Everything's Coming up Roses
Encyclopedia
"Everything's Coming Up Roses" is a song from the 1959 Broadway musical Gypsy: A Musical Fable
, with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
and music by Jule Styne
in which it was introduced by Ethel Merman
.
According to Sammy Cahn
, the song had its genesis in the 1947 musical High Button Shoes
, for which he was the lyricist. Cahn wrote lyrics for a song sung by a female character who can't decide between two men; the lyrics began:
Jule Styne, who was that musical's composer, wrote music for it, but the director decided the song didn't fit well into the show and removed it. When composing Gypsy, Styne decided to re-use the music for what became "Everything's Coming Up Roses", with new lyrics by Sondheim. It took Sondheim a week to come up with the title, the composer recalling: "The point was to [coin] a phrase that sounded as if it had been in the language for years but was in fact invented for the show." (The phrase "come up smelling like roses" has in fact been in general usage since the early 20th century.) The show's director Jerome Robbins
response to Sondheim's lyric was: "Everything's coming up Rose's what?" prompting Sondheim's assurance that "if anybody else has that confusion - anybody connected with the production, in the audience, any of your relatives - I will change the title".
"Everything's Coming up Roses" is performed at the end of the first act of Gypsy by stage mother
Rose, who has just learned her daughter June has eloped and in effect left the vaudeville
act Rose has devoted her life to without a star. Rose's plain Jane daughter Louise and Rose's longtime fiancee Herbie are relieved, believing Rose will now marry Herbie and the three can lead a settled life: Rose's reaction in fact is to make Louise the object of her dubious star-making abilities. The title "Everything's Coming up Roses" is a pun: besides "roses" representing happiness, the title is referencing the possessive "Rose's" as in Rose's way or "Rose" as in Rose becoming a star herself, through her daughter.
Ethel Merman biographer Brian Kellow notes that while objectively "Everything's Coming up Roses" seems "a big, brassy paean
to the power of positive thinking
...done in the old, electric Merman style", within the context of the show "the song becomes a chilling illustration of blind ambition mixed with megalomania
". Kellow quotes Stephen Sondheim to the effect that while Merman's comedic prowess was "nonpareil" as showcased in Gypsys first act she lacked the dramatic precision to be fully effective as the play grew darker; thus, Sondheim says of "Everything's Coming up Roses": "I wrote a song of they type that [Merman] had sung all her life, like [the Anything Goes
number] 'Blow, Gabriel, Blow', which only requires a trumpet-voiced affirmation." However Sondheim adds that Merman performed the song with an "intensity [which] came as a surprise".
The emergence of "Everything's Coming up Roses" as a Broadway anthem was evidenced by the song's melody being utilized to open and close the 14th Tony Awards
ceremony held April 24 1960 (ironically Gypsy took none of its eight Tony nominations).
Jack Paar
used an instrumental version of ""Everything's Coming up Roses" as the theme to The Tonight Show
during the time that he hosted that show, as well as for his eponymous weekly prime time series that followed his tenure on Tonight.
In 1974 Ethel Merman appeared in a television advertisement singing new lyrics to the tune of "Everything's Coming Up Roses" to promote the Colgate-Palmolive
dishwashing liquid Vel. In her final film appearance, a cameo in the 1980 film Airplane!
as shell-shocked soldier Lieutenant Hurwitz who believes he is Ethel Merman, Merman sings a few bars of "Everything's Coming Up Roses".
A version of the song set to a disco beat was recorded by Ethel Merman for her infamous Ethel Merman Disco Album
in 1979.
Gypsy: A Musical Fable
Gypsy is a musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Gypsy is loosely based on the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous striptease artist, and focuses on her mother, Rose, whose name has become synonymous with "the ultimate show business...
, with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
and music by Jule Styne
Jule Styne
Jule Styne was a British-born American songwriter especially famous for a series of Broadway musicals, which included several very well known and frequently revived shows.-Early life:...
in which it was introduced by Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman was an American actress and singer. Known primarily for her powerful voice and roles in musical theatre, she has been called "the undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage." Among the many standards introduced by Merman in Broadway musicals are "I Got Rhythm", "Everything's...
.
According to Sammy Cahn
Sammy Cahn
Sammy Cahn was an American lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
, the song had its genesis in the 1947 musical High Button Shoes
High Button Shoes
High Button Shoes is a musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Sammy Cahn and book by George Abbott and Stephen Longstreet. It was based on the semi-autobiographical 1946 novel The Sisters Liked Them Handsome by Longstreet...
, for which he was the lyricist. Cahn wrote lyrics for a song sung by a female character who can't decide between two men; the lyrics began:
Jule Styne, who was that musical's composer, wrote music for it, but the director decided the song didn't fit well into the show and removed it. When composing Gypsy, Styne decided to re-use the music for what became "Everything's Coming Up Roses", with new lyrics by Sondheim. It took Sondheim a week to come up with the title, the composer recalling: "The point was to [coin] a phrase that sounded as if it had been in the language for years but was in fact invented for the show." (The phrase "come up smelling like roses" has in fact been in general usage since the early 20th century.) The show's director Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins was an American theater producer, director, and choreographer known primarily for Broadway Theater and Ballet/Dance, but who also occasionally directed films and directed/produced for television. His work has included everything from classical ballet to contemporary musical theater...
response to Sondheim's lyric was: "Everything's coming up Rose's what?" prompting Sondheim's assurance that "if anybody else has that confusion - anybody connected with the production, in the audience, any of your relatives - I will change the title".
"Everything's Coming up Roses" is performed at the end of the first act of Gypsy by stage mother
Stage mother
In the performing arts, a stage mother is a term for the mother of a child actor. The mother will often drive her child to auditions, make sure he or she is on the set on time, etc...
Rose, who has just learned her daughter June has eloped and in effect left the vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
act Rose has devoted her life to without a star. Rose's plain Jane daughter Louise and Rose's longtime fiancee Herbie are relieved, believing Rose will now marry Herbie and the three can lead a settled life: Rose's reaction in fact is to make Louise the object of her dubious star-making abilities. The title "Everything's Coming up Roses" is a pun: besides "roses" representing happiness, the title is referencing the possessive "Rose's" as in Rose's way or "Rose" as in Rose becoming a star herself, through her daughter.
Ethel Merman biographer Brian Kellow notes that while objectively "Everything's Coming up Roses" seems "a big, brassy paean
Paean
A paean is a song or lyric poem expressing triumph or thanksgiving. In classical antiquity, it is usually performed by a chorus, but some examples seem intended for an individual voice...
to the power of positive thinking
Positive Thinking
Positive Thinking... or Positive Thinking may refer to one of two songs:*Positive Thinking *Positive Thinking...
...done in the old, electric Merman style", within the context of the show "the song becomes a chilling illustration of blind ambition mixed with megalomania
Megalomania
Megalomania is a psycho-pathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of power, relevance, or omnipotence. 'Megalomania is characterized by an inflated sense of self-esteem and overestimation by persons of their powers and beliefs'...
". Kellow quotes Stephen Sondheim to the effect that while Merman's comedic prowess was "nonpareil" as showcased in Gypsys first act she lacked the dramatic precision to be fully effective as the play grew darker; thus, Sondheim says of "Everything's Coming up Roses": "I wrote a song of they type that [Merman] had sung all her life, like [the Anything Goes
Anything Goes
Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London...
number] 'Blow, Gabriel, Blow', which only requires a trumpet-voiced affirmation." However Sondheim adds that Merman performed the song with an "intensity [which] came as a surprise".
The emergence of "Everything's Coming up Roses" as a Broadway anthem was evidenced by the song's melody being utilized to open and close the 14th Tony Awards
14th Tony Awards
The 14th Annual Tony Awards took place at the Astor Hotel Grand Ballroom on April 24, 1960 and was broadcast on local television station WCBS-TV in New York City...
ceremony held April 24 1960 (ironically Gypsy took none of its eight Tony nominations).
Jack Paar
Jack Paar
Jack Harold Paar was an author, American radio and television comedian and talk show host, best known for his stint as host of The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962...
used an instrumental version of ""Everything's Coming up Roses" as the theme to The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
during the time that he hosted that show, as well as for his eponymous weekly prime time series that followed his tenure on Tonight.
In 1974 Ethel Merman appeared in a television advertisement singing new lyrics to the tune of "Everything's Coming Up Roses" to promote the Colgate-Palmolive
Colgate-Palmolive
Colgate-Palmolive Company is an American diversified multinational corporation focused on the production, distribution and provision of household, health care and personal products, such as soaps, detergents, and oral hygiene products . Under its "Hill's" brand, it is also a manufacturer of...
dishwashing liquid Vel. In her final film appearance, a cameo in the 1980 film Airplane!
Airplane!
Airplane! is a 1980 American satirical comedy film directed and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and released by Paramount Pictures...
as shell-shocked soldier Lieutenant Hurwitz who believes he is Ethel Merman, Merman sings a few bars of "Everything's Coming Up Roses".
A version of the song set to a disco beat was recorded by Ethel Merman for her infamous Ethel Merman Disco Album
The Ethel Merman Disco Album
The Ethel Merman Disco Album is a 1979 album by American Broadway legend Ethel Merman. Over the years, the album became a camp classic and vinyl copies were highly sought out by collectors....
in 1979.
Other recordings
- Rosalind RussellRosalind RussellRosalind Russell was an American actress of stage and screen, perhaps best known for her role as a fast-talking newspaper reporter in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy His Girl Friday, as well as the role of Mame Dennis in the film Auntie Mame...
in the film GypsyGypsy (1962 film)Gypsy is a 1962 American musical film produced and directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay by Leonard Spigelgass is based on the book of the 1959 stage musical Gypsy: A Musical Fable by Arthur Laurents, which was adapted from Gypsy: A Memoir by Gypsy Rose Lee.Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics for...
(1962) - the track used in the film features Russell's own voice at the beginning with her "vocal double" Lisa KirkLisa KirkLisa Kirk was an American actress and singer noted for her comic talents and rich contralto .-Career:...
taking over from the words: "Starting now" in the first verse. - Bette MidlerBette MidlerBette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
in the TV film Gypsy (1993). - Shirley BasseyShirley BasseyDame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
on the 1965 album Shirley Stops the ShowsShirley Stops the ShowsShirley Stops the Shows is the 7th Shirley Bassey studio album, her 5th and final studio album recorded for the EMI/Columbia label in the UK. Released in 1965, this album is a mix of standards and showtunes. Shirley Bassey was at a high point in her career, with worldwide success of her single...
. - Paul O'GradyPaul O'GradyPaul James Michael O'Grady MBE is an English comedian, television presenter, actor, writer and radio DJ. He is best known for presenting the daytime chat television series, The Paul O'Grady Show and, more recently, Paul O'Grady Live, as well as his drag queen comedic alter ego, Lily Savage, as...
performed this number live on his show in May 2005. - Liza MinnelliLiza MinnelliLiza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
performed this on The Muppet ShowThe Muppet ShowThe Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
. - Angela LansburyAngela LansburyAngela Brigid Lansbury CBE is an English actress and singer in theatre, television and motion pictures, whose career has spanned eight decades and earned her more performance Tony Awards than any other individual , with five wins...
, Tyne DalyTyne DalyTyne Daly is an American stage and screen actress, widely known for her work as Detective Mary Beth Lacey in the television series Cagney & Lacey and as Maxine Gray in the television series Judging Amy. She is also known for her role as Alice Henderson in television series Christy...
, Bernadette PetersBernadette PetersBernadette Peters is an American actress, singer and children's book author from Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Over the course of a career that has spanned five decades, she has starred in musical theatre, films and television, as well as performing in solo concerts and recordings...
, and Patti LuPonePatti LuPonePatti Ann LuPone is an American singer and actress, known for her Tony Award-winning performances as Eva Perón in the 1979 stage musical Evita and as Madame Rose in the 2008 Broadway revival of Gypsy, and for her Olivier Award-winning performance as Fantine in the original London cast of Les...
all performed the song on Broadway in revivals of Gypsy in 1974, 1989, 2003, and 2008, respectively.
Cultural references
- A 1971 album by British singer and teenage heartthrob Jack WildJack WildJack Wild was a British actor who is best remembered for his performances in both stage and screen productions of the Lionel Bart musical Oliver! with Ron Moody, Shani Wallis, and Oliver Reed. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the age of 16 for the role of the...
was titled Everything's Coming Up Roses. - A 1986 WelshWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
movie was titled Coming Up RosesComing Up RosesComing Up Roses is a 1986 Welsh language comedy drama film. It was directed by Stephen Bayly and starred Ifan Huw Dafydd, Gillian Elisa and Mari Emlyn...
. - A 1987 single by Black was titled "Everything's Coming Up Roses".
- In the 1991 film The Fisher KingThe Fisher King (film)The Fisher King is a 1991 American comedy-drama film written by Richard LaGravenese and directed by Terry Gilliam. It stars Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer and Michael Jeter...
, Michael JeterMichael JeterMichael Jeter was an American actor.- Early life :Michael Jeter was born in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. His mother, Virginia , was a housewife...
sings an altered version titled "Everything's Coming Up Videos". - A 1995 song by Elliott SmithElliott SmithSteven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
, on the album Elliott SmithElliott Smith (album)Elliott Smith is the second album recorded by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. It was released by Kill Rock Stars on 21 July 1995 in CD and vinyl LP. It was Smith's first full-length release on the label....
, was also titled "Coming Up Roses". - The tune has often been used by Paul ShafferPaul ShafferPaul Allen Wood Shaffer, CM is a Canadian musician, actor, voice actor, author, comedian, and composer who has been David Letterman's sidekick since 1982.-Early years:...
in his duties as bandleader for David LettermanDavid LettermanDavid Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
. - A 1997 song by Jule StyneJule StyneJule Styne was a British-born American songwriter especially famous for a series of Broadway musicals, which included several very well known and frequently revived shows.-Early life:...
A Simple Wish Movie. - CurveCurve (band)Curve was an English music group formed in 1990 chiefly around the collaboration of singer/songwriter Toni Halliday and bassist/guitarist/programmer Dean Garcia.-History:...
included a song entitled "Coming Up Roses" on its 1998 album Come Clean. - On the hit show, Family GuyFamily GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, Peter’s song “I’m Gonna Make You Famous” is a parody of “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from Gypsy: A Musical FableGypsy: A Musical FableGypsy is a musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Gypsy is loosely based on the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous striptease artist, and focuses on her mother, Rose, whose name has become synonymous with "the ultimate show business...
. - The character Stuart SmalleyStuart SmalleyStuart Smalley is a fictional character invented and performed by satirist Al Franken. The character originated on the television show Saturday Night Live, in a mock self-help show called "Daily Affirmation With Stuart Smalley." It first aired on SNL's February 9, 1991 episode hosted by Kevin Bacon...
listens to the song while jogging through the park in the film Stuart Saves His FamilyStuart Saves His FamilyStuart Saves His Family is a 1995 comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, and based on a series of Saturday Night Live sketches from the early-to-mid 1990s. The movie tracks the adventures of would-be self-help guru Stuart Smalley, a creation of comedian Al Franken, as he attempts to save both his...
. - This song was also featured in the end of the Curb Your EnthusiasmCurb Your EnthusiasmCurb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself...
episode "Ben's Birthday". - In the Simpsons, season 9 episode 20, "The Trouble with Trillions", Waylon Smithers, Jr. is singing the song when HomerHomerIn the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
and Mr. Burns arrive to enlist his assistance in smuggling themselves and their fugitive trillion-dollar bill into CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Eventually Fidel CastroFidel CastroFidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
steals it from them and they end up adrift on a raft, rueing their crime but with Mr. Burns promising to "bribe a jury" to ensure that they face no consequences for their bout of treason.