The Wizard And I
Lyrics:
[English]
Oh, miss Elphaba
Many years I have waited
For a gift like yours to appear
Why, I predict the wizard might make you his magic grand visir
My dear, my dear
I'll write at once to the wizard
Tell him of you in advance
With a talent like yours, dear
There is a definite chance
If you work as you should
You'll be making good
...
Welcome to Shiz
...
Did that really just happen?
Have I actually understood?
This weird quirk I've tried to suppress or hide
Is a talent that could help me meet the wizard
If I make good
So I'll make good
When I meet the wizard
Once I prove my worth
And then I meet the wizard
What I've waited for since, since birth
And with all his wizard wisdom
By my looks, he won't be blinded
Do you think the wizard is dumb?
Or like Munchkins, so small-minded? No!
He'll say to me, "I see who you truly are
A girl on whom I can rely"
And that's how we'll begin
The wizard and I
...
Once I'm with the wizard
My whole life will change
'Cause once you're with the wizard
No one thinks you're strange
No, father is not proud of you
No, sister acts ashamed
And all of Oz has to love you
When by the wizard you're acclaimed
And this gift or this curse I have inside
Maybe at last, I'll know why
As we work hand in hand
The wizard and I
And one day, he'll say to me
"Elphaba, a girl who is so superior
Shouldn't a girl who's so good inside
Have a matching exterior?
And since folks here to an absurd degree
Seem fixated on your verdigris
Would it be alright by you
If I de-greenify you?"
And though, of course, that's not important to me
"Alright, why not?" I'll reply
Oh, what a pair we'll be, the wizard and I
Yes, what a pair we'll be, the wizard and-
...
Unlimited
My future is unlimited
And I've just had a vision, almost like a prophecy
I know, it sounds truly crazy
And true, the vision's hazy
But I swear, someday there'll be
A celebration throughout Oz
That's all to do with me!
And I'll stand there with the wizard
Feeling things I've never felt
And though I'd never show it
I'd be so happy, I could melt
And so it will be for the rest of my life
And I'll want nothing else 'til I die
Held in such high esteem
When people see me, they will scream
For half of Oz's favorite team
The wizard and I
...
Vocabulary in this song:
Vocabulary | Meanings |
---|---|
predict /prɪˈdɪkt/ B2 |
|
wizard /ˈwɪz.ərd/ B2 |
|
appear /əˈpɪər/ B1 |
|
talent /ˈtæl.ənt/ B1 |
|
chance /tʃæns/ B1 |
|
work /wɜːrk/ A2 |
|
understood /ˌʌn.dɚˈstʊd/ B1 |
|
quirk /kwɜrk/ B2 |
|
meet /miːt/ A2 |
|
prove /pruːv/ B2 |
|
worth /wɜrθ/ B2 |
|
wisdom /ˈwɪz.dəm/ C1 |
|
rely /rɪˈlaɪ/ B2 |
|
align /əˈlaɪn/ C1 |
|
feeling /ˈfiː.lɪŋ/ A2 |
|
melt /melt/ B2 |
|
Grammar:
-
Many years I have waited
➔ Inversion with Adverbial Phrase of Time
➔ Normal word order is 'I have waited many years.' Inverting it to 'Many years I have waited' emphasizes the length of time. This is a literary device that can be used to add emphasis or create a more formal tone. This is especially common at the beginning of sentences.
-
I predict the wizard might make you his magic grand visir
➔ Modal verb 'might' indicating possibility; Complex Object with verb 'make'
➔ 'Might' expresses a weaker possibility than 'will' or 'may'. 'Make you his magic grand visir' is a complex object structure. 'You' is the object, and 'his magic grand visir' is the object complement.
-
There is a definite chance
➔ Existential 'There is' with an adjective modifying the noun.
➔ 'There is' introduces the existence of something. 'Definite' modifies 'chance', emphasizing the certainty of the possibility.
-
This weird quirk I've tried to suppress or hide
➔ Relative Clause with Omitted Relative Pronoun
➔ The relative pronoun ('that' or 'which') is omitted from the relative clause 'I've tried to suppress or hide'. The full sentence would be: 'This weird quirk that I've tried to suppress or hide...'
-
What I've waited for since, since birth
➔ Noun Clause as Subject; repetition for emphasis.
➔ 'What I've waited for since birth' is a noun clause acting as the subject of the sentence. The repetition of 'since' emphasizes the long period of waiting.
-
A girl on whom I can rely
➔ Preposition 'on' + Relative Pronoun 'whom'
➔ 'Whom' is used as the object of the preposition 'on'. This is more formal than using 'who' or omitting the pronoun altogether (though 'who' is often acceptable informally).
-
Shouldn't a girl who's so good inside / Have a matching exterior?
➔ Rhetorical Question with 'Shouldn't' + Relative Clause with reduced Relative Pronoun.
➔ The question is rhetorical because the wizard expects a 'yes' answer. 'Who's so good inside' is a reduced relative clause - 'who is'. This means part of the relative pronoun/verb has been omitted to make the clause shorter.
-
Would it be alright by you / If I de-greenify you?
➔ Conditional sentence (type 2) using 'would' and 'if' to express a hypothetical situation; 'de-greenify' as neologism (verb creation).
➔ This is a polite request using a type 2 conditional. The wizard is hypothesizing about changing Elphaba's skin colour. 'De-greenify' is a created verb meaning 'to remove the green color'. This highlights the wizard's attempt to use language to make a potentially offensive request seem less so.
Available Translations :
Album: Wicked - Music & Lyrics By Stephen Schwartz

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