Silence! Lyrics – All Songs from the Musical

"Silence!: The Musical (Original Cast Recording)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Review

Can a serial-killer parody really double as a comfort listen? With Silence!: The Musical (Original Cast Recording), the answer is a very wrong, very gleeful yes. The album compresses the entire plot of The Silence of the Lambs into 39 tight minutes of showtunes where Clarice Starling lisps her way through FBI training, Hannibal Lecter croons about bodily functions, and Buffalo Bill turns murder into cabaret.

The score leans all the way into bad taste, but it does it with real craft. A bleating chorus of lambs narrates the case, Bill gets his big mirror-ball anthem, and Lecter sings torch songs about freedom while still being absolutely terrifying. The songs follow the movie’s narrative arc beat by beat, so you can hear Clarice’s first descent to the dungeon, the “quid pro quo” mind games, Catherine screaming from the pit, and the night-vision climax, all translated into unapologetically filthy musical-comedy set pieces.

Stylistically, the album hopscotches through Broadway pastiche, ’80s rock, lounge jazz, and power ballad. Bright, brassy chorus numbers stand in for FBI bureaucracy; sleazy funk and rock riffs mark Buffalo Bill’s scenes; mock-earnest, almost Disney-style melodies score Clarice’s trauma and persistence. Big-band showbiz sound equals public bravado; cheesy soft-rock equals messed-up intimacy; classical flourishes show up whenever the show wants to remind you Lecter thinks he’s better than everyone else. The result feels like Sondheim got drunk with South Park and decided to score a crime thriller.

How It Was Made

The story of the album starts online. Jon Kaplan and Al Kaplan first wrote a cycle of nine parody songs around 2002–2003 that retold the entire film in musical form and posted them on the internet, where they picked up a small cult following. Those tracks seeded the idea for a full stage show, expanded with a complete book by Hunter Bell and a larger score that premiered at the New York International Fringe Festival in 2005, winning the festival’s Outstanding Musical award and quickly selling out its run.

From there, Silence! The Musical grew into an off-Broadway success, directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli. Productions in New York, London, Los Angeles and beyond refined the orchestrations and comedic timing, with a company led in the original off-Broadway staging by Jenn Harris (Clarice), David Garrison (Lecter), and Stephen Bienskie (Buffalo Bill). The show’s tone was always “unauthorized parody”: high musical polish, proudly low humor.

The original cast recording was produced by Michael Croiter and Rich Affannato for Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records. It was first released digitally in December 2011, with a physical CD following in early 2012 through Ghostlight and Yellow Sound Label. The album captures the off-Broadway arrangements with orchestrations by Brian J. Nash and music supervision by Mark Hartman, preserving the full ensemble sound and the lambs’ choral commentary. It is explicitly labeled as an “explicit version,” which is… accurate.

Tracks & Scenes

Below are selected songs from the album and how they play in the stage story. These aren’t the full tracklist, but they cover the big character beats and set pieces fans quote the most.

“Silence!” (Ensemble / The Lambs)

Where it plays:

The opening number. A chorus of floppy-eared lambs steps out in front of the curtain and cheerfully summarizes the plot we’re about to see, introducing Clarice, Lecter, Buffalo Bill, and the FBI case as if they’re characters in a kids’ show. It hits very early in Act I, functioning as a prologue before we follow Clarice’s training run.

Why it matters:

This song announces the tone of the whole piece: adorable mascots singing about cannibalism and skinning. Musically it’s pure Broadway razzle-dazzle, but the lyrics undercut every heroic cliché, setting up the album’s central joke — horror tropes filtered through giddy musical-theatre optimism.

“Thish Ish It” (Clarice, Crawford & Ensemble)

Where it plays:

Early in Act I as Clarice is plucked from training and brought into the big leagues by Jack Crawford. We see her running the iconic Quantico obstacle course, out of breath yet determined, while agents and trainers sing around her. The song follows her into the briefing where she’s told about Buffalo Bill and given the assignment to visit Lecter.

Why it matters:

It’s Clarice’s “welcome to the plot” number. The score uses an upbeat training-montage feel — brisk tempo, military-snappy ensemble lines — to underline how out of her depth she is while still letting her sound heroic, lisp and all.

“The Right Guide” (Chilton, Clarice & Ensemble)

Where it plays:

This number covers Clarice’s first trip down into the asylum. Chilton smugly walks her past the cells, laying out the rules and flirting badly while orderlies, inmates, and the lamb chorus echo his warnings. It tracks the hallway walk that, in the film, is played in dead silence.

Why it matters:

By turning the movie’s tensest corridor walk into a jaunty patter song, the album shows its strategy: replace dread with showbiz, but keep the narrative beats intact. Chilton gets a proper comic-villain moment, and the audience hears all the “rules of Lecter engagement” as a hooky refrain.

“If I Could Smell Her Cunt” (Dr. Hannibal Lecter)

Where it plays:

Lecter’s first encounter with Clarice. After she walks up to the glass cell, the music flips into a slinky, almost romantic solo for Lecter as he studies her and complains — with operetta-level sincerity — that he can’t smell her through the barrier. The lambs occasionally comment from the sidelines, but the focus stays on Lecter’s twisted fascination with Clarice.

Why it matters:

This is the album’s calling card: outrageous title, surprisingly elegant melody. It crystallizes the show’s balancing act — Lecter is both a figure of horror and a deadpan diva, using lush musical theatre language to sing the crudest thought imaginable.

“Papa Shtarling” (Papa Starling & Clarice)

Where it plays:

Midway through Act I, when Clarice is pushed to talk about her past. The number jumps back and forth between young Clarice on the farm and adult Clarice in the present, with Papa Starling’s reassuring voice blending into the ensemble. The staging often uses split scenes, with younger Clarice shadowing her older self.

Why it matters:

This is the album’s secret weapon: a genuinely tender ballad sitting in the middle of all the filth. It gives Clarice emotional depth, so when the score swings back to Bill’s grotesque comedy, we still care about the woman chasing him.

“It’s Agent Shtarling” (Clarice)

Where it plays:

Shortly after Clarice begins to get traction on the case. She walks through FBI offices and crime scenes, trying to be taken seriously while everyone around her underestimates her. The song pops up as a solo that gradually pulls in backing vocals from other agents.

Why it matters:

It’s her self-definition anthem — technically an “I am” song rather than an “I want” song. The jaunty, almost bubblegum feel highlights the gap between how absurd everyone thinks she is and how determined she actually is.

“Are You About a Size 14?” (Buffalo Bill, Catherine & Ensemble)

Where it plays:

We’re outside Catherine Martin’s car on a dim suburban street, watching Buffalo Bill pretend to struggle with a couch. As in the film, Catherine offers to help, climbs into the van, and is knocked out; here, those actions play out over a darkly funky, almost disco-driven song where Bill assesses her measurements in rhythm while backing vocals echo his lines.

Why it matters:

The song takes one of the movie’s scariest moments and reframes it as a predator’s pick-up song, emphasizing his objectification of women. Its danceable groove makes you laugh first and feel uncomfortable a beat later, which is very much this show’s brand.

“My Daughter Is Catherine” (Senator Martin)

Where it plays:

At the press conference where Senator Martin pleads for her daughter’s life. Spotlights isolate her onstage while reporters and FBI agents swirl around. The song swells like a classic campaign or inspirational ballad even as it sits inside a show that keeps mocking everything.

Why it matters:

On record this track grounds the stakes. It reminds us that underneath all the parody, someone is actually in a pit, in danger. That earnestness makes the later pit songs for Catherine and Bill land harder.

“Quid Pro Quo” (Lecter & Clarice)

Where it plays:

In the middle stretch of the show, as the psychological deal between Lecter and Clarice kicks into full gear. Each time she reveals something about her past, the orchestrations shift slightly and the melody spirals higher, mirroring the tightening noose of information as she closes in on Bill.

Why it matters:

This duet is the show’s spine. It’s less outrageous than some other numbers but musically more intricate, using call-and-response phrasing to map the power struggle between the two characters.

“I’d Fuck Me” (Buffalo Bill & Ensemble)

Where it plays:

Near the end of Act I (or late in the album), we’re in Bill’s basement as he does the infamous tuck-and-pose in front of the mirror. Onstage he struts, vogues, and preens while the ensemble echoes his self-adoring lines like a twisted Greek chorus.

Why it matters:

This is Bill’s showstopper. It turns a disturbing cinematic moment into a barn-burner glam-rock anthem about narcissism, and the recording leans into big guitars, heavy drums, and chanted backing vocals.

“Put the Fucking Lotion in the Basket” (Bill & Catherine)

Where it plays:

Deep in the second half, in the pit. Catherine is trapped at the bottom of the well; Bill stands above, barking orders. The song alternates between his bellowed commands and her panicked attempts to reason with him, with the lamb chorus occasionally chiming in like a twisted Greek choir. The scene echoes the film almost line for line, but sung.

Why it matters:

It’s the other flagship track. The music swerves between heavy, grinding riffs and unexpectedly sweet harmonies, making the cruelty feel even sharper. On the album, you can hear the comedy and the horror fight for dominance in every bar.

“We’re Goin’ In” (Crawford, FBI Agents, Clarice & Bill)

Where it plays:

During the cross-cut climax where the FBI raids a house they think belongs to Bill while Clarice, on her own, finds the real lair. The staging jumps between a squad of agents stacking up on a door and Clarice knocking on a quiet front porch; the music underpins the famous editing fake-out with driving, march-like energy.

Why it matters:

It’s pure thriller mechanics turned into an ensemble number. The album captures the overlapping vocal lines that let you “hear” the intercutting, even without the visuals.

“In the Dark with a Maniac / Silence! (Reprise)” (Clarice, Bill, Catherine & Ensemble)

Where it plays:

The final basement showdown, folded into the closing reprise. We hear Bill stalking Clarice in the dark, night-vision goggles implied by the orchestration’s eerie, pulsing underscoring. As the gunshot lands and the case resolves, the lamb chorus returns to wrap things up with a peppy epilogue.

Why it matters:

The finale resolves the horror plot but circles back to the opening’s meta tone. On the album it feels like a curtain call built on horror-movie catharsis, with the lambs reclaiming the story one last time.

Various regional trailers and TV spots for Silence! The Musical cut snippets of numbers like “Silence!”, “Are You About a Size 14?” and Bill’s songs over montage-style footage, so if you first met the show via YouTube, those hooks may feel instantly familiar when you spin the album front to back.

Notes & Trivia

• The musical began life as a set of nine online parody songs that retold the film’s story long before a full stage version existed.
• The FringeNYC production in 2005 sold out and won Outstanding Musical, helping convince producers there was an audience for a full off-Broadway run.
• Time Magazine later included Silence! The Musical on its list of the year’s top plays and musicals, a rare honor for such an unapologetically filthy show.
• Many productions lean into the Legolambs internet roots by stylizing the lamb chorus like low-budget mascots, emphasizing that this is a “fan remix” of the original movie.
• The cast album preserves the thick choral sound of the lambs, which is easy to miss in bootleg clips but sits right up front in the studio mix.
• Several songs (“Put the Fucking Lotion in the Basket,” “I’d Fuck Me”) circulated as stand-alone viral videos and remixes before casual listeners even realized there was a whole stage musical attached.

Reception & Quotes

On stage, Silence! The Musical has usually been described as “not for the faint of heart” but also surprisingly smart. Critics tend to highlight how faithful the show is to the film’s plot while completely undercutting it with vulgarity and meta-theatre. The cast recording inherits that reputation: it’s a cult-favorite album among musical-comedy fans who enjoy dark subject matter wrapped in bright orchestrations.

Reviewers of later productions — including recent revivals in London and regional American premieres — often single out the score as the main reason the show works. Even when staging resources are modest, the songs land: Clarice’s earnest ballads, the lambs’ jingles, and Bill’s glam-rock numbers all sit comfortably on a recording without requiring elaborate sets or effects.

“A profane, high-camp spoof that somehow keeps the suspense alive while sending every serious moment up in flames.” Regional review

“The songs are so catchy you almost forget you’re singing along to kidnapping and cannibalism.” Off-Broadway coverage

“The cast album showcases a score that’s far more musically polished than its gleefully tasteless lyrics suggest.” Online theatre column

“It’s the rare parody musical whose soundtrack you can enjoy even if you never see the staging.” Fan commentary

Today, the album is widely available on major streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music) and as a digital download via Ghostlight’s store. Physical CDs from the 2012 pressing are out of print but still float around on secondhand markets. Regional productions often use the cast recording as a template, so what you hear on the album is very close to what you’ll hear in most stagings.

Interesting Facts

• The score’s explicit language means digital versions of the album are often marked “E” on every track, a badge of honor the creators lean into.
• Kaplan & Kaplan built a parallel career writing other parody songs and scores (including Zombeavers and musicalized Arnold Schwarzenegger movies), but Silence! remains their signature calling card.
• Despite being an “unauthorized parody,” the musical has toured widely, from New York and London to Chicago, San Francisco, Tampa, and beyond.
• The lamb chorus is frequently doubled by ensemble performers who play FBI agents and townspeople in other scenes, making the chorus feel like the show’s collective conscience.
• Some productions play Lecter almost crooner-smooth, leaning into the album’s lush arrangements; others push the character toward snarling rock vocals for extra menace.
• The cast recording’s compressed 39-minute runtime makes it unusually bingeable; you can essentially “watch” the whole movie in your head over a quick commute.
• Because the musical starts from the film’s structure, the album doubles as a surprisingly accurate audio storyboard of the original 1991 movie, just with more F-bombs.

Technical Info

• Title: Silence!: The Musical (Original Cast Recording)
• Year: 2011 digital release; 2012 CD release
• Type: Stage musical cast recording (soundtrack)
• Composers & Lyricists: Jon Kaplan & Al Kaplan
• Book (stage show): Hunter Bell
• Music supervision / direction (stage): Mark Hartman
• Orchestrations: Brian J. Nash
• Producers (album): Michael Croiter & Rich Affannato
• Principal cast on album: Jenn Harris (Clarice Starling), David Garrison (Dr. Hannibal Lecter), Stephen Bienskie (Buffalo Bill), plus ensemble including Callan Bergmann, Deidre Goodwin, Harry Bouvy, Jeff Hiller, Howard Kaye, Lucia Spina and others.
• Label / album status: Ghostlight Records (with Sh-K-Boom branding) digitally; CD issued in partnership with Yellow Sound Label.
• Running time: Approximately 39 minutes across 16 tracks.
• Release context: Recorded to preserve the 2011 off-Broadway production that followed the show’s 2005 FringeNYC debut and subsequent runs.
• Availability: Streaming on major platforms; digital purchase via Ghostlight; CD currently only via secondhand sellers.
• Selected notable placements (story beats): “Silence!” over the lamb chorus narration; “If I Could Smell Her Cunt” at Clarice’s first visit to Lecter; “Are You About a Size 14?” during Catherine’s abduction; “I’d Fuck Me” and “Put the Fucking Lotion in the Basket” in Bill’s basement; “We’re Goin’ In” and the “Silence!” reprise across the climax.

Questions & Answers

Do I need to know the film The Silence of the Lambs to enjoy the album?

It definitely helps. The album assumes you know the movie’s plot, but the lamb chorus and clear lyrics make the story easy to follow even if you’ve only seen it once.

How close is the cast recording to what you hear in a typical production?

Very close. Most licensed productions follow the off-Broadway vocal arrangements on the album, so the recording works as a reference track for performers and fans.

Is the soundtrack suitable for younger listeners?

Not really. Nearly every song includes explicit language and references to violence, sex, and cannibalism. It’s written for adults who enjoy dark, irreverent humor.

Are all the original online parody songs included on this album?

The core nine internet songs are represented, but they’ve been reworked into a full theatrical score and expanded with additional numbers written for the stage version.

Where can I legally listen to or buy Silence!: The Musical (Original Cast Recording) today?

You can stream it on major services like Spotify and Apple Music, buy a digital copy through Ghostlight’s online store, or hunt down used CDs through specialist and secondhand sellers.

Key Contributors

Entity	Role / Relation	Statement
Jon Kaplan	Composer / Lyricist	Jon Kaplan co-composed the music and co-wrote the lyrics for Silence! The Musical and is credited as an album artist.
Al Kaplan	Composer / Lyricist	Al Kaplan co-composed the music and co-wrote the lyrics, partnering with his brother Jon on both the stage show and the recording.
Hunter Bell	Book writer	Hunter Bell wrote the book for the stage musical, adapting the Kaplans’ parody concept into a full theatrical script.
Christopher Gattelli	Director / Choreographer	Christopher Gattelli directed and choreographed the off-Broadway production preserved in the cast recording.
Michael Croiter	Album producer	Michael Croiter produced the original cast recording for Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records.
Rich Affannato	Album producer / Stage producer	Rich Affannato produced the album and also co-produced the off-Broadway staging of Silence! The Musical.
Mark Hartman	Music supervisor / Director	Mark Hartman served as music supervisor and music director for the off-Broadway production whose arrangements inform the recording.
Brian J. Nash	Orchestrator	Brian J. Nash created the orchestrations used in the off-Broadway production and on the cast album.
Ghostlight Records	Record label	Ghostlight Records released the digital and CD editions of Silence!: The Musical (Original Cast Recording).
Silence! The Musical	Stage work	The musical Silence! The Musical is the parent stage work from which the cast recording is derived.

Sources: Ghostlight Records album page; Apple Music and Spotify listings; Discogs release entry; Playbill and BroadwayWorld news items; Wikipedia overview of Silence! The Musical; Jobsitetheater song list; regional theatre production notes and reviews; official Jon & Al Kaplan press materials.