Little Girls Lyrics - Annie

Song Overview

Song Credits

• Producers: Charles Strouse & Larry Morton
• Writers: Martin Charnin & Charles Strouse
• Musical Director: Peter Howard
• Orchestration: Philip J. Lang
• Arranger: Peter Howard
• Conductor: Peter Howard
• Release Date: 1977
• Genre: Broadway, Musical Theatre
• Language: English
• Featured In: Annie (musical)

Song Meaning and Annotations

There’s something delightfully twisted about “Little Girls”, the comic villain song from the Annie musical, performed by the ever-frustrated Miss Hannigan. Imagine if sarcasm were a show tune — this would be it. It’s a theatrical pressure cooker, oozing bitterness, worn-out nerves, and a pinch of delusion, all wrapped in swingy Broadway pizzazz.

Character Portrait

Little girls, little girls
Everywhere I turn I can see them

Right from the start, Hannigan paints her torment in bold, absurdist strokes. Her life is overrun with tiny humans, and the repetition in her lines mimics the endless, shrieking parade of orphans in her care. This isn't just disdain — it's claustrophobia set to music.

The Comedy of Breakdown

If I wring little necks, surely I will get an acquittal

Dark humor reigns supreme here. Miss Hannigan fantasizes about murder and mayhem, not with malevolence, but with desperate comic flair. It’s vaudevillian in its exaggeration. The audience knows she’s all bark, no bite — but the bark? Oh, it’s hilarious.

Satirical Longing

I'm an ordinary woman with feelings
I'd like a man to nibble on my ear

For a moment, the bluster drops. Hannigan’s venom stems from loneliness and neglect. Her dreams of romance are mocked by the cruel reality of isolation — no man, no diamonds, just lice and laundry. This glimpse into her softer (if not softer-spoken) side adds tragicomic depth to her role.

A Mental Spiral in Song

Some day I'll land in the nut house
With all the nuts and the squirrels

By the end, her spiral reaches its theatrical peak. She’s practically singing from inside her own unraveling mind. Schwartz doesn’t just give her a breakdown — he gives her a cabaret of collapse. That’s the Broadway way.

Similar Songs

1. "When You're Good to Mama" – Queen Latifah / Chicago
   Both songs are sung by tough, morally gray women with a flair for sass and a bone to pick with the world. Like Miss Hannigan, Mama Morton uses sarcasm and humor to mask cynicism and ambition.
2. "The Worst Pies in London" – Angela Lansbury / Sweeney Todd
   Mrs. Lovett, like Hannigan, copes with drudgery and disappointment with dark humor. Both songs find women on the edge, channeling their frustrations through zany, verbose numbers that make you chuckle while feeling slightly uneasy.
3. "Master of the House" – Les Misérables Cast
   Another comic relief moment from a serious show, this song also features characters living off others and complaining loudly about it. The Thénardiers, like Hannigan, have a flair for performance, bitterness, and con artistry.

Questions and Answers

Who sings “Little Girls” in Annie?

Miss Hannigan, the cranky, liquor-loving matron of the orphanage, delivers this number as a dramatic solo venting her frustrations.

What is the tone of “Little Girls”?

It’s darkly comedic — full of sarcasm, theatrical exaggeration, and slightly unhinged energy that makes it a standout villain song.

Is Miss Hannigan meant to be a sympathetic character?

Not entirely, but songs like this show her humanity. Beneath the bluster is a woman ground down by loneliness and unmet expectations.

How does this song fit into the musical Annie?

It offers comic relief and gives insight into Miss Hannigan’s psyche, setting up her role as a flawed antagonist with personal demons.

What musical style is used in “Little Girls”?

Broadway swing with a vaudeville edge. It’s catchy, rhythmic, and theatrical, meant to evoke both laughter and raised eyebrows.