Being Alive: Lyrics Speak Louder Than Words.

Stephen Sondheim's lyrics are a dictionary for human emotion.

It's hard to explain the power of finding words that express what you have been feeling in a way that is so precise that you no longer feel alone, or lost, or irredeemable.

Stephen Sondheim was a genius. But, we already know that.

What I want to talk about is the reason he will live on, and the parts of himself he put into everything he wrote. Through his lyrics he spoke truths that are otherwise too complicated to discuss in conversation. Sondheim showed us, over and over and over, that through every part of being human, we are not alone.

So, in his honor, I am sharing some of my favorite life lessons- from the man himself, Thank you Stephen Sondheim. For your commentary on...

The human need to love, and be loved completely...

These lyrics from "Being Alive", Company

"Hey buddy don't be afraid it won't be perfect- the only thing to be afraid of really, is that it won't be...."

"...Somebody hold me too close somebody hurt me too deep somebody sit in my chair and ruin my sleep, and make me aware of being alive. Somebody need me too much somebody know me too well somebody pull me up short and put me through hell, and give me support for being alive"

On Breakups, and realizing a perfect match is not perfect at all...

"We Do Not Belong Together", from Sunday in the Park with George

"tell me not to go tell me that you're hurt tell me you're relieved tell me that you're bored- anything but don't assume I know. Tell me what you feel... No one is me. We do not belong together...We should have belonged together. I have to move on"

On the realities of existing in a world where we are all so very different...and the dangers of thinking you are always right or always wrong...

"No One is Alone" , from Into the Woods

"Believe me- no one is alone. People make mistakes- holding to their own- thinking they're alone...Witches can be right , Giants can be good, You decide what's right , You decide what's good... 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."

On Going against the Grain:

"Everybody Says Don't", from Anyone can Whistle

"I say- walk on the grass it was meant to feel---

"Lady you're doing just fine. Make just a ripple, come on be brave. This time, a ripple...next time a wave. Sometimes you have to start small, climbing the tiniest wall- maybe you're going to fall- but it is better than not starting at all"

and from "Everybody's Got the Right", Assassins

"Everybody's got the right to be different even though sometimes they go to extremes. Aim for what you want a lot- Everybody gets a shot."

On the choices we make, and the paths we choose...

"The Road You Didn't Take" , Follies

"You take one road, You try one door, There isn't time for any more. One's life consists of either/or."

On being brave and going after your dreams, and wanting more, despite what others may tell you...

"Some People" , Gypsy

"Hey L.A., I'm comin' your way. Some people sit on their butts, got the dream, yeah, but not the guts. That's living for some people. For some hum-drum people, I suppose. Well, they can stay and rot, but not Rose"

And, on that note, his advice on standing out in an industry where everyone seems to be doing the same thing...

"You Gotta Have a Gimmick", Gypsy

"You're more than just a mimic, when ya got a gimmick, take a look how different we are----so get yourself a gimmick and you too can be a star"

On Mortality- and Gratitude, and being present in the moment...

"With so Little to Be Sure of" , Anyone Can Whistle

"None of it was wasted, All of it will last: Everything that's here and now and us together! It was marvelous to know you And it isn't really through. Crazy business this, this life we live in- Can't complain about the time we're given- With so little to be sure of in this world...

...We had a moment! A marvelous moment!"

Yes. We really did, and so much of that is due to Stephen Sondheim's human, clever, vulnerable, angry, confused, ingenious, adoring, ugly, beautiful, relatable and unique parts of himself he placed in everything that he created. And I have hardly listed everything here.

Whether you're a theater kid or not- I hope his words may reach you in a time that you need them. I hope they show you that you are never alone and give you a reason to keep going and to keep believing. That's what he did for me. And I know it's what he'll continue doing, even now, and indefinitely, through his art, and through his story.

Thank You, Sondheim.