Starlight Express (song) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Starlight Express is the 'showstopper' number from the musical with the same name

Starlight Express

Starlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Stilgoe and Arlene Phillips , with later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek . The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates...

. In the show, it is performed by Rusty

Rusty the Steam Engine

Rusty is a fictional character from the musical Starlight Express. He is the protagonist of the musical. Rusty is a steam engine, relegated to the sidings, who dreams of winning the Championship Engine of the World races. He is roundly mocked for this ambition, as steam is old fashioned, and...

, the show's protagonist. Prior to the song, he has been told, by old steam engine Poppa, of a magical locomotive, named the Starlight Express, who will aid him in need.

The song has been rewritten in many languages, but has always kept the same title, except from when the production opened in Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, when it changed, along with the title of the show to Expreso Astral.

Music and Lyrics

The music was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...

, in the key of E flat major, later changing to E major at the instrumental. In the Broadway production, Greg Mowry sings the song in the key of G major and modulates to Ab. The lyrics were written by Richard Stilgoe

Richard Stilgoe

Richard Henry Simpson Stilgoe OBE is a British songwriter, lyricist and musician. He is noted for clever wordplay as much as for his music....

Starlight Express, Starlight Express

Are you real? Yes or no?

Starlight Express, Answer me yes!

I don't want you to go

Before the song starts, Poppa and Rusty have the following (sung) conversation;

Poppa: That's my boy, I knew you's believe.

Rusty: Poppa, I have to believe. [Poppa Exits] I have no choice...

Rusty: (Broadway) Poppa, I don't know if I believe. But I'll try, I have to try.

The song begins, and the indroduction is the main theme played on a harmonica

Harmonica

The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...

, and this is repeated for the instrumental.

Revision

The song has undergone a lot of revision since the show premiered in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. The first draft started with the line

When your goodnights have been said and you are lying in bed'

However, the verses were rewritten when the show opened on Broadway

Broadway theatre

Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...

, in Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

and Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. To fit the new tune, new words were written, starting with:

When the night is darkest, open up your mind

A new middle eight was added as well.

When the show was revised in London, the both draft were fused together, with the verses from London and the middle eight from later productions. This draft has become the most popular/well used.

The old London tune has been revived for the revised Bochum

Bochum

Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and is surrounded by the cities of Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen.-History:...

production.

Thematic Value

The tune to the chorus is used throughout the show, for instance, when Rusty first hears of the Starlight Express; during the 'Starlight Sequence

Starlight Sequence

The Starlight Sequence is a showstopper from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express. It is performed by Rusty, a young, naive Steam Locomotive and the Starlight Express, a magical Steam Locomotive that comes at midnight to help Steam Locomotioves in need...

'; and when Rusty triumphs over his challengers (see main article)

Starlight Express

. It is probably meant to show a point where there is a strong development in Rusty's character.

Starlight Express Introduction

The Starlight Express Introduction was performed on Broadway and in London by Poppa

Poppa

Poppa is a character from the rock musical, Starlight Express. He's a steam engine like protagonist Rusty and is the oldest train of all. Control introduces him as "Ramblin' Poppa McCoy". He preaches of the Starlight Express, a god-like figure that will help those who call on him...

and Belle

Belle the Sleeping Car

Belle, the Sleeping Car is a character from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Starlight Express. She is an old sleeping car, who once raced with Poppa, and, like her former partner, has fallen on hard times in her age. She races with Rusty in heat 2, however they are beaten by Electra and Pearl...

. In later revisions it is performed only by Poppa and has been shortened significantly. The number uses the first verse and chorus tunes from the London Production, and is used for the moment when Rusty first hears of the Starlight Express. In the first Bochum version this part was sung by Poppa

Poppa

and Control.

Starlight Express hears you distress

He's there, all around

Starlight Express will answer you "yes"

He's waiting to be found!'

Recordings

All versions of the song can be found on the following recordings;

Starlight Express: Original London Cast Recording - Performed by Ray Shell
Ray Shell
Ray Shell is an African American, film, TV and stage actor, as well as an author, director and producer. He is famous for creating the roles of Nomax in Five Guys Named Moe and Rusty in Starlight Express...

- (1984)
Starlight Express: Broadway Highlights Recording - Performed by El DeBarge
El DeBarge
Eldra Patrick "El" DeBarge is an American R&B/pop falsetto singer and was the focal point and lead singer of the family group DeBarge throughout the early to mid-1980s....

- (1987)
Starlight Express: Australian Cast Recording - Performed by Bobby Collins - (1987)
Starlight Express: Official German Cast Recording - Performed by Steven Michael Skeels - (1988)
Starlight Express: Live German Recording - Performed by Bernie Blanks - (1989)
Starlight Express: Official German Cast Recording - Performed by Colin Munro - (1991)
The New Starlight Express - Performed by Greg Ellis
Greg Ellis (actor)
Greg Ellis is an English actor known for his TV, movie, and video game voice over work. He has appeared in films such as the Pirates of the Caribbean series, the 2009 Star Trek film , Titanic, Beowulf, To End All Wars, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith...

- (1993)
Expreso Astral: Mexican Cast Recording - Performed by Ricardo Santo - (1997) - This recording was made but never released.
Starlight Express: New Songs - Performed by Jamie Golding - (2003)

Notable Performances