Our Little World is the 6th song of Act One of Into The Woods
Sondheim on writing Our Little World: "This song was added for the London production. Having seen the show in its final form a number of times, I realized that we never observe the Witch having a happy maternal moment with her daughter, which makes the Witch unrelentingly possessive and Rapunzel's mixed feelings about her inexplicable. In order to avoid sentimentality, however, which might seem a bit forced considering the bizarrerie of the Witch's persona, I made the song an accompaniment to what I hoped would be the hilarity of the action: the hair-climbing. Sometimes the moment has been funny and sometimes it just lies there—not a good sign. Hedging my bets, I've labeled it "optional" in the score that is leased for performance." [1]
Lyrics[]
[RAPUNZEL]
(Singing wordlessly, brushing her hair)
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah...
[WITCH]
(Looking up lovingly)
Children are a blessing—
[RAPUNZEL]
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah...
[WITCH]
If you know where they are.
[RAPUNZEL]
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah...
[WITCH]
Nothing's so distressing, though,
As when they keep you guessing, so,
Be sure you don't leave any doors ajar.
Make a little world...
[RAPUNZEL]
Our little world—
[WITCH]
Our little world—
[RAPUNZEL]
Is big enough for me...
[WITCH]
Perfect...
[RAPUNZEL]
Our little world—
[WITCH]
Our little world—
[RAPUNZEL]
Is all it needs to be.
[WITCH]
Perfect!
[RAPUNZEL]
Brushing my hair,
Combing my hair,
Only my mother
And me and my hair—
Our little world
[WITCH]
Our little world
[WITCH & RAPUNZEL]
Is perfect
[RAPUNZEL]
If she just didn't drool.
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah...
[WITCH, spoken OR sing-song]
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair to me! Rapunzel... Rapunzel!
[Rapunzel lowers her hair for the Witch to climb.]
[WITCH]
Look at her complexion,
Still untouched by the sun,
Children need protection
Just the way they need affection
Or they wonder, and they wander,
And they run
From your little world...
[RAPUNZEL]
Our little world—
[WITCH]
Our little world—
[RAPUNZEL]
Is all I have to see...
[WITCH]
Perfect...
[RAPUNZEL]
Our little world—
[WITCH]
Our little world—
[WITCH & RAPUNZEL]
Is everything a world ought to be.
[WITCH]
Perfect!
Perfect!
[RAPUNZEL]
Washing my hair—
[WITCH]
Tending her hair—
[RAPUNZEL]
Drying my hair—
[WITCH]
Stroking her hair—
[RAPUNZEL]
Unraveling my hair—
[WITCH]
Looking at her hair—
[RAPUNZEL]
Winding and binding
And minding my—
[WITCH]
Something we can share:
[WITCH & RAPUNZEL]
Hair.
Our little world is perfect—
[RAPUNZEL]
Or at least so she claims.
[WITCH]
Nothing to change her...
[RAPUNZEL]
If she only would cut her nails...
[WITCH]
Each day like the other...
[RAPUNZEL]
Didn't have those pointy teeth...
[WITCH]
Nothing to divert her,
To disconcert her...
[RAPUNZEL]
Tiny eyes...
[WITCH]
Nothing that can possibly hurt her...
[RAPUNZEL]
Otherwise—
[WITCH & RAPUNZEL]
Our little world is perfect—
[RAPUNZEL]
And world enough for me.
[WITCH]
Our little world...
[RAPUNZEL]
Growing my hair—
[WITCH]
Braiding her hair—
[RAPUNZEL]
What do I care
What they're doing out there?
[WITCH]
If what was growing
Was only her hair,
And not her,
That I'd prefer.
Nevertheless—
[RAPUNZEL]
Our little world
[WITCH]
Our little world
[RAPUNZEL]
Our little world
[WITCH & RAPUNZEL]
Is perfect...
[OPTIONAL ENDING, The Witch starts to climb Rapunzel's hair; Rapunzel grunts with pain.]
[WITCH]
Delicious...
Fulfilling...
Exclusive...
Unchanging...
Exemplary...
[WITCH & RAPUNZEL]
Perfect.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ "Look I made a hat: collected lyrics (1981 - 2011) with attendant comments, amplifications, dogmas, harangues, digressions, anecdotes and miscellany" by Stephen Sondheim, book published 2011
https://genius.com/Original-broadway-cast-of-into-the-woods-our-little-world-lyrics