Easy Street Lyrics
Easy Street
[ROOSTER]I remember the way
Our sainted mother
Would sit and croon us
Her lullaby
[MISS HANNIGAN]
She'd say, kids, there's a place
That's like no other
You got to get there before you die
[ROOSTER]
You don't get there
By playing from the rule book
[MISS HANNIGAN]
You stack the aces
[ROOSTER]
You load the dice
[MISS HANNIGAN AND ROOSTER]
Mother dear
Oh, we know you're down there listening --
How can we follow
Your sweet
Advice
To
[ROOSTER]
Easy street
Easy street
Where you sleep till noon
[MISS HANNIGAN]
Yeah, yeah, yeah
[ROOSTER AND MISS HANNIGAN]
She'd repeat
Easy street
Better get there soon.
[ROOSTER, MISS HANNIGAN, AND LILY]
Easy street
Easy street
Where the rich folks play
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Move them feet
[MISS HANNIGAN]
Move them ever-lovin' feet
[ROOSTER, MISS HANNIGAN, AND LILY]
To easy street
[MISS HANNIGAN]
Easy street
[ROOSTER, MISS HANNIGAN, AND LILY]
When you get there stay
[ROOSTER]
It ain't fair
How we scrounge
For three of four bucks
While she gets
Warbucks
[MISS HANNIGAN]
The little brat!
It ain't fair this here life
Is drivin' me nuts!
While we get peanuts
She's livin' fat!
[ROOSTER]
Maybe she holds the key
That little lady
[MISS HANNIGAN]
To gettin' more bucks
[ROOSTER]
Instead of less
Maybe we fix the game
With something shady
[LILY]
Where does that put us?
[MISS HANNIGAN]
Give you one guess
[ROOSTER, MISS HANNIGAN, AND LILY]
Yes!
Easy street
Easy street
Annie is the key
Yes sirree
Yes sirree
Yes sirree
Easy street
Easy street
That's where we're gonna --
Be!
Song Overview
Song Credits
- Main Vocals: Scott Willis (Rooster), Alene Robertson (Miss Hannigan), Shelly Burch (Lily St. Regis)
- Ensemble: Annie – The Broadway Musical 30th Anniversary Cast
- Composer: Charles Strouse
- Lyricist: Martin Charnin
- Album: Annie: The Broadway Musical 30th Anniversary Cast Recording, Disc 1
- Release Year: 2008 (score debuted 1977)
- Genre: Show-tune / Jazz-swing caper
- Instruments: stride piano, wah-wah trumpet, slithery trombone, walking bass, tap-board percussion
- Mood: scheming, sultry, wink-and-a-nod
- Label: Time-Life / Masterworks Broadway
- Copyright © 1977 Strouse & Charnin • ? 2008 Time-Life
Song Meaning and Annotations
The house lights dim, a sleazy trumpet slurs a blue note, and Rooster slinks onstage like a pin-striped alley cat. Easy Street sashays in 12-bar swing, part vaudeville hustle, part smoky speakeasy jam. Where Annie’s earlier tunes sparkle with hope, this one oozes plottin’ gravy: three grifters harmonising about shortcuts to champagne living.
Musically, it leans on minor-key blues colour, yet the chorus flips to a bright major release—mirroring the characters’ flip-flop from grim reality to velvet-lined fantasies. Lyrically, Strouse and Charnin sprinkle gambler slang (“stack the aces,” “load the dice”) over a cabaret groove, illustrating how Depression-era dreamers might con their way out of bread-line life.
Mother’s Crooked Lullaby
“Our sainted mother / Would sit and croon us her lullaby”
A sepia spoof of bedtime comfort—Mom doesn’t preach virtue; she hands out get-rich-quick commandments, planting the first crooked seed.
Dice-Rolling Doctrine
“You don’t get there by playing from the rule book”
That single line flips Annie’s moral compass: while the orphan dreams of meritocracy, the siblings toast to rigging the table.
Trio Chemistry
When Lily’s squeal collides with Rooster’s growl and Hannigan’s gravel, their three-part swing chords form a cynical Andrews Sisters parody. The call-and-response “Yes sirree!” lands like carnival barkers reeling in rubes.
Staging Note
Directors often plant the trio on an exaggeratedly tilted lamppost, spotlight cutting like a film-noir beam—visual shorthand for the moral slant they’re celebrating.
Similar Songs
- “Master of the House” – Les Misérables Cast
Thénardier’s pub patter also lionises low-grade larceny. Both numbers pair jaunty tavern rhythms with rapscallion humour, though “Easy Street” swings while “Master” stomps in 3/4 brag-march. - “When You’re Good to Mama” – Chicago (Queen Latifah)
Matron “Mama” Morton purrs a quid-pro-quo gospel that echoes Hannigan’s self-interest. Each singer coats sly wisdom in jazz glissandi and comic timing. - “Friend Like Me” – Robin Williams (Aladdin)
Another show-stopping salesman tune, bursting with vaudeville references. Genie’s legit generosity contrasts Rooster’s crooked promises, yet the razzle-dazzle orchestration and tongue-twister delivery feel like cousins.
Questions and Answers
- Why is Easy Street set in a bluesy swing style?
- Swing fits the 1930s timeline and instantly signals smoky back-room scheming—perfect for characters plotting a scam.
- Does Annie appear in this number?
- No—her absence highlights the villains’ private plotting, raising dramatic tension before their plan collides with her optimism.
- Is the song always staged in the orphanage office?
- Most productions keep it there, but some revivals shift to an alleyway or noir-lit lamppost for extra cinematic flair.
- What key elements make the trio harmonies pop?
- Tight close intervals (thirds and sixths), quick chromatic slides, and rhythmic unison punches on the word “Easy” amp up mischief.
- How does the reprise differ?
- The Act II reprise speeds up and modulates upward, underscoring the crooks’ rising confidence—until the plan unravels.
Fan and Media Reactions
“Anytime my rent’s due I hum ‘Easy Street’—instant villain swagger.” @PocketLarceny
“That trombone slide at ‘sleep till noon’ is pure cartoon gold.” @BrassNerd88
“My community-theatre trio hit the final ‘Be!’ and the audience actually boo-cheered. Mission accomplished.” @StageDoorBandit
“Proof that even in a kid-friendly musical you can sneak in a snarky jazz masterpiece.” @CriticInPinstripes
“The 30th Anniversary cast recording gives Hannigan a gravelly growl I didn’t know I needed.” @CastAlbumAddict