Ambition (Tradition) Lyrics – Forbidden Broadway, Vols. 1-4
Ambition (Tradition) Lyrics
TEVYE (spoken):
An actor in New York. Sounds crazy, no? But here in our little village of Manhattan,
there are over 50,000 actors, all trying their best not to end up in Baltimore. It isn't easy.
You may ask, "Why do we stay here if it's so competitive?" We stay because everyone else
is here. And what keeps us from ending up in Baltimore? That I can tell you in one word!!
(sung)
Ambition!
Ambition, ambition!
Ambition!
TEVYE & WOMAN:
Ambition, ambition!
(Drrrr ruh duh duh)
Ambition!
TEVYE (spoken):
Here in Manhattan we have our ambitions for everything. Opera, ballet, television, even
waiting on tables. For instance, we always wear these cute little bow ties, and carry these
side towels. This shows our constant devotion to... money!
MAN (sung):
Ahhhhhhh!
I need so much money
For my rent, my phone and service
So I work all night
And never have the chance, hey!
To go and earn money
For my rent my phone and service
So I never have the time to sing and dance, hey!
TEVYE (spoken):
You may ask, "How did these ambitions get started?" I'll tell you. I don't know. But this
much I do remember.
(sung)
When I was ten
I saw a show on TV
Saw a show on TV starring Gary Moore
I wrote and I asked him to put me on his show
But he said go ask Dinah Shore
Rejection, rejection!
Ambition!
TEVYE & WOMAN:
Rejection, rejection!
Ambition!
GOLDE:
When I went through puberty I was depressed
To see myself when I undressed
And so to modelling I acquiesed
Depression, depression!
GOLDE & TEVYE:
Ambition!
Depression, depression!
Ambition!
MOTEL:
At ten I was a pretty boy
At seventeen, a dream
I never had a pimple
So I do... commercials
Complexion, complexion
MOTEL, GOLDE & TEVYE:
Ambition!
Complexion, complexion!
Ambition!
TZEITEL:
And when I was a child
Nobody looked my way
Until I got the lead
In my high school senior play
Attention, attention!
TZEITEL, MOTEL, GOLDE & TEVYE:
Ambition!
Attention, attention!
Ambition!
(All characters repeat their verses simutaneously)
TZEITEL, MOTEL, GOLDE & TEVYE:
Rejection, depression, complexion, attention!
Ambition!
TEVYE (spoken):
Ambition. Ambition. Without our ambitions,
our lives would be as crazy as... as an actor in New York!
TZEITEL, MOTEL, GOLDE & TEVYE:
Follow every rainbow
Til you find your dreams!
[Thanks to Garrett for lyrics]
An actor in New York. Sounds crazy, no? But here in our little village of Manhattan,
there are over 50,000 actors, all trying their best not to end up in Baltimore. It isn't easy.
You may ask, "Why do we stay here if it's so competitive?" We stay because everyone else
is here. And what keeps us from ending up in Baltimore? That I can tell you in one word!!
(sung)
Ambition!
Ambition, ambition!
Ambition!
TEVYE & WOMAN:
Ambition, ambition!
(Drrrr ruh duh duh)
Ambition!
TEVYE (spoken):
Here in Manhattan we have our ambitions for everything. Opera, ballet, television, even
waiting on tables. For instance, we always wear these cute little bow ties, and carry these
side towels. This shows our constant devotion to... money!
MAN (sung):
Ahhhhhhh!
I need so much money
For my rent, my phone and service
So I work all night
And never have the chance, hey!
To go and earn money
For my rent my phone and service
So I never have the time to sing and dance, hey!
TEVYE (spoken):
You may ask, "How did these ambitions get started?" I'll tell you. I don't know. But this
much I do remember.
(sung)
When I was ten
I saw a show on TV
Saw a show on TV starring Gary Moore
I wrote and I asked him to put me on his show
But he said go ask Dinah Shore
Rejection, rejection!
Ambition!
TEVYE & WOMAN:
Rejection, rejection!
Ambition!
GOLDE:
When I went through puberty I was depressed
To see myself when I undressed
And so to modelling I acquiesed
Depression, depression!
GOLDE & TEVYE:
Ambition!
Depression, depression!
Ambition!
MOTEL:
At ten I was a pretty boy
At seventeen, a dream
I never had a pimple
So I do... commercials
Complexion, complexion
MOTEL, GOLDE & TEVYE:
Ambition!
Complexion, complexion!
Ambition!
TZEITEL:
And when I was a child
Nobody looked my way
Until I got the lead
In my high school senior play
Attention, attention!
TZEITEL, MOTEL, GOLDE & TEVYE:
Ambition!
Attention, attention!
Ambition!
(All characters repeat their verses simutaneously)
TZEITEL, MOTEL, GOLDE & TEVYE:
Rejection, depression, complexion, attention!
Ambition!
TEVYE (spoken):
Ambition. Ambition. Without our ambitions,
our lives would be as crazy as... as an actor in New York!
TZEITEL, MOTEL, GOLDE & TEVYE:
Follow every rainbow
Til you find your dreams!
[Thanks to Garrett for lyrics]
Music video
Forbidden Broadway, Vols. 1-4 Lyrics: Song List
- Disc: 1
- Forbidden Broadway
- Non Plu Andral
- Don't Cry for Me, Argentina
- Annie's Favorite Showtune
- Pirates of Penzance Sequence
- Be a Catholic
- Triplets
- Bankable Stars
- I'm Entertainment
- Angela Lansbury Sequence/If the Show Had Run Past Labor Day
- Audition Sequence: Soliloquy from Carousel/I'm Sick of Playin [Excerpt]
- Merman & Martin Sequence: It's de-Lovely/My Heart Belongs to Daddy/Mu
- Carol Channing Sequence/Call on Carol/Dolly Is a Girl's Best Friend
- Ambition (Tradition)
- Forbidden Broadway (Reprise)
- Disc: 2
- Opening and Who Do They Know?
- Forbidden Broadway, Vol. 2
- Fugue for Scalpers
- Patti LuponeI / Get a Kick Out of Me
- Into the Woods/Weekend in the Country
- Annie 2
- Poor Butterfly
- Madonna's Brain
- Never, Never Panned
- Somewhat Overindulgent
- Chita-Rita
- I Ham What I Ham
- Hey, Bob Fosse
- Almost Like Vegas in New York
- Teeny Todd
- Liza
- Ladies Who Screech
- Phantom of the Musical: Goldfinger/Lloyd Weber
- George M.!
- More Miserable Sequence
- Finale
- Disc: 3
- Carol Channing Sequence: Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
- Forbidden Broadway Vol. III
- Trouble in New York City
- Guys and Dolls Sequence: Guys and Dolls/I Know I've Seen This Show ...
- If I Sing It Slower
- On the Ashkebad, Tbusi and Kiev Express
- I Could Have Danced All Night
- Grand Hotel/I Can't Learn This Song Quite So Quickly/Follies Bergere
- Someday
- Dear Antonio/The Sounds of Shakespeare
- Everything's Coming Up Merman/Old Fashioned Ballad/There's Nobody ...
- Tonight Who Will Play Miss Saigon?. You Are Hallmark, I Postcard
- Put on Your Phony Vocie/All I Ask of You
- Camelounge
- Mess of the Spider Woman: Prologue/Come and See Me/Mess of the ...
- Back to Broadway
- Tell Me It's Not True/I Think I'm Acting/Downshow
- Scenery, Fly Me, Amplify Me/Listening to Us
- Finale: What Happened to Heart?
- Disc: 4
- Parody Tonight: Oh What a Beautiful Moron/One Foot More (With One Look)
- Show Boat Medley: P.C. Show Boat/Make Believe/Ol' Show Show Boat
- My Souvenir Things
- Elaine Stritch
- Big
- Bernadette and Mandy in So Miscast (Wunderbar and So in Love)
- King Is Her/Whistle a Sondheim Tune/Shall We Boink?
-
Be Depressed
- Patti Lupone in Master Class/As If I Never Said Goodbye/Andrew ...
- You're the One I Want/Look at Me I'm Sandra Dee/There Are Worse Things
- Meow! I Hope I Get It (God I Hope I Get It)
- You Just Can't Sing
- Ann Reinking in Chicago
- Kiss Me Kate/Corrective Casting/Jerry and Liza
- Julie Hot
- Spoonful of Julie
- Tony Nominating Committee: Victor/Ignor-Ee-Ya
- Crazy Girl
- Rant
- Ouch! They're Tight
- Too Gay for You-Too Het'ro for Me
- Pretty Voices Singing: Think Punk
- Season of Hype
- This Ain't Boheme/Death and Resurrection
- Finale: Something Wonderful
- Encore-Ta-Ta Folks
- Exit Music: Julie the Star!