OK, folks, it seems I’ve stumbled on a bit of a mystery. I was discussing the Phantom song “Music of the Night” with a friend earlier this evening, but when we were talking about the lyrics, we kept remembering parts of the song, well, differently. With the help of AltaVista, it didn’t take us long to figure out that there are two different sets of lyrics to Music of the Night!
http://www.tetraq.com/phantom/lyrics/the_music_of_the_night.htm
This site gives both sets of lyrics, but it doesn’t explain why there are two sets of lyrics or what the difference is. Is one of them “official?” Is my soundtrack defective for having the set on the right when my friend’s lyrics book uses the set on the left? Help!
Actually, according to this page, there are three versions of the song. 
Okay, okay. This page also mentions the discrepancy, noting that the different (from the libretto) version appears on the ‘Highlights’ album. Then, there’s this page, which adds that Phantom has been translated into many different languages. (You can find a short list of the many different cast recordings here.
My WAG is that the song was orginally written as it appears in the libretto and as it is sung in the Original Cast Recording (the one with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman). As it was translated into differnent languages and sung by other casts, though, some parts got lost in the translation, or were intentionally changed by the cast for whatever reason.
I’ve always heard the lyrics on the right, and only the lyrics on the right. Looking at the other songs, I’m still at a loss.
I know ALW has rewritten parts of his musicals before (JCS springs to mind), and I know that at least two different versions of the Prologue/Tower of Babel in Steven Schwartz’s Godspell exist, so this isn’t unprecendented. Or, perhaps one is the American version and one is the British or Canadian or Australian or other version?
[And preview reveals another simulpost with AudreyK! Hello there. :)]
Just thought I’d let you all know that I found my runaway parenthesis. > )
StephenG’s rewrite idea makes sense to me. It never even occurred to me.
Hello.
Thanks, guys! I think most likely Webber just rewrote the lyrics, since all three sets sound like something he’d write. He definitely rewrote Raoul’s lines in “Think of Me;” apparently “You’re really not a bit the gawkish girl that once you were” sounded in concert like “…not a bitch.”
The strange part is that even though MotN was my favorite song in Phantom, I prefer my original site’s alternate set of lyrics! I’d better go memorize 'em! Thanks again!
As a true fan(atic) of Michael Crawford’s, I’ve also noticed the lyric changes from album to album of his. I also suspect the lyrics were changed from the “original” cast as time has gone on. I’ve also noticed changes in productions I’ve seen vs. the original cast album – the reason for those changes seems to be clarity of the words and increased dramatic appeal. Personally, I still prefer the original.
LONG LIVE MC!!
You know, I always thought that “Music of the Night” sounded remarkably like the Barnes & Barnes cult classic “Fish Heads”. Seriously.
The lines, “Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation” jibe pretty well with, “Fish heads, fish heads, roly-poly fish heads” both in terms of music and meter.
Naturally, Andrew Lloyd saw the need to change the lyrics to something a bit more dignified and I can’t say I blame him.
There are a LOT of different versions. How do I know? When I first met Pepper Mill, my bride-to-be, I learned that this was her favorite song from her favorite musical. So I learned it and practiced it incessantly. Then I got dressed up in full Phantom costume – including make-up (I was one of the youth corrupted by Dick Smith’s Monster Makeup Handbook), drove to her house, cranked up my specially recorded version, and serenaded her.
Am I a hopeless romantic, or what?
In any event, I found that there were a couple of different versions of Crawford singing it, at least one other version of someone else, and yet another version on a “Karaoke”-type tape that had music without words on one side, with words on the other. (This version was putrid – I threw it out and used another.)
Occasionally I will throw my music tape on my car’s stereo and sing it again, to myself. But only when I’m alone. If you see me belting out “Music of the Night” in an empty car, pay no mind.
And another note: My aunt noticed this as well. Doesn’t “Music of the Night” sound a heckuva lot like “Come to Me, Bend to Me” from “BRIGADOON”?
Slightly off topic, but, still relavant to phantom of the opera, I compiled a CD not long ago called “songs that will get you killed” and one of those songs was the theme song to phantom of the opera. Not the overture, but the one where she’s just been abducted by the phantom fella’…
Anyway, a group of mates went up and down the main street of our city where all the night clubs were, loads of people everywhere and played this song. The amount of people yelling abuse at us was phenomonal (s/p?)
Music of the Night = Fish Heads? That’s a scary, scary thought, minlokwat In the spirit of scientific enterprise, I sang “Fish heads, fish heads, roly-poly fish heads” to the tune of “Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation” into a dictaphone. I then rewound the dictaphone, increased the playback speed to get the tempo right, and ran the tape. I can confidently say that “Music of the Night’s” tune sounds almost nothing like that of “Fish Heads.” …Thank all that is good and sacred.
I’ve also heard it claimed that “Music of the Night” is the same tune as “Bolero.”
“Music of the Night” and “Bolero”!?!??!
I sooooo don’t see that.
In the same vein, in Miss Saigon the song “It’s Her or Me” was changed at some point to “Now That I’ve Seen Her.” Same tune, but completely different lyrics and in a way, a different meaning entirely!
I head somewhere (no cite) that one of the actresses playing Ellen demanded the change. No clue if that’s true or not. Or maybe it was the poor grammar that pissed her off.
Sorry, I got the song wrong. The story I heard was that “Memories” from Cats is the same tune as Bolero.
OH MY GOSH it is. :eek: Weird.
[hijack] What other songs were on your CD? I love the idea! 
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