleagues. The show is presented in reverse chronological order, beginning with Franklin at the height of his success and ending with his early days as a struggling artist.
Significance
Merrily We Roll Along is considered one of Sondheim’s masterpieces and is often praised for its innovative structure and its insightful exploration of the themes of friendship, success, and regret. The show has been revived several times since its original Broadway production in 1981, and it continues to be performed by professional and amateur theater companies around the world.
Creation
Sondheim and Furth began working on Merrily We Roll Along in the early 1970s. They were inspired by the story of Orson Welles, who had a successful career as a child actor but struggled to achieve the same level of success as an adult. Sondheim and Furth wanted to explore the idea of a person who achieves great success but loses sight of what is truly important in life.
The show was originally titled “The Road to Ruin,” but it was changed to “Merrily We Roll Along” during the development process. The title comes from a line in the song “Old Friends,” which is sung by Franklin and his friends at the end of the show. The song reflects on the friends’ journey through life and the changes they have experienced along the way.
Lyrical Analysis: Merrily We Roll Along
The lyrics of “Merrily We Roll Along” present a poignant and introspective journey through the complexities of human relationships and the passage of time. Through a series of flashbacks, the song explores the changing dynamics between three friends: Franklin Shepard, Mary Flynn, and Charley Kringas.
Themes and Motifs, Merrily we roll along
The song’s lyrics revolve around several key themes and motifs, including:
- Nostalgia and Regret: The song is imbued with a sense of nostalgia as the characters reflect on their past and the choices they made. They grapple with feelings of regret and longing for what could have been.
- The Passage of Time: The song’s structure, with its use of flashbacks, highlights the inexorable passage of time and its impact on relationships. The characters’ lives unfold in a series of snapshots, revealing the ways in which their bonds have evolved and changed over the years.
- The Importance of Relationships: The song emphasizes the crucial role that relationships play in our lives. Through the characters’ interactions, it explores the complexities of friendship, love, and betrayal.
Literary Devices
The lyrics of “Merrily We Roll Along” employ a range of literary devices to convey their themes and messages:
- Imagery: The song is rich in vivid imagery, which helps to create a sense of time and place. The characters’ memories are evoked through evocative descriptions of specific moments and experiences.
- Metaphor: The song’s title, “Merrily We Roll Along,” itself serves as a metaphor for the relentless march of time and the way in which our lives unfold.
- Foreshadowing: The song’s lyrics contain subtle hints and foreshadowing that hint at the characters’ eventual estrangement.
- Irony: The song’s title, which suggests a carefree and joyous journey, is ironically juxtaposed with the characters’ struggles and regrets.
Musical Structure
Merrily We Roll Along features a complex and intricate musical structure, characterized by its use of harmony, melody, and rhythm to create a dynamic and engaging listening experience. The song is primarily composed in the key of C major, but it also incorporates various key changes throughout its duration.
The song’s melody is primarily based on a simple, yet effective, ascending scale. However, the melody is often ornamented with various melodic embellishments, such as trills, turns, and appoggiaturas, which add a sense of complexity and sophistication to the music.
The rhythm of Merrily We Roll Along is characterized by its use of a steady, driving beat. However, the rhythm is often varied throughout the song, with the use of syncopation, hemiola, and other rhythmic devices to create a sense of interest and excitement.
Sections of the Song
- Introduction
- Verse 1
- Chorus
- Verse 2
- Chorus
- Bridge
- Verse 3
- Chorus
- Outro
Each section of the song serves a specific purpose, with the introduction setting the tone and atmosphere of the piece, the verses providing the narrative content, the chorus providing a sense of unity and cohesion, the bridge providing a moment of contrast and development, and the outro providing a sense of closure and resolution.
