Marry Me A Little and Being Alive, Stephen Sondheim

This post will be a little different than my others. For one, it will be a compare and contrast style analysis. This is also a study of two songs, both from the musical Company, by Stephen Sondheim. The songs share the same subject matter, and are from the perspective of the same character, but they are very different.

When listened to, "Marry Me A Little" is the more upbeat song. But this isn't a music blog, it's a poetry blog, so let's look at the meter and rhyme scheme.
Marry me a little
Love me just enough
Cry, but not too often
Play, but not too rough
Keep a tender distance
So we`ll both be free
That`s the way it ought to be
I`m ready!
Looking at this excerpt, which reflects the majority of the piece, the basic rhyme scheme is
A
B
C
B
D
E
E
F
The lines are in alternating Dactylic-Amphibrachic Dimeter and Dactylic-Iambic Dimeter, with the "I'm ready" (which ends each verse) as an exception.
In contrast, "Being Alive" is slower, and more dramatic when listened to. The following excerpt represents the majority of the verses, although this is more varied than the last song
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,
Make me alive
The meter is more complicated than "Marry Me A Little". The first three lines of the verse start with a Dactyl, and transition into two feet Iambic Pentameter. The three lines after are comprised of one Dactyl and one Iamb, and the last line is simply two Iambs. The rhyme scheme runs something like:
A
B
C
B
C
E
E
Structurally, these two pieces are pretty similar. It is in their treatment of their subject matter that they differ.

Both songs are about relationships, specifically marriage, and the way people view them. "Marry Me A Little" has an idealistic opinion of how a relationship should function. The speaker, Bobby, who is considering marriage, talks about how marriage "ought to be". He believes that a functional relationship involves keeping all the messy, painful bits hidden, and only displaying the perfect image he has seen in the married couples he has interacted with througout his life. He is willing to have "Just the simple stuff" in a relationship, but does not want to recognize any difficulty that may occur.

"Being Alive" appears later in the musical. In this song, Bobby, the same narrator from before, discusses the problems he sees in his friend's marriages. The piece starts with him complaining about everything that could be wrong or uncomfortable in a relationship, saying that all they get you is "Someone to hold you too close", "Crowd you with love" and "Force you to care". Through the course of the song, however, Bobby realises that all these apparent flaws are what he really wants from a relationship. Here, we have a Bobby who understands that in order for a relationship to function, he needs to accept that not everything will be absolutely perfect.

I chose these two songs, not just becausee they are from my favourite musical, but also because they illustrate the growth of the speaker over time.  They do address the same subject, but their meaning arises from the perspective each song has. I think it's an interesting look at how a character can develop and change, even within the context of just two poems.

Up Next: Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, by Dylan Thomas

Full Lyrics: Marry Me A Little    Video:Marry Me A Little

Full Lyrics: Being Alive               Video: Being Alive