Let Me Be Your Star Lyrics - Smash

Song Overview

Song Credits

• Featured: Megan Hilty & Katharine McPhee
• Producer: Marc Shaiman
• Writers: Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman
• Album: SMASH – The Complete Season Two (Music From the TV Series)
• Release Date: 2012-01-16
• Genre: Pop / Musical Theatre
• Orchestration: Ethan Popp, Bryan Cook & Jeff Atmajian
• Instruments: Piano, Drums, Percussion, Guitar, Trumpet, Trombone, Woodwinds, Violin, Viola, Cello, French Horn, Double Bass
• Language: English

Song Meaning and Annotations

Theatrical Spotlight Meets Fragile Aspiration

The song “Let Me Be Your Star” is a shimmering manifesto of ambition, identity, and the seductive lure of fame — dressed up in Broadway velvet, with a dash of glitter and an undercurrent of pain. First performed in the pilot episode of *Smash*, this version is a vocal duet between Megan Hilty’s Ivy Lynn and Katharine McPhee’s Karen Cartwright, both portraying Marilyn Monroe in the fictional musical *Bombshell*. They don’t just sing — they *audition for your heart*. Opening Lines

So another man says that he can't compete
That he can't love a moving target

We start not with stardom, but its price. These are women whose personal lives have been left threadbare by relentless ambition. A moving target — not just emotionally but geographically, professionally, spiritually. Verse by Verse Breakdown

Fade in on a girl
With a hunger for fame

This line is practically a stage direction. A direct call to the spotlight. It tells us exactly where to look: at the transformation of Norma Jeane into Marilyn — or Ivy into Marilyn, or Karen into Marilyn. This fractal of identity is the genius of *Smash*.

Her smile and your fantasies play a duet

Fame is seductive, but transactional. The audience projects desire onto the performer, and the performer reflects it right back, often losing her true self in the mirror. Mid-song Switch When Ivy and Karen sing:

The drama, the laughter, the tears just like pearls
Well, they’re all in this girl’s repertoire

…it’s a moment of convergence. The persona of Marilyn becomes a shared dream — crafted, perfected, rehearsed.

She’ll do all she can
For the love of one man
And for millions who look from afar

This line hammers home the duality. Fame and intimacy are oil and water, yet both are longed for. Norma Jeane seeks to be loved — Marilyn is adored. They are not the same.

Musicality and Drama

Shaiman’s composition is vintage Broadway, with swelling strings and triumphant horns. The use of classic orchestration grounds the song in the golden age of musicals — a deliberate echo of Monroe’s era. The structure builds emotionally with each verse, layering harmony between the two women like rival timelines colliding.

Similar Songs

1. “Don’t Rain on My Parade” – Barbra Streisand
   Both songs are about unstoppable ambition. Streisand’s performance in *Funny Girl* echoes the same brass-infused defiance found in “Let Me Be Your Star”. Where Streisand’s character storms ahead with confidence, Ivy and Karen show us the vulnerability underneath the sparkle.
2. “Defying Gravity” – Idina Menzel (Wicked)
   A modern musical theatre staple, “Defying Gravity” shares the same emotional arc: rejection turned into resilience. Both songs build toward high notes that are less about vocal pyrotechnics and more about announcing one's arrival in the world.
3. “A Piece of Sky” – Barbra Streisand (Yentl)
   Another Streisand classic, this one quieter, but spiritually aligned. “Let Me Be Your Star” could be seen as the younger, glitzier cousin — both songs are about transformation, about daring to ask for more than life has given.

Questions and Answers

Who does “Let Me Be Your Star” reference with the name Norma Jeane?

Norma Jeane is the birth name of Marilyn Monroe, symbolizing her identity before fame reshaped her into a myth.

Why are Ivy and Karen singing the same role?

They are both auditioning to play Marilyn in the fictional musical *Bombshell*, representing different interpretations and internal conflicts of the same woman.

What makes the song structure unique?

It intertwines two performers in a duet where both are singing as one character, creating a layered narrative of identity, ambition, and competition.

Was this song recognized with any awards?

Yes, it received a Primetime Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics” and a Grammy nod for “Best Song Written for Visual Media”.

What genre does this song fall under?

Though rooted in pop, it's unmistakably musical theatre — with all the grandeur, crescendos, and emotive storytelling expected of Broadway showstoppers.

Awards and Chart Positions

• Primetime Emmy Award Nomination (2012): Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
• Grammy Award Nomination (2013): Best Song Written for Visual Media

Fan and Media Reactions

"This song is my go-to confidence boost. Ivy and Karen slay it every time." – @BroadwayFanGirl89

"If you're not moved by that final harmony, you're made of stone." – @theatreobsessed

"It captures Marilyn’s magic without turning her into a cliché. Bravo, Smash!" – @filmnoirjunkie

"I don’t even care about musicals and this hit me like a truck." – @punk_poet17

"I get chills. Every. Single. Time." – @classiccinemakid