Forever Lyrics – Shrek

Song Overview

Review & Highlights

“Forever” arrives like a neon sign in a medieval hall - a glossy, disco-pop funk detour that lets Dragon take the mic and reframe the story. The song stepped in for “Donkey Pot Pie” on tour and stuck, partly because its hook lands and partly because the lyrics turn a broad gag into character. On record you hear the mix shimmer and the rhythm section strut, but live it’s the wink that wins: a diva ballad dressed in scales.

I remember the first time it hit me in a tour stop: the audience leaned back at that “stay-e-ay-ay” tag, then laughed when Donkey tries wriggling out with excuses. The lyrics keep the bit rolling while the band leans into 70s sparkle; it’s camp used with precision. Key takeaways: the show swaps a bluesy bite for a boppy groove, the Dragon becomes a lovelorn lead rather than a pure threat, and Donkey gets his crowd-work moment without killing momentum.

Verse 1

Dragon sets the scene: the tower grind, zero sleep, another intruder. The groove is mid-tempo, bass and kit pocketed, with background knights prepped for doo-wop style echoes. It’s less dungeon, more dancefloor.

Chorus

“You’re gonna stay” rides a rising tag that’s half vow, half playful threat. The hook is sticky and built for call-and-response - easy for a house to catch on the second pass.

Exchange/Bridge

Donkey flips the dynamic - banter, side-quips, then that cheeky “I like a big, big girl.” Musically the chart loosens, a talk-sing pocket where comedy can breathe and the pit can vamp.

Final Build

Dragon belts the money line and the chart widens: backing vocals, brighter cymbals, and a musical theater nod toward a dream-girl power finish. The last button lands like a curtain pose.

Song Meaning and Annotations

At its core, “Forever” flips the monster trope. Instead of a pure menace, Dragon is lonely, funny, and painfully self-aware - a diva in a dead-end gig. The style fusion matters: pop-disco sheen over Broadway bones says “this isn’t grimdark,” it’s glitter with teeth.

The Dragon references attraction in multiple ways. The first is the attraction a moth has as it bumbles around an open flame. Second, in Greek mythology, the siren often instigates the downfall of sailors...

That double image points the compass: cravings can burn you, but they’re human - or dragon - and the song refuses to shame them.

Up until this point Dragon has been taunting Donkey... we learn that the Dragon is miserable in her work... perhaps it would be nice if a knight came to rescue her instead.

Here’s the emotional pivot. She’s not a boss fight; she’s the understudied lead who never got flowers. That self-reveal is why the groove stays buoyant - the punchline hides a bruise.

These lines are a reference to the 1965 R&B song “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass.

Intertext fuels the comedy. The chart winks at soul and radio-gold, planting Dragon in a lineage of women who sing what they want without apology.

This line is a reference to the 1961 song “Unchain My Heart”... Here, however, Donkey suggests that the “chain” holding the Dragon’s heart back is her aggression...

That’s the gag and the guidance: stop torching every visitor and love might actually show up. The lyric threads character note and joke on the same line.

The melody and the way these lines are sung are a reference to the ending to the song “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from the musical Dreamgirls.

Of course the button salutes Broadway belting lore. It’s an Easter egg and an invitation for Dragon to blow the roof off - the payoff the crowd comes for.

Say he’s missing the point all you want, Pinocchio kept it real.

That meta aside fits the show’s larger thesis: the “freaks” speak plain. “Forever” slides right beside “Freak Flag,” insisting difference is not just tolerated - it’s the engine.

Message

Want, fear, and comic bravado can share the same mic. The song argues for desire without shame and reads captivity as a bad script, not destiny.

Emotional tone

Starts bantery and annoyed, turns confessional, ends in full-throated claim. The arc lifts from snark to sincerity without shedding glitter.

Historical context

“Forever” replaced “Donkey Pot Pie” beginning with the first North American tour; subsequent productions kept it. That change wasn’t just cosmetic - it rebalanced the scene toward character and crowd-pleasing pop.

Production

The widely circulated 2011 digital single captured the tour cast live in Chicago - Dragon (Carrie Compere) and Donkey (Alan Mingo Jr.). Mixing duties went to Peter Hylenski, with Derik Lee credited as recording engineer; tour musical director Andy Grobengieser is also listed on platform metadata. The cut sounds stage-tight and radio-bright, a smart hybrid for a post-show replay.

Instrumentation

Rhythm section up front - electric bass, kit, comping keys/guitar - with stacked background vocals from captive knights. Brass stabs and pads are used sparingly so the belt stays uncluttered.

About metaphors and symbols

Moth-to-flame and siren-at-sea sketch desire as danger and magnetism. The “unchain” tag flips a vintage plea into practical advice; the final “you’re gonna love… me!” crowns Dragon as a musical-theater diva with agency.

Creation history

Broadway opened with “Donkey Pot Pie”; the tour introduced “Forever,” and the swap stuck. A 2011 official single hit digital stores via DreamWorks Theatricals/Verve featuring the tour leads. The filmed Broadway performance released in 2013 kept the original number, so you won’t hear “Forever” there; international recordings that came later (like Madrid) do include it.

Key Facts

• Artist: Carrie Compere (Dragon), Alan Mingo Jr. (Donkey) - often grouped under Original Broadway Cast of Shrek: The Musical on platforms
• Composer: Jeanine Tesori
• Lyricist: David Lindsay-Abaire
• Producer: Commonly listed metadata credits Jeanine Tesori; mix by Peter Hylenski; recording engineer Derik Lee
• Release Date: January 1, 2011 (digital single)
• Genre: Musical theater pop-disco fusion
• Instruments: Drums, electric bass, guitars, keyboards, brass pads, ensemble backing vocals (Knights)
• Label: Verve; ? DreamWorks Theatricals, LLC
• Mood: Flirtatious, comic, defiant
• Length: ~3:50–4:10 depending on production
• Language: English
• Album/Placement: Standalone single appended to some streaming editions; included on later non-Broadway cast albums (e.g., Spanish cast)
• Music style: Four-on-the-floor groove with Broadway belt climaxes
• © Copyrights: © 2011 DreamWorks Theatricals, LLC

Questions and Answers

Why did the production switch from “Donkey Pot Pie” to “Forever”?

To give Dragon a showpiece that plays brighter in tone and lets the scene breathe comedically, while still moving the plot forward on tour and beyond.

Who sings on the official single most people stream?

Dragon is sung by Carrie Compere with Alan Mingo Jr. as Donkey, captured live with a polish pass in post.

Is “Forever” on the 2013 filmed stage release?

No - the movie preserves the original Broadway number “Donkey Pot Pie.”

What musical references are hiding in the number?

Nods to “Rescue Me,” “Unchain My Heart,” and a climactic wink toward Dreamgirls’ power-finish tradition.

Does the key change by production?

Yes. The chart is adaptable; MDs shift key to suit the Dragon’s belt range without losing the groove.

Awards and Chart Positions

No major charts list the single “Forever,” but the parent Broadway album cycle earned significant recognition: the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Shrek: The Musical was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. That context helped keep later add-ons like “Forever” visible in the catalog.

How to Sing Forever?

Vocal range & mix: Dragon is a belter with a clean mix - aim for chest-dominant through the chorus, then let head resonance round the final tag. Donkey lives in a talk-sing pocket with crisp diction.

Breath & phrasing: Map breaths before the “stay-e-ay-ay” climb; take a stealth sip on the penultimate “stay.” Keep consonants percussive so the groove stays tight.

Tempo & feel: Mid-tempo dance pulse. Sit on the back edge of the beat when bantering; center the beat on the button.

Acting beats: Start exasperated, reveal the loneliness, finish triumphant. Let the comedy ride on truth, not mugging.

Common issues: Over-scooping the hook, pushing the money note, and losing pitch when the laugh hits. Ground the support and keep the vowels consistent.