Iowa Stubborn Lyrics – Music Man, The

Song Overview

Second on the original cast album, this early ensemble piece sets the temperature of River City: cool on the surface, warm underneath. Meredith Willson frames small-town contrariness as a kind of civic sport - tart rhymes over a soft-shoe pulse - and invites us in with a smile that also means, behave yourself.

Review and Highlights

Quick summary

• First full sung number after the spoken opener "Rock Island" in The Music Man.
• Words and music by Meredith Willson; orchestrations by Don Walker; conducted by Herbert Greene on the cast album.
• Appears on the 1958 Capitol Records original cast album and in both the 1962 film and 2003 TV adaptations.
• Style rides a schottische - a gentle soft-shoe groove - with barbershop colors and town-chorus call-and-response.
• Ends with a roll call of real Iowa cities that pins the satire to a map.

Creation History

Willson, born in Mason City, built this number to flip the curtain from patter to melody. Where "Rock Island" is all percussive talk, this one lets the townspeople sing their code: stoic, proud, not unfriendly - just careful. Don Walker’s pit-savvy voicings tuck brass stabs and woodwind chatter under a mid-tempo two-step. The album itself was produced for records by Dick Jones for Capitol and conducted by Herbert Greene, with the show opening in 1957 and the cast album issued early 1958.

Song Meaning and Annotations

Plot

Harold Hill has just rolled into River City. Before he can pitch a band, the townspeople speak first - as a unit. They welcome the traveler while warning him how things work here. Hospitality is real, but it comes with rules. The chorus sets boundaries and then, slyly, invites him to the picnic - potluck, of course.

Song Meaning

This is community self-portrait and preemptive defense. The lyric balances contradiction: we will help you, but do not push us; we are friendly, but not flashy. The music keeps it light: a soft-shoe sway that suggests the town is joking with itself even as it lists the terms. It is also a Midwestern myth-making moment, defining identity through restraint and fairness - modesty with a backbone.

Annotations

“Oh, there’s nothing halfway about the Iowa way to treat you”

The town motto as mission statement: no lukewarm gestures, only all-or-nothing regard. The irony is the next beat - sometimes “all” means leaving you be.

“You can have your fill of all the food you bring yourself”

Classic small-town joke: generosity framed as self-reliance. It lands as both ribbing and truth about communal life where everyone contributes.

“We could stand touchin’ noses for a week at a time and never see eye-to-eye”

Comic image that doubles as a cultural note: proximity without capitulation. The chorus can argue forever and still share a table.

Rhythm and style

The number leans on a schottische pulse - think soft-shoe two-step - that keeps the texture nimble. You hear barbershop timbres in the sectional writing, a wink to turn-of-the-century harmony culture and the Buffalo Bills’ presence elsewhere in the score.

Emotional arc

Start: frosty politeness. Middle: stubborn pride. Tag: invitation. It moves from guarded to communal without ever dropping the deadpan.

Historical touchpoints

Set in 1912, the lyric lists Dubuque, Des Moines, Davenport, Marshalltown, Mason City, Keokuk, Ames, and Clear Lake. That roll call anchors the satire in real geography and nods to Willson’s Mason City roots.

Key Facts

• Artist: Original Broadway Cast of The Music Man
• Featured: Ensemble
• Composer: Meredith Willson
• Producer: Dick Jones (produced for records)
• Conductor: Herbert Greene
• Release Date: January 20, 1958
• Genre: Broadway, Show tune
• Instruments: Pit orchestra with brass-woodwind rhythm blend; SATB ensemble
• Label: Capitol Records
• Mood: Wry, civic-proud, lightly teasing
• Length: 1:59
• Track #: 2
• Language: English
• Album: The Music Man (Original Broadway Cast)
• Music style: Schottische - soft-shoe sway with barbershop color
• Poetic meter: Mostly trochaic phrasing with anacrustic pickups

Canonical Entities & Relations

Meredith Willson - wrote and composed - The Music Man. Don Walker - orchestrated - The Music Man score. Herbert Greene - conducted - original Broadway pit and album sessions. Dick Jones - produced for records - The Music Man cast album. Capitol Records - released - The Music Man (Original Broadway Cast). Morton DaCosta - directed - original Broadway production. Robert Preston - performed - Harold Hill. Barbara Cook - performed - Marian Paroo. Majestic Theatre - hosted - 1957 Broadway premiere. The Music Man (1962 film) - adapted - stage musical. The Music Man (2003 TV film) - adapted - stage musical.

Questions and Answers

Why place this number right after "Rock Island"?

So the town speaks first in music. It flips the show from patter to melody and frames the locals before Harold Hill tries to sell anything.

What musical feel carries the piece?

A soft-shoe two-step rooted in the schottische, which keeps the ensemble buoyant and conversational.

Is the welcome sincere or sarcastic?

Both - the joke is the point. Hospitality arrives bundled with boundaries, which is the culture the show wants you to understand.

Which productions include the song?

The original 1957 Broadway staging, the 1962 film, the 2003 TV movie, and the 2022 Broadway revival’s cast recording all include it.

Does anyone notable cover it outside theater?

Yes. Jazz clarinetist-arranger Jimmy Giuffre cut an instrumental version for his Music Man album of Willson tunes.

What makes the lyric feel Midwestern?

Plain speech, self-deprecation, and community responsibility - jokes that land because they are also how things run.

Why list eight Iowa cities at the end?

To stamp the satire with real places and quietly honor Willson’s Mason City roots.

How does this number set up Harold Hill?

By warning him. The town declares how it operates - stubborn but fair - so when Hill hustles, the stakes are already sketched.

What colors the harmony language?

Ensemble voicings that flirt with barbershop sonorities, folded into Broadway pit textures.

Is there a single lead voice?

No - it is a town chorus number, which is part of the point. The community is the star.

Awards and Chart Positions

How to Sing Iowa Stubborn

Metrics: Key G major; tempo around 113 BPM; 4/4 feel with soft-shoe two-step character. Ensemble ranges vary by part, typically sitting in comfortable middle registers for community chorus casting.

1. Tempo - set the sway: Count in a relaxed two or four and keep the bounce light; resist rushing consonants.
2. Diction - crisp but unforced: The humor lives in clean words. Shape vowels forward; clip the punchlines.
3. Breathing - shared phrases: Stagger breaths within sections so lines land as one voice, especially on the town’s “welcome” tags.
4. Flow and rhythm: Let the schottische feel ride under the phrasing; slight lift into bar lines keeps it playful.
5. Accents - civic deadpan: Emphasize contrast words (but, though, however) to highlight the lyric’s polite contrariness.
6. Ensemble balance: Altos and tenors carry text clarity; basses anchor the wink; sopranos add sheen on the city roll call.
7. Mic craft: If amplified, keep gain modest and sing conversationally; this is community talk, not a belter’s showcase.
8. Pitfalls: Over-selling the joke. Trust the lyric. Keep smiles in the tone, not in exaggerated accents.

Additional Info

The number’s geography lesson - Dubuque, Des Moines, Davenport, Marshalltown, Mason City, Keokuk, Ames, Clear Lake - is part joke and part love letter. The 1962 film keeps the tune intact for the town’s entrance. The 2003 TV film includes it early as well. Outside theater, Jimmy Giuffre folded the melody into a suite of Willson tunes, turning civic pride into cool-hued jazz.

Sources: Wikipedia, Grammy.com, Apple Music, CastAlbums.org, TCM, Discogs, SongBPM, Tunebat.