Eastwick Knows Lyrics - Witches of Eastwick, The

Song Overview

“Eastwick Knows” is track 2 from The Witches of Eastwick - Original London Cast Recording, a 2000 West End cast album with music by Dana P. Rowe and lyrics by John Dempsey. On the recording the number features Sarah Lark (Little Girl), Rosemary Ashe (Felicia), Lucie Arnaz (Alexandra), Joanna Riding (Jane), Maria Friedman (Sukie) and ensemble; it runs 4:35 and was released by First Night Records. The CD release date is documented as November 6, 2000, with digital storefronts often listing a placeholder of January 1, 2000.

Personal Review

If you care about lyrics that draw a town in three minutes, “Eastwick Knows” is your entry point to this score. Key takeaways: it’s a brisk, small-town gossip anthem; it sets the show’s moral microscope; and it turns the chorus into a character. One-sentence snapshot - Eastwick sings about itself, and in the harmony you hear surveillance masquerading as care.

Song Meaning and Annotations

This is the musical’s curtain-raiser for theme. A quick-step pulse, bright winds and snappy choral writing frame a picture of a place where everyone notices everything. The rhythm leans into patter and march - tidy eighths, crisp consonants, very British in its comic bite - so the town sounds orderly even while it snoops.

The emotional arc starts sunny and civic, then turns wary. We open with the Little Girl’s postcard of safety, then the townsfolk join, then the three women step forward and the tone tilts from “isn’t it nice” to “isn’t it tight.” That turn is the song’s point.

Culturally, it sits in the tradition of show openings that sketch a community fast - think “Belle” or “Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little” - but Eastwick’s angle is suburban righteousness with binoculars. It’s late-20th-century New England by way of the West End, adapted from John Updike’s novel and downstream from the 1987 film.

Production-wise the track is a compact showcase for chorus, pit and principals. First Night’s album credits highlight the marquee cast and tight session band; David Caddick is credited as producer and musical supervisor on the recording.

“Every dawn, every sunrise, may they find me in this town I call my home”

The lullaby opening sells security. The phrase lists daily anchors - dawn, sunrise, town, home - to build trust before the town asserts control.

“Sometimes scandal stirs the breeze, curtains shut, but Eastwick sees”

Gossip dressed as weather - scandal as breeze - signals how scrutiny is naturalized here. The rhyme makes it playful, the meaning isn’t.

“Every eye in town’s on you and so it goes”

Plain diction, no metaphor needed. Surveillance framed as inevitability. It’s the lyric’s thesis.

“Eastwick knows what isn’t anybody’s business”

That line flips propriety on its head. The town takes pride in breaking boundaries and calls it virtue.

Creation history

The Witches of Eastwick premiered in London in 2000, with book and lyrics by John Dempsey and music by Dana P. Rowe, produced in the West End by Cameron Mackintosh. The original run began at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane before transferring to the Prince of Wales Theatre in 2001.

Verse Highlights

Verse 1

The Little Girl’s verse functions like a civic hymn. It’s deceptively sweet, setting the sonic palette - woodwinds chattering over a steady groove - and planting the idea that “care” equals “watchfulness.”

Key Facts

• Featured: Sarah Lark, Rosemary Ashe, Lucie Arnaz, Joanna Riding, Maria Friedman; ensemble and orchestra.
• Producer: David Caddick.
• Composer: Dana P. Rowe; Lyricist: John Dempsey.
• Release Date: November 6, 2000 (CD, UK).
• Label: First Night Records - catalogue CAST CD79.
• Length: 4:35.
• Track #: 2.
• Language: English.
• Album: The Witches of Eastwick - Original London Cast Recording.
• Genre: Musical theatre, cast recording.
• Instruments: pit orchestra with winds, brass, strings, percussion and keyboards.
• Mood: brisk, communal, satirical.
• ? 2000 Exallshow Ltd, a Warner Music Group Company; © 2000 Exallshow Ltd.

Questions and Answers

Who produced “Eastwick Knows”?

David Caddick is credited as the album’s producer and musical supervisor on the Original London Cast recording.

When was “Eastwick Knows” released?

It appears on the UK cast album released November 6, 2000; digital platforms often display January 1, 2000 as a metadata placeholder.

Who wrote the song?

Music by Dana P. Rowe, lyrics by John Dempsey.

Who sings on the track?

Sarah Lark, Rosemary Ashe, Lucie Arnaz, Joanna Riding and Maria Friedman with the company perform “Eastwick Knows” on the Original London Cast recording.

Is there an official upload?

Yes - First Night Records has supplied the recording to streaming services and YouTube as an official album track.

Awards and Chart Positions

While “Eastwick Knows” itself was not an awards contender, the show received 2001 Olivier Award nominations including Best New Musical, Best Actress in a Musical (Joanna Riding) and Best Supporting Actress (Rosemary Ashe). Public chart peaks for the single track are not documented; the album circulated primarily as a cast recording.

Tags: Eastwick Knows lyrics, Original London Cast of The Witches of Eastwick, West End, cast recording, First Night Records, Maria Friedman, Joanna Riding, Lucie Arnaz, Rosemary Ashe, Sarah Lark.