I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here Lyrics - Annie

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

 Screenshot from I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here lyrics video by Original Broadway Cast of Annie
Original Broadway Cast of Annie welcomes Annie with the “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here” lyrics in this archival clip.

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 and Annie performing I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here
Performance in the music video.

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

Thumbnail from I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here lyric video
A screenshot from the 'I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here' music video.
  1. “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.
  2. “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.
  3. “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

Scene from I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here track
Visual effects scene from 'I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here'.
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


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Musical: Annie. Song: I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here. Broadway musical soundtrack lyrics. Song lyrics from theatre show/film are property & copyright of their owners, provided for educational purposes