Finale Lyrics
Finale
Velma:Thank you. Roxie and I would just like to thank you - for
you faith and your belief in our innocence.
Roxie:
Yes, it was letters, telegrams, and words of encouragement
that helped see us through this terrible ordeal of ours.
Velma:
You know, a lot of people has lost faith in America.
Roxie:
And for what America stands for.
Velma:
But we are the living examples of what a wonderful country this is.
Roxie:
So we'd just like to say thank you and God Bless you.
Velma and Roxie:
God bless you.
Thank you and God bless you... Chorus:
God be with you. No,
God walk with you always. I'm no one's wife
God bless you. But, oh,
God bless you. I love my life...
Velma, Roxie et al.:
And all that jazz
Company:
THAT JAZZ!
Song Overview
Review & Highlights
This Finale is a curtain-call wink. The number stitches a few spoken thanks to America into the show’s calling card - “All That Jazz” - so the last taste is pure Chicago: a sales pitch with sparkle. The lyrics are short by design, the point sharp as a heel.
One-sentence snapshot: two headliners thank the crowd, bless the myth, and sign off with one last slice of razzle.
Verse 1
It starts as a mock-solemn address - gratitude, country, innocence - the kind of speech you hear at parades and pressers. The joke is how easily it plays as showbiz.
Chorus
Then the company snaps into the familiar tag - “And all that jazz” - which lands like a logo. You’re not just hearing a line; you’re seeing the lights hit the word.
Exchange/Bridge
Those quick “God bless you” volleys are the last handoff between Roxie and Velma. It’s a benediction and a bit - both at once, which is this musical’s sweet spot.
Final Build
The ensemble’s button is brisk, almost sly. No grand sermon, just a crisp reprise and the house lights in your eyes. A clean exit - Chicago to the bone.
Song Meaning and Annotations
The Finale trades melody for message. It isn’t about new musical material so much as sealing the show’s thesis - crime plus charm equals applause.
“Thank you, thank you.”
That flourish frames the whole enterprise: public absolution by show tune. The thanks doubles as a sales receipt for the spectacle we just bought.
Chicago’s finales have shifted across productions, but in the long-running revival the closer is a reprise of “All That Jazz.” It’s a neat circle - start with the brand, end with the brand.
“We would just like to thank you - for your faith...”
Gratitude as performance is the gag. They bless the crowd, the country, the dream; the house returns the favor with applause. Symbiosis, with sequins.
The orchestration keeps it lean - reeds, brass, rhythm, a tight pit built to snap rather than swell. You hear the pit list and picture the black chairs and stands.
“God bless you.”
That line softens the edges without softening the satire. Blessings can be a kind of smoke machine - they fog the scene while the show moves on.
Onstage history matters here. The original 1975 run played with different finale configurations; the 1996 revival codified the “Nowadays” into “Hot Honey Rag,” then a brisk reprise - the version most audiences now carry in their heads.
“And all that jazz.”
As a closer, that tag is perfect. It doesn’t explain; it brands. The lyric is minimal because the rhythm and silhouette do the talking.
Message
Reputation wins. The Finale folds a thank-you note into a jingle and proves that in this city, a catchy line can tidy any mess.
Emotional tone
Wry and weightless. Nothing lingers except the shine - by design.
Production and instrumentation
Masterworks lists a compact pit: woodwinds, trumpets, trombones, piano, accordion, banjo, bass and tuba, violin, drums - the classic palette for snap, not syrup.
Language and devices
List, slogan, reprise - each trims meaning to fit a marquee. The lyrics function like a trademark stamp.
Creation history
Music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb. The revival cast album was tracked November 18, 1996 at The Hit Factory, then released by RCA Victor in late January 1997.
Key Facts
- Featured: Bebe Neuwirth with Ann Reinking and Company.
- Producer: Jay David Saks.
- Composer: John Kander; Lyricist: Fred Ebb.
- Release Date: January 28, 1997 - RCA Victor.
- Genre: Broadway with jazz-vaudeville swing.
- Length: 1:04.
- Track #: 22 on Chicago The Musical (New Broadway Cast Recording (1997)).
- Label: RCA Victor Broadway.
- Instruments: woodwinds, trumpets, trombones, piano, accordion, banjo, bass, tuba, violin, drums.
- Language: English.
- Mood: arch, compact, triumphal grin.
- © Copyrights: 1997 BMG Music - cast recording.
Questions and Answers
- Who produced “Finale” by Bebe Neuwirth?
- Jay David Saks produced the New Broadway Cast Recording - this track included.
- When did the revival cast album come out?
- RCA Victor released it on January 28, 1997.
- Who wrote the Finale music and lyrics?
- John Kander composed the music; Fred Ebb wrote the lyrics.
- Is this the same ending used in the film?
- The 2002 movie ends with “Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag,” then over the end credits uses “I Move On” and an “All That Jazz” reprise - a screen variant of the stage close.
- How long is this track on the 1997 album?
- About one minute and four seconds - a tight button.
Awards and Chart Positions
The cast recording that includes Finale won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.
In stage practice the finale element often appears as “Finale Act II: All That Jazz (Reprise),” paired with the “Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag” curtain sequence in the revival - a structure echoed across guides and regional playbills.