When I Grow up Lyrics
When I Grow up
BRUCE:When I grow up
I will be tall enough to reach the branches
That I need to reach to climb the trees
You get to climb when you're grown up.
BRUCE + TOMMY:
And when I grow up
I will be smart enough to answer all
The questions that you need to know
The answers to before you're grown up
AMANDA + ERIC:
And when I grow up
I will eat sweets every day
On the way to work and I
Will go to bed late every night!
BRUCE, TOMMY, AMANDA, + ERIC:
And I will wake up
When the sun comes up and I
Will watch cartoons until my eyes go square
ALL CHILDREN EXCEPT MATILDA:
And I won't care 'cause i'll be all grown up!
When I grow up!
When I grow up, when I grow up, when I grow up,
I will be strong enough to carry all
The heavy things you have to haul
Around with you when you're a grown-up!
ADULTS AND CHILDREN:
And when I grow up, when I grow up
I will be brave enough to fight the creatures
That you have to fight beneath the bed
Each night to be a grown-up!
And when I grow up
I will have treats every day.
And i'll play with things that mum pretends
That mum's don't think are fun.
And I will wake up
When the sun comes up and I
Will spend all day just lying in the sun
But I won't burn 'cause I'll be all grown-up!
When I grow up!
MISS HONEY:
And when I grow up,
I will be brave enough to fight the creatures
That you have to fight beneath the bed
Each night to be a grown-up,
When I grow up...
MATILDA:
Just because you find that life's not fair, it
Doesn't mean that you just have to grin and bear it,
If you always take it on the chin and wear it
Nothing will change!
MISS HONEY:
When I grow up....
MATILDA:
Just because I find myself in this story,
It doesn't mean that everything is written for me.
If I think the ending is fixed already,
I might as well be saying
I think that it's ok!
And that's not right!
Song Overview
Song Credits
- Producer: Chris Nightingale & Tim Minchin
- Composer & Lyricist: Tim Minchin
- Orchestration: Chris Nightingale
- Keyboards & Conductor: Bruce O’Neil
- Mastering Engineer: Rupert Coulson
- Recording Engineer: Rupert Coulson
- Recorded at: AIR Studios, London
- Release Date: 2011-09-13
- Genre: Musical Theatre, Pop
- Album: Matilda The Musical (Original London Cast Recording)
- Language: English
Song Meaning and Annotations
When I Grow Up by the original cast of Matilda the Musical might sound like a wistful lullaby of childhood dreams, but dig a little deeper and it’s more of a bittersweet sandwich – a crunchy bite of fantasy wrapped in a chewy layer of irony. The song text paints kids as tiny prophets imagining adulthood as a promised land, a paradise where they’ll finally eat what they want, do what they please, and never be told off for watching cartoons all day. But here’s the catch – all the stuff they long to do? It only becomes possible once they’re already grown, by which time most of those urges have evaporated like spilled juice on summer pavement.
It’s not just adorable – it’s deeply paradoxical. They yearn for the muscles to carry life's weight, not knowing that the burdens arrive precisely when the strength does. That’s the rub. They envision maturity as a freedom pass, unaware that being “grown up” comes with its own set of invisible chains. These verses don’t just hum with childhood naiveté, they echo with the sighs of adults who know better but can’t quite admit they once believed the same fairy tale.
Things darken further with a peek behind the classroom curtain. Turns out, monsters are very real in this world — they’re just not lurking under beds. Matilda’s parents, the terrifying Ms. Trunchbull, and even the quiet suffering of Miss Honey bring a new twist to the term “childhood trauma.” There’s abuse and neglect under those bright lights. The contrast is jarring: the cheerful song about candy and swings doubles as a silent cry. Grown-ups are supposed to protect, but here they’re the villains — or too scared to fight them.
And then there’s Matilda herself. She's the wrench in the machine, the rebel in pigtails. While the others sing wishfully about someday, she’s all about *now*. She’s not buying the idea that you need permission or age to act. Nope. In the reprise of *Naughty*, she doesn’t just sing lines — she rewrites destinies. She steps up where adults shrink back, choosing action over waiting, resolve over fantasy. It’s the kind of gutsy move that makes you wonder — who is the grown-up here?
When I Grow Up Lyrics, through their deceptively simple structure, explore that chasm between childish hope and adult resignation. The track doesn't just sketch a coming-of-age tale — it smashes it against a wall and asks, “What if waiting makes things worse?” It’s about kids looking to the future with cartoon hearts, not knowing some of them already bear more weight than many adults ever will. And if you listen closely, it’s not just about Matilda — it’s about every kid who had to grow up too soon, who knows monsters don’t always growl… sometimes they wear suits, or sit behind desks.
Childhood daydreams in grown-up disguise
“When I Grow Up” from Matilda the Musical is a lullaby for the lost dreams of adulthood. It arrives at the top of Act Two with gentle poignance, as children sway on giant swings, literally suspended between childhood and the world beyond. It’s quiet, lyrical magic — deceptively simple, yet deeply profound. The children fantasize about adulthood as a sort of utopia:“I will eat sweets every day on the way to work / And I will go to bed late every night”Their visions of freedom are sweetly naive, turning grown-up burdens into perks. Even fear gets a makeover:
“I will be brave enough to fight the creatures / That you have to fight beneath the bed”This isn’t just whimsy — it’s a poetic rendering of how children mythologize adulthood as a world of unbounded control. Then, like a crack in the dream, Matilda appears with reality’s whisper:
“Just because you find that life’s not fair / It doesn’t mean that you just have to grin and bear it”Here, the tone shifts. Her lines step out of the dream sequence and into the narrative’s deeper thesis: power doesn’t come from age — it comes from action. And Matilda is action incarnate.
Structure, Staging, and Sonic Symbolism
The simplicity of the melody — largely diatonic, hymn-like — creates an almost lullaby quality, letting the harmonies shimmer like sunlight on a playground. The swing choreography mirrors the arc of a child's dream: up, down, soaring, then returning to earth. Miss Honey’s interjection — “When I grow up…” — bridges the children’s wishfulness with adult introspection. She too is still growing, still afraid. Adulthood, the song gently reminds us, is not a finished state.Similar Songs
-
“I Know It’s Today” – Shrek the Musical
Both songs blend childhood hope with bittersweet wisdom. While “When I Grow Up” explores fantasies of adulthood, “I Know It’s Today” showcases how waiting for a fairy tale ending evolves over time. Both use child voices to express maturity they don’t fully comprehend. -
“Castle on a Cloud” – Les Misérables
Another child’s wish-song, but darker. Cosette dreams of a place without suffering, while Matilda’s peers dream of freedom and fun. Both songs tug at the universal hope for a better world through the eyes of the innocent. -
“Tomorrow” – Annie
Optimism is central to both tracks, though Annie belts her hope at the sky while Matilda’s cast swings softly into theirs. The tones differ — “Tomorrow” is defiant sunshine, “When I Grow Up” is wistful moonlight.
Questions and Answers
- What is “When I Grow Up” about?
- It’s a reflection of childhood fantasies about adulthood, highlighting how children see maturity as a world of freedom, bravery, and candy-fueled autonomy.
- How does the staging enhance the message of the song?
- The use of swings emphasizes the childlike wonder and instability of their dreams — they are both reaching forward and being gently held back.
- What does Matilda’s verse add to the song?
- Matilda’s lines break the fantasy, reminding us that agency begins now — not when we grow up. It grounds the song in the story’s theme of personal empowerment.
- How does Miss Honey’s line deepen the meaning?
- Her repetition of “When I grow up” shows that even adults feel unprepared or still unfinished — growing up is never really done.
- What musical elements make the song memorable?
- The gentle melody, warm harmonies, and simple structure evoke nursery rhymes, making it both instantly accessible and emotionally rich.
Awards and Chart Positions
- “When I Grow Up” was a standout track in the Olivier and Tony Award-winning Matilda the Musical.
- Frequently cited in West End and Broadway reviews as a highlight number of the production.
- Performed live at the Royal Variety Performance and other prestigious stages.
Fan and Media Reactions
“I used to sing this as a kid thinking it was cute. Now I cry every time I hear it. That’s adulthood for you.”— YouTube user @TheatreThursdays
“Those swings, those harmonies, that last Matilda verse — absolute perfection. Tim Minchin is a genius.”— YouTube user @WestEndWatcher
“How did they manage to pack so much existential truth into a kid’s song?”— YouTube user @SadJazzDad
“This song gives me chills every time. It’s deceptively simple, and that’s what makes it heartbreaking.”— Theatre Blog @StageWhisper
“A masterpiece of musical theatre storytelling. Every time a child sings it, the whole audience holds its breath.”— London Theatre Weekly