I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here Lyrics
I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here
[GRACE]Cecille will pick out all your clothes
[CECILLE]
[spoken] Green is her best color, no blue I think.
[GRACE]
Your bath is drawn by Mrs. Greer.
[GREER]
[spoken] Soap...no, bubbles, I think.
[GRACE]
Annette comes in to make your bed.
[ANNETTE]
[spoken] The silk, no the satin sheets, I think.
[ANNIE]
I think I'm gonna like it here!
[GRACE]
The swimming pool is to the left
[ANNIE]
[spoken] Inside the house? Oh boy.
[GRACE]
The tennis court is in the rear
[ANNIE]
[spoken] I never even picked up a racket.
[GRACE]
Have an instructor here at noon
[spoken] Oh, and get that Don Budge fellow if he's available.
[ANNIE]
I think I'm gonna like it here.
[GRACE]
When you wake Ring for Drake
Drake will bring your tray
When you're through Mrs.Pugh
Comes and takes it away.
[GRACE AND SERVANTS]
No need to pick up any toys
[ANNIE]
[spoken] That's okay, I haven't got any anyway.
[GRACE]
No finger will you lift my dear
[ALL]
We have but one request
Please put us to the test
[ANNIE]
I know I'm gonna like it here
Used to room in a tomb
Where i'd sit and freeze
Get me now, holy cow
Could someone pinch me please.
[GRACE]
[spoken] She didn't mean it.
[Singing] We've never had a little girl
[ALL]
We've never had a little girl
[GRACE AND SERVANTS]
We hope you understand Your wish is our command
[ANNIE, GRACE AND SERVANTS]
I know I'm gonna like it here
We know you're gonna like It here
[ALL]
Welcome
Song Overview
Song Credits
- Main Vocals: Sandy Faison (Grace Farrell), Andrea McArdle (Annie)
- Company: Original Broadway Cast Servant Ensemble
- Composer: Charles Strouse
- Lyricist: Martin Charnin
- Producers: Charles Strouse, Larry Morton
- Musical Director & Arranger: Peter Howard
- Orchestration: Philip J. Lang
- Recording Engineer: Bud Graham
- Album: Annie (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
- Release Year: 1977
- Genre: Show-tune / Foxtrot-flare big-band
- Instruments: pizzicato strings, clarinet trills, muted brass, ballroom drums, glockenspiel sprinkles
- Mood: dazzled, wide-eyed, holiday-sparkly
- Length: 2 min 43 sec
- Label: Columbia Masterworks
- Copyright © 1977 Strouse & Charnin • ? 1977 Columbia Records
Song Meaning and Annotations
Grace Farrell sweeps a bashful orphan into marble-floored splendor, and the orchestra pops corks of pizzicato champagne. I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here pirouettes in a quick foxtrot, equal parts Downton-Abbey tour and Christmas-morning squeal. Every bar trades servant chatter for Annie’s gasps, turning household logistics into Broadway sparkle.
The tune starts in polite 4/4, but syncopated step-ups let Grace’s polished alto dance around Annie’s street-tough chirp. Lyrically it’s a wish-list on fast-forward—pools, tennis courts, bubble baths—yet Strouse keeps the melody bouncing rather than bragging. Cultural icing: Depression-era audiences watching a penniless kid pinch herself inside a billionaire’s mansion—aspirational hygge long before Pinterest.
Servant-Roll Call: Luxury as Percussion
“Cecille will pick out all your clothes… / Your bath is drawn by Mrs. Greer…”
The names hit like rim-shots, each “—eer” rhyme a miniature cymbal crash announcing another miracle of comfort.
Annie’s Refrain: Shock Meets Swagger
“I think I’m gonna like it here!”
That ascending sixth leaps higher than her old dorm bunk, signaling optimism now has legroom.
Grace’s Butler-Ballet
The inner section (“When you wake ring for Drake…”) shifts to a patter-song, servants clicking trays like tap shoes while woodwinds flutter behind. It’s an audio montage of silverware sparkling.
Comic Fancy-Footwork
Director notes often slot in a soft-shoe gag: Annie asks for a pinch—Grace obliges—Annie yelps on the down-beat, orchestra glisses upward, laughter lands precisely on the glockenspiel chime.
Similar Songs
- “Be Our Guest” – Beauty and the Beast Cast
Both songs serve silver-platter hospitality, complete with name-checked house staff. Lumière’s rococo cabaret mirrors Grace’s more buttoned-up jazz, yet each track twirls a newcomer through luxury to a major-key fanfare finale. - “Consider Yourself” – Oliver! Cast
Another orphan tours a new world—this time London’s streets—via communal song. Eager welcome choruses link the tracks, though Annie’s invitation is satin-sheeted where Oliver’s is cobblestone raw. - “When I Grow Up” – Matilda Cast
Both pieces explore childlike awe of bigger-than-life perks. Matilda swings on giant swings dreaming of independence; Annie glides through grand halls tasting it in real time.
Questions and Answers
- Why is the number placed so early in the show?
- It bridges Annie’s rags-to-riches pivot, letting the audience revel in the same jaw-drop she feels before plot conflicts resume.
- Is it always staged with a giant staircase?
- Most productions build a sweeping staircase for maximum Cinderella reveal, but minimalist revivals use rolling doorframes and choreographed silver trays to similar effect.
- What musical tricks create the “wealth” sound?
- Pizzicato strings mimic tinkling chandeliers, while glockenspiel hits sparkle like crystal glass taps; muted brass adds Art-Deco polish.
- Did the 2014 film change the lyrics?
- Yes—Quvenzhané Wallis’ version modernised references (e.g., infinity pool, media room) and slid in hip-hop hi-hats, but kept the core hook.
- Who is Don Budge, and why the tennis joke?
- Budge was a 1930s Grand-Slam champion; Grace’s quip flaunts Warbucks’ clout—he can summon sports stars like room service.
Fan and Media Reactions
“Those pizzicato plucks feel like the Christmas lights switching on—instant serotonin.” @BroadwayBaubles
“My kid heard this once and started addressing our Roomba as ‘Drake.’” @ParentInTapShoes
“Strouse basically distilled Gatsby opulence into two and a half minutes of pure ear-candy.” @CriticWithACane
“Grace’s line-reading of ‘Get that Don Budge fellow’ remains my personal ringtone.” @1930sSportsNerd
“The servants’ chorus is peak harmony-nerd bliss—tight thirds, snappy diction, zero downtime.” @ChoralGeek83