I Could Be That Guy Lyrics - Sister Act The Musical

Song Overview

Review and Highlights

Alan Menken writes Eddie’s fantasy as a strutting 70s soul pastiche: satin strings, pocket bass, and a four-on-the-floor that lets the chorus puff its chest. Glenn Slater’s lyric keeps it charmingly needy - big talk masking bigger nerves. On the London cast album, Mitchell flips from shy cop to nightclub peacock in seconds, and the band sells the glow. Critics clocked the bit: Eddie’s number doubles as a visual gag with a Velcro-assisted metamorphosis that brings the house along for the ride.

Highlights

• Rhyme-play that winks at bravado while letting vulnerability leak through.
• Chorus hook lands on the backbeat, a dance-floor boast with a nervous heartbeat.
• Performance tradition of a blink-and-you-miss-it costume switch enhances the fantasy.

Creation History

Sister Act opened at the London Palladium on June 2, 2009. The Original London Cast recording followed on June 27, 2009, credited to Stage Entertainment in the UK and recorded at British Grove Studios that June and July. Ghostlight later issued the album in the U.S. - digital on March 22, 2011 and CD on March 29.

Song Meaning and Annotations

Plot

Placed in Act I, “I Could Be That Guy” lets Eddie imagine the version of himself Deloris might finally see. The scene steps outside the cop’s awkward reality and into a disco-tinted self-mythology - a knight in platform shoes - before the plot yanks him back to duty.

Song Meaning

It’s a wish in 4/4. Eddie reframes insecurity as momentum: if he moves like the man he wants to be, maybe he’ll become him. Musically, Menken’s groove puts steel in the fantasy, while Slater’s text keeps the mask transparent. The message is simple and human - courage often starts as pretend.

Annotations

Sweaty Eddie!

- Productions sometimes soften the nickname to “Steady Eddie” in later runs. A 2024 London review explicitly notes the switch, and several touring materials echo the friendlier tag.

Knight in rhinestone armor

- A disco spin on the “knight in shining armor” archetype - shorthand for a rescuer or ideal romantic hero. The rhinestones signal camp confidence, not courtly modesty.

Cock of the walk

- Old phrase for the swaggering big shot of the group - exactly the peacock Eddie pretends to be in his fantasy chorus.

Style, arrangement, and staging beats

Menken’s 70s toolkit - silky strings, syncopated horns, and a locked rhythm section - flatters Eddie’s self-image while the lyric lets his doubt leak between boasts. Staging traditions lean into the quick-change punchline: the meek desk chief flashes into a floor-general in white, then blinks back to self-conscious cop at the button.

Key Facts

• Artist: Ako Mitchell (Original London Cast)
• Writers: Alan Menken - music; Glenn Slater - lyrics
• Album: Sister Act (Original London Cast Recording)
• Release Date (UK): June 27, 2009
• U.S. Release: March 22, 2011 digital; March 29, 2011 CD
• Recorded: British Grove Studios, London - June and July 2009
• Label: Stage Entertainment Ltd (UK); Ghostlight Records (U.S.)
• Length: ~4:56
• Track #: 8 of 20 on the London cast album
• Orchestration: Doug Besterman
• Music style: West End show tune with 70s soul-disco polish
• Language: English
• Mood: aspirational, playful, swagger-with-butterflies

Questions and Answers

When did Ako Mitchell release “I Could Be That Guy”?

It appears on the UK Original London Cast album dated June 27, 2009.

Who wrote “I Could Be That Guy”?

Music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater.

Where does the number land in the show?

Act I, when Eddie imagines the cooler man he could become.

How long is the London cast recording track?

About 4 minutes and 56 seconds.

Who orchestrated the score on the London cast album?

Doug Besterman.

Awards and Chart Positions

• Olivier Awards 2010: The original London production earned nominations including Best New Musical, Best Actress in a Musical (Patina Miller), and Best Supporting Performance (Sheila Hancock).
• Tony Awards 2011: Broadway production received nominations including Best Musical and Best Original Score for Menken and Slater.

How to Sing I Could Be That Guy

Key & range: commonly published in D-flat major with a suggested range around Ab3–B5 for the featured vocal line; the Eddie character breakdown often lists roughly Ab2–B4, so many productions transpose to taste.

Placement: Keep verses speech-like in an easy mix so the chorus can blossom without forcing. Treat the boast as a mask - color the cracks with softer onsets on “I…” and brighter ping on “that guy.”

Breath map: Top off before each chorus entry; plan a buoyant release into “set the world astir” and save a deeper set for the final “someday” tag.

Groove & diction: Sit on the pocket. Consonants ride the beat; vowels carry the fantasy. Swagger, but don’t rush.

Additional Info

The track has lived on in revivals. The 2024 London production featured Clive Rowe as Eddie and issued a new recording of the number, evidence that the quick-change fantasy still plays in the room.