Normal Lyrics – Dead Outlaw

Song Overview

Song Credits

• Featuring: Erik Della Penna & Andrew Durand
• Producers: David Yazbek & Dean Sharenow
• Writers: David Yazbek & Erik Della Penna
• Release Date: May 2, 2025
• Album: Dead Outlaw (Original Broadway Cast Recording, Part 1)
• Track #: 3
• Genre: Country, Musical Theatre
• Language: English
• Style: Lyrical Western Ballad

Song Meaning and Annotations

The Fantasia of Fitting In

After the carnivalesque chaos of “Dead,” “Normal” glides in like a weary exhale — a wistful serenade for something that maybe never was. Andrew Durand and Erik Della Penna slip into a shared dream of simplicity: what if we could just live like everyone else?

All those grudges / That I held like some precious metal

This is repentance via metaphor. Holding a grudge becomes hoarding gold — toxic wealth. But here, Elmer starts to let go. He no longer wants to be unique, powerful, or remembered. He just wants peace. Forget glory. Forget outlaw mythos.

Like normal people, not like I was before

The refrain — “like normal people” — hits like a lullaby and a lament. It’s yearning in slow motion. A confession of a man too broken to belong, and too tired to fight it anymore.

Family ties / Just another pack of lies

The bitterness seeps through even in this gentler moment. Normalcy is idealized, but Elmer isn’t deluded. He knows the past was poisoned, but he clings to a fantasy that the future might not be.

On a normal, dusty street / There's a normal frontier gal

This is the American Dream rewritten with a cowboy pen. But the emphasis on “normal” becomes slightly obsessive. The repetition shows desperation — like a child chanting a wish before bed. He wants this so badly, it almost sounds like he's trying to believe it into existence.

And I / Could be normal, in a way

Note the soft qualification: “in a way.” Elmer knows he’ll never be truly normal. But maybe he can act the part — live quietly, die quietly. Dust to dust. No more headlines. No more gunfights.

Similar Songs

1. "Moving On" – *Sunday in the Park with George* (Sondheim)
   Both are quiet songs about choosing calm over chaos. Elmer, like George, dreams of something grounded — a new canvas, a blank life. They share emotional weight and musical restraint.
2. "Wicked Little Town (Reprise)" – *Hedwig and the Angry Inch*
   This bittersweet reprise also deals with identity, escape, and longing for something simple and whole. Both protagonists search for normality, even if it can never be fully theirs.
3. "Almost Like Being in Love" – *Brigadoon*
   While far more upbeat, it mirrors Elmer’s naïve hopefulness — the belief that something resembling happiness is possible, even if fleeting or imagined.

Questions and Answers

What does “Normal” symbolize in the musical?

It represents Elmer’s deep yearning for a peaceful, forgettable life — a stark contrast to his real story of crime, fame, and spectacle. It’s hope wrapped in resignation.

Is this song sincere or ironic?

Both. It’s emotionally sincere, but the repetition of “normal” hints at the tragic impossibility of that dream for someone like Elmer. He sings it like a prayer he doesn’t expect to be answered.

Who is “the normal frontier gal”?

She may or may not be real. She could be a metaphor for the quiet life Elmer imagines: domesticity, acceptance, a second chance. She’s less a woman than a mirage of salvation.

How does this fit within the musical’s arc?

Placed after “Dead,” it’s a tonal shift — an emotional breather that deepens Elmer’s humanity. It shows that beneath the legend is a man who wanted less, not more.

Why is the phrase “just how normal can we be?” repeated?

Because it’s the central question — rhetorical and melancholic. Elmer knows the answer, but he sings it anyway. It’s the ache behind the dream.

Fan and Media Reactions

"This song hits like a cowboy’s version of a therapy session. It’s tender, sad, and weirdly hopeful." — Listener: PrairiePsych

"The way Andrew Durand sings ‘just how normal can we be?’ makes you feel like you’ve been punched gently in the chest." — Commenter: BroadwayDusty

"I never thought a Western musical would make me cry over a word like ‘normal.’" — Viewer: SixStringTragedy

"It’s like watching an outlaw dream of Target runs and potlucks. And it’s beautiful." — YouTube User: HarmonyTrail

"Yazbek really nailed the quiet pain of wanting to be small in a world that won’t let you." — Theatre Critic: StageWestEcho