Top 10 Famous Songs You Didn’t Know Were from Musicals

It isn’t often that Broadway and pop culture meet. How many regular people do you know who can name three musicals on Broadway right now?

But these songs did the impossible. Thanks to great lyrics, catchy tunes, and some famous covers (mostly by Frank Sinatra), here are ten iconic songs most people don’t know started as show tunes.

Related: Top 10 Broadway Flops That Actually Aren’t That Bad

10 “We Need a Little Christmas”—Mame

One of the multiple Christmas songs you may not have known is from musicals, “We Need a Little Christmas,” takes the cake for most surprising. Sure, not everyone knows that “White Christmas” is from the Broadway musical of the same name, but even less know that “We Need a Little Christmas” actually originated with the Jerry Herman musical Mame.

Within the show, the song is sung when Mame Dennis, a New York City sophisticate, learns that her fortune has been lost in the Wall Street Crash of 1929. She sings to her nephew that they “need a little Christmas” in order to cheer up from the depressing thoughts of their next few years.

Now, it may be sung about needing to cheer up from holiday family parties with the in-laws.^[1]

9 “You’ll Never Walk Alone”—Carousel

One of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most controversial shows, Carousel is a sweeping epic love story between carousel barker Billy and mill worker Julie. “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is sung by Julie’s best friend, Nettie, after Julie learns her husband has killed himself. Despite this sad background, it is an uplifting tune about friendship and love that has exploded out of the musical theater world and into football games.

Liverpool Football Club adopted the song as its anthem after the success of a 1963 recording by local Liverpool group Gerry and the Pacemakers. The song’s title is the club motto and is even included on their coat of arms.

Since then, the song has become almost spiritual, with Elvis Presley recording a gospel version in 1967, which was used in support of COVID-19 doctors and nurses in 2020.^[2]

8 “My Funny Valentine”—Babes in Arms

No, Frank Sinatra didn’t write this song, though he certainly did popularize it.

Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart wrote “My Funny Valentine” for their 1937 musical Babes in Arms, a coming-of-age story about a group of teenagers who must put on a show to avoid being sent to a work farm (don’t question it, it was the ’30s.)

Though the lyrics seem clever on their own, as the singer (within the show, a girl named Billie) mocks their love’s bad looks but lets them know they shouldn’t “Change a hair for me / Not if you care for me,” affirming their true affection. As an added little bonus for those who know the show, Billie is singing to her crush, Valentine. That’s right, the song isn’t about Valentine’s Day, but an actual person with that name!

While other artists such as Harpo Marx, Elvis Costello, and Miles Davis have recorded the song, it was Sinatra’s version in 1955 that pushed “My Funny Valentine” into the public consciousness.^[3]

7 “I Feel Pretty”—West Side Story

Even though West Side Story is one of those musicals everyone seems to know, anyone who hasn’t actually sat down and seen the show or watched the movie may be surprised to learn that the classic little ditty “I Feel Pretty” is from the modern adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.

From Sesame Street to Friends, the song has been featured or parodied in media for years, to the point where many people don’t know it originated with West Side Story. The simple lyrics “I feel pretty / Oh so pretty / I feel pretty and witty and bright” are enjoyable even out of the context of the show and are a popular choice for talent shows or choirs.

Composer Stephen Sondheim has said that “I Feel Pretty” is actually his least favorite of all the songs he’s written. According to him, not only does the song disrupt the dramatic momentum of the show, but he’s criticized himself for including lyrics that sound good but are not necessarily words that a young woman learning English would know.^[4]

6 “Edelweiss”—The Sound of Music

Most people have seen the classic 1965 movie musical The Sound of Music. But for those who haven’t, it may come as a shock to hear that the sweet song “Edelweiss” is from this Rogers and Hammerstein show.

In the context of the show, “Edelweiss” is sung by Captain von Trapp as a sentimental goodbye to his homeland of Austria, as he is being forced out by the impending Nazis. “Edelweiss” is a simple but sweet tune that does such a good job of sounding like an old Austrian folk song many people actually believe it is. There are even rumors that the song used to be the national anthem of Austria. This isn’t true. The song was written over 10 years after the end of World War II, and while the edelweiss flower is still a symbol of Austria, it’s only thanks to the musical.^[5]

5 “The Lady Is a Tramp”—Babes in Arms

This is the second song on this list to come from the 1937 musical Babes in Arms. Arguably even more famous than “My Funny Valentine,” “The Lady Is a Tramp” was made famous by Frank Sinatra’s recording in the 1950s.

The song inspired the title of Walt Disney’s The Lady and the Tramp and has been parodied by the Spice Girls, Glee, Star Trek, and more. It recently regained popularity thanks to Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga’s duet version in 2011, which topped charts in the UK and Japan.^[6]

4 “Total Eclipse of the Heart”

Okay, this one isn’t from a musical, but it was originally written for one.

Much has been said about the history of Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Most famous, Meat Loaf openly complained that composer Jim Steinman had originally written the song for him, not Tyler. Steinman had previously written for Meat Loaf’s breakout hit album Bat Out of Hell, to great success. However, newfound fame did not treat Meat Loaf well, and Steinman was allegedly advised to leave Meat Loaf and find a new singer to write for.

So Steinman paired up with Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, reusing one of his old songs that was meant for a musical version of Nosferatu. Though ultimately the musical never materialized, “Total Eclipse of the Heart” was originally meant to be a vampire love song. Steinman says, “If anyone listens to the lyrics, they’re really like vampire lines. It’s all about the darkness, the power of darkness, and love’s place in the dark.”

According to Tyler, that’s why the music video is shot in a gothic former asylum. They were trying to keep creepy vampire vibes within the song, even though it was no longer part of a larger plot.^[7]

3 “One Night in Bangkok”—Chess

“One Night in Bangkok” is particularly interesting because it really doesn’t work or make sense outside of the context of the show. But somehow, it still became a hit, even though the show didn’t.

Chess the musical started in 1984 as a concept album by Tim Rice and ABBA composers Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. The plot revolves around a chess game during the Cold War, with a Soviet on one side and an American on the other. Unfortunately, when the show transferred to Broadway in 1988, it was a financial flop, losing $6.6 million.

However, one song broke through to the mainstream. “One Night in Bangkok” is a testament to the Thai city’s reputation as the place to be for nightlife and adventure (and chess). While the choruses describe Bangkok as exciting and inspiring, the Americans in the show claim the city is “muddy” and less interesting than a game of chess.

In a turn of events no one could have predicted, the single version of the song topped the charts in countries around the world, including South Africa, The Netherlands, Australia, and the United States. Interestingly, “One Night in Bangkok” is banned in Thailand itself, as it is deemed to “cause misunderstanding about Thai society and show disrespect towards Buddhism.”^[8]

2 “Send in the Clowns”—A Little Night Music

Often hailed as one of the saddest songs ever written, “Send in the Clowns” is a heartbreaking admission of being defeated by life. “Isn’t it rich / Aren’t we a pair” kicks off the number, which comes directly after the main character, Desiree, is rejected by the man who chased her throughout her youth. Now that she’s ready to settle down, her ex is already married with a child.

The forced joviality in the lyrics is part of what makes it so devastating. With everything lost, Desiree has to laugh at her folly and stupidity. If only she would have realized what she wanted years ago, back when she had the opportunity.

The clowns in the title and chorus do not refer to literal clowns. Composer Stephen Sondheim says that he meant it to be a theater reference meaning, “‘If the show isn’t going well, let’s send in the clowns’; in other words, ‘let’s do the jokes.’” Desiree asks where the clowns are now that everything has gone wrong. It ends with the line “Don’t bother / They’re here,” as Desiree and her ex have been the clowns the whole time for not seizing the moment when they had it.

The lyrics aren’t so specific that they only apply to the context of the show. Judy Collins’s recorded version hit the Billboard Top 100 for 11 weeks, and Frank Sinatra added it to his 1973 album Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back. Since then, it has been used in media across the world, perhaps most famously in the 2019 blockbuster film Joker.^[9]

1 “Til There Was You”—The Music Man

Written by Meredith Willson for the 1957 musical The Music Man, “Til There Was You” skyrocketed to the public’s eye thanks to a chart-topping cover by The Beatles.

If you didn’t know that this tune was from a musical, don’t feel bad: Neither did Paul McCartney for a while. He grew up with the Peggy Lee cover of the song and has said that he had “no idea until much later” that it was from The Music Man, sung as a love ballad by the main character Marion. The Beatles’ recording helped cement the band as one that could appeal to all ages and genres, not just young girls.

Willson’s wife has said that the estate has received more money from The Beatles cover royalties than they have from the actual show itself!^[10]