Listening
exercise:
Gee, Officer Krupke
from: West Side Story
by Leonard Bernstein
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq28qCklEHc
First,
read this synopsis
of West Side Story, especially the part about the rival gangs, the Polish-American
Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Which two people fell in love? Why was this
a problem?
Second, do a rough translation of the song's lyrics into
Chinese. We'll go over these in class.
Third, Here are some slang and colloquial expressions used
in the song. What does each one mean? Note which ones are "vulgar".
(1) "Top of the evenin'" (originally: "Top
of the mornin'")
(2) 20/20 hearing
(3) wiseapple
(4) to run someone in
(5) punks
(6) to cook up something
(7) 10-13
(8) headbusters
(9) ain't
(10) a big fat nothin'
(11) war council
(12) to snow someone
(13) cruddy
(14) JDs = juvenile delinquents
(15) station house = police station
(16) our bringin' up-ke
(17) to be out of hand
(18) junkie
(19) Golly Moses, Leapin' Lizards, Gloryosky!
(a made-up word from "Glory" + a Russian/Polish suffix "-osky";
apparently it's from "Little
Orphan Annie"; "Leapin' Lizards!" is another expression
from this story)
(20) natcherly
(21) upset: which syllable is stressed?
(22) oughta
(23) untapped good
(24) lemme
(25) "Just tell it to the judge."
(26) a "puff"
(27) "I was had"
(28) to be a "square"
(29) Explain these pronunciations: worst as "woist", curbed as "coibed";
disturbed as "distoibed"
(30) "Hear ye, hear ye!"
(31) depraved
(32) deprived
(33) head shrinker
(34) clobbers
(35) Commie = communist
(36) to push tea
(37) to need a couch
(38) to play someone a terrible trick
(38) "Vich vay?" "That vay." (What accent is the singer
trying to imitate here?)
(39) soda jerker
(40) slob
(41) anti-social, anti-work
(42) a year in the pen
(43) Krup you!
Lyrics:
ACTION
Dear kindly Sergeant Krupke,
You gotta understand,
It's just our bringin' up-ke
That gets us out of hand.
Our mothers all are junkies,
Our fathers all are drunks.
Golly Moses, natcherly we're punks!
ACTION AND
JETS
Gee, Officer Krupke, we're very upset;
We never had the love that ev'ry child oughta get.
We ain't no delinquents,
We're misunderstood.
Deep down inside us there is good!
ACTION
There is good!
ALL
There is good, there is good,
There is untapped good!
Like inside, the worst of us is good!
SNOWBOY: (Spoken) That's a touchin' good story.
ACTION: (Spoken) Lemme tell it to the world!
SNOWBOY: Just tell it to the judge.
ACTION
Dear kindly Judge, your Honor,
My parents treat me rough.
With all their marijuana,
They won't give me a puff.
They didn't wanna have me,
But somehow I was had.
Leapin' lizards! That's why I'm so bad!
DIESEL: (As Judge) Right!
Officer
Krupke, you're really a square;
This boy don't need a judge, he needs an analyst's care!
It's just his neurosis that oughta be curbed.
He's psychologic'ly disturbed!
ACTION
I'm disturbed!
JETS
We're disturbed, we're disturbed,
We're the most disturbed,
Like we're psychologic'ly disturbed.
DIESEL: (Spoken, as Judge) In the opinion on this court, this child is depraved on account he ain't had a normal home.
ACTION: (Spoken) Hey, I'm depraved on account I'm deprived.
DIESEL: So take him to a headshrinker.
ACTION (Sings)
My daddy beats my mommy
My mommy clobbers me
My grandpa's is a Commie
My grandma pushes tea.
My sister wears a mustache,
My brother wears a dress.
Goodness gracious, that's why I'm a mess!
A-RAB: (As
Psychiatrist) Yes!
Officer Krupke, you're really a slob.
This boy don't need a doctor, just a good honest job.
Society's played him a terrible trick,
And sociologic'ly he's sick!
ACTION
I am sick!
ALL
We are sick, we are sick,
We are sick, sick, sick,
Like we're sociologically sick!
A-RAB: In
my opinion, this child don't need
to have his head shrunk at all.
Juvenile delinquency is purely a social disease!
ACTION: Hey, I got a social disease!
A-RAB: So take him to a social worker!
ACTION
Dear kindly social worker,
They say go earn a buck.
Like be a soda jerker,
Which means like be a schumck.
It's not I'm anti-social,
I'm only anti-work.
Gloryosky! That's why I'm a jerk!
BABY JOHN:
(As Female Social Worker)
Eek!
Officer Krupke, you've done it again.
This boy don't need a job, he needs a year in the pen.
It ain't just a question of misunderstood;
Deep down inside him, he's no good!
ACTION
I'm no good!
ALL
We're no good, we're no good!
We're no earthly good,
Like the best of us is no damn good!
DIESEL (As
Judge)
The trouble is he's crazy.
A-RAB (As
Psychiatrist)
The trouble is he drinks.
BABY JOHN
(As Female Social Worker)
The trouble is he's lazy.
DIESEL
The trouble is he stinks.
A-RAB
The trouble is he's growing.
BABY JOHN
The trouble is he's grown.
ALL
Krupke, we got troubles of our own!
Gee, Officer
Krupke,
We're down on our knees,
'Cause no one wants a fellow with a social disease.
Gee, Officer Krupke,
What are we to do?
Gee, Officer Krupke,
Krup you!
Music by
Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
© 1956, 1957 Amberson Holdings LLC and Stephen Sondheim. Copyright renewed.
Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Company LLC, Publisher.