I never in my life imagined I would have a personal connection to a NYC subway commute. I always looked at it as something distant and vaguely mythical—certainly of another world from mine, and usually from a different (earlier) time from mine. I find myself continually surprised that I am here, that I am one of them—nay, one of us.
I was coming home with Mich, and I told her that I sing Skid Row every morning and every evening, and we both sang a little bit together, and she said she hadn't seen Little Shop of Horrors since maybe high school, and I said we could watch it when we got home. Which we did. More than once. This is truly also one of the best directed scenes of the movie musical canon, and it doesn't matter how many times I watch it; when the woman sings "they put in their 8 hours for the powers who have always been" I get chills up my spine. And when the residents of skid row all start tapping their right foot in unison, I get chills up my spine. And when the woman with white hair spits out "Down on Skid Row" I get chills up my spine. And when Audrey and Seymour work their ways towards each other, yes, I get chills up my spine.
[WOMAN]
Alarm goes off at seven
And you start uptown.
You put in your eight hours
For the powers that have always been.
[RONNETTE]
Sing it child.
[WOMAN]
Till it's 5 P.M.
[BUM 1]
Then You go
[COMPANY]
Downtown
Where the folks are broke.
You go downtown
Where your life's a joke.
You go downtown
When you buy your toke,
And you go
Home to skid row.
[BUM 2]
Yes, you go
[COMPANY]
Downtown
[MAN]
Where the cabs don't stop
Downtown
[MAN]
Where the food is slop
[COMPANY]
Downtown
Where the hop-heads flop in the snow
Down on Skid Row
[Girls]
Uptown you cater to a million jerks.
Uptown you're messengers and mailroom clerks
Eating all your lunches at the hot dog carts.
The bosses take your money and they break your hearts.
Uptown you cater to a million whores.
You disinfect terrazzo on their bathroom floors.
The jobs are really menial; you make no bread.
And then at 5 o'clock you head
[BUM 3]
By subway
[COMPANY]
Downtown
[AUDREY]
Where the guys are drips.
[COMPANY]
Downtown
[AUDREY]
Where they rip your slips.
[COMPANY]
Downtown
[AUDREY]
Where relationships are no go.
Down on skid row!
Down on skid row!
Down on skid row!
Down on skid row!
[SEYMOUR]
Poor! All my life I've always been poor.
I keep asking God what I'm for,
and he tells me "Gee, I'm not sure.
Sweep that floor, kid."
Oh, I started life as an orphan,
a child of the street
Here on skid row.
He took me in, gave me shelter, a bed,
Crust of bread and a job
Treats me like dirt, calls me a slob,
Which I am.
So I live
[COMPANY]
Downtown
[SEYMOUR]
That's your home address.
Ya live
[COMPANY]
Downtown
[SEYMOUR]
When your life's a mess.
Ya live
[COMPANY]
Downtown
[SEYMOUR]
Where depressions' jes'
Status quo.
[COMPANY]
Down on skid row
[SEYMOUR]
Someone show me a way to get
outa here,
'cause I constantly pray I'll get
outa here
Please, won't somebody say I'll get
outa here
Someone gimme my shot or I'll
rot here.
Show me how and I will, I'll get out of here,
I'll start climbing up hill and get out of here,
Someone tell me I still could get out of here,
Someone tell Lady Luck that I'm stuck here.
[SEYMOUR & AUDREY]
Gee it sure would be swell to get out of here.
Bid the gutter farewell and get out of here.
I'd move heaven and hell to get out of skid.
I'd do I don't know what to get out of skid.
But a hell of a lot to get out of skid.
Please don't tell me there's not a way out of skid.
But believe me I gotta get out of skid row.
[SEYMOUR & AUDREY]
I'd do I dunno what to get outa skid
[COMPANY]
Downtown
[SEYMOUR & AUDREY]
But a hell of a lot to get outa skid
[COMPANY]
Downtown
[SEYMOUR & AUDREY]
People tell me there's not a way outa skid
[COMPANY]
Downtown
[SEYMOUR & AUDREY]
But believe me I gotta get outa skid
[EVERYONE]
Row!
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