29 Musical Theater Lyrics That Give Us Hope

You know what makes us feel happy in times of great uncertainty and fear? Musical theater. There’s nothing like hearing the sweet melodies of “The sun’ll come out tomorrow” from “Annie” or “You are not alone” from “Dear Evan Hansen” to keep our spirits lifted and make us feel like we’re all in this phase of social distancing together.
 
So we compiled some of the most comforting and uplifting song lyrics from an array of our favorite musicals to share the love and light. We even put together a Spotify playlist of these tunes so you can jam along at home. 

The sun’ll come out tomorrow

“Tomorrow,” Annie

Tomorrow is a latter day

–The Book of Mormon

Holding to the ground as the ground keeps shifting
Trying to keep sane as the rules keep changing
Keeping up my head as my heart falls out of sight
Everything will be alright

“Holding to the Ground,” Falsettos

And I’m thankful for everyday that I’m givin’
Both the easy and hard ones I’m livin’

“I’m Here,” The Color Purple

It isn’t where I am, It’s only where I’ll go from here”

“Times Are Hard for Dreamers,” Amelie

Don’t hold me back ’cause today all my dreams will come true!

“Good Morning Baltimore,” Hairspray

And nobody in all of Oz
No Wizard that there is or was
Is ever gonna bring me down

“Defying Gravity,” Wicked

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strifeIn five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in the life?

“Seasons of Love,” Rent

We can do it, we can do it
This is not the time to shirk
We can do it, you won’t rue it
Say goodbye to petty clerk

“We Can Do It,” The Producers

To us and our good fortune
Be happy, be healthy, long life!
And if our good fortune never comes
Here’s to whatever comesDrink l’chaim to life!

“To Life,” Fiddler on the Roof

As we stumble along
‘Cross life’s crowded dance floors
As we push and we shove
We live and we learn
And when we fin’lly leave the bar
And we see that morning star
We pull our boot straps up and homeward turn.

“As We Stumble Along,” The Drowsy Chaperone

I’ve got a wonderful feeling
Everything’s going my way.

“Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,” Oklahoma!

When the dog bites
When the bees sting
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad.

“My Favorite Things,” The Sound of Music

Every day they shout and scold and go about their lives
Heedless of the gift it is to be them
If I were in their skin, I’d treasure every instant.

“Out There,” Hunchback of Notre Dame

Don’t give up and don’t give in
If you’re thinking sink or swim.
Courage is your plane to fame
When hero is your middle name.

“Hero is My Middle Name,” SpongeBob: The Musical

So let the sun come streaming in
‘Cause you’ll reach up and you’ll rise again
If you only look around
You will be found

“You Will Be Found,” Dear Evan Hansen

And this present will be past so here we are
where the world has come together.

“Stop the World,” Come From Away

I see stars, we shine as bright as day
I will look out for you; we’ll light each other’s way.

“I See Stars,” Mean Girls

What I thought was so permanent fades
In the blink of an eye, there’s a new life in front in my face
And I know in due time, every right thing will find its right place.

“Everything Changes,” Waitress

I know that the night must end
And that the clouds must clear
The sun, the sun will rise

“Endless Night,” The Lion King

If you take your time (look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now), you will make your mark
Close your eyes and dream
When the night gets dark, take a break.

“Take a Break,” Hamilton

Some flowers bloom
Where the green grass grows
Our praise is not for them
But the ones who bloom in the bitter snow
We raise our cups to them

“We Raise Our Cups,” Hadestown

But I say: Why invite stress in?
Stop studying strife
And learn to live “the unexamined life

“Dancing Through Life,” Wicked

I spend hours in the garden
I walk alone to the store
And it’s quiet uptown
I never liked the quiet before

“It’s Quiet Uptown,” Hamilton

Just remember
Someone is on your side
Someone else is not
While we’re seeing our side
Maybe we forgot, they are not alone
No one is alone

“No One Is Alone,” Into the Woods

It doesn’t matter if your life’s a mess
The whole process will coalesce
Girls, just try to effervesce
All you really have to do is shine.

“Shine,” Billy Elliot

But all I know is nothing happens if you just give in
It can’t be any worse than how it’s been
And it just so happens that we just might win
So whatever happens! Let’s begin!

“Watch What Happens,” Newsies  

I will beat the odds
I can go the distance
I will face the world
Fearless, proud, and strong

“Go the Distance,” Hercules

Listen to all of these songs on Spotify!