Help! All Welcome! Looking for the lyrics from "Shenandoah" (1975) Broadway musical...

[Radio_Lady]

John Cullum was the principal lead in "Shenandoah" on Broadway in 1975.

My two kids fell in love with one of the songs called "Why Am I Me?" Now my grandchildren want to perform it, too! I used to know the lyrics, but they've been lost in my head somewhere and we are unable to retrieve them!



I can get only a piece of the FULL LYRICS from Amazon.com:

Why Am I Me? (It was sung by a white boy and a black boy in the Broadway musical “Shenandoah” with John Cullum)

Tell you what I’m thinkin’
Honestly and true…
How come I come to life as me
And not to life as you

Lord, I know the feeling
‘Cause when I’m by myself
I wonder why
I’m who I am
And not somebody else

‘Way down underneath it all
Where no one gets to see
I bet it feels no different
Bein’ you or bein’ me.

Why was I born
When I was born
Who I was born to be
Why was I given
The body I’m livin’ in
Why am I Gabriel?
Why am I Anderson?
Why am I me, why am I me…

???????????????????

Aside from buying the sheet music or the CD, can anyone come up with the first and last lyrics to this song?

We're counting on you! Thanks and have a happy New Year!

http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1111130/a/Shenandoah.htm

[Radio_Lady]

1. Treacly rendition on AOL Video by some sweet little six year old who tries to sing it...

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/shenandoah-solo/385281791

Husband will divorce me if I listen to it now... She's very cute, but...

Anyway, if you have anything to add or can send me to a lyrical site, thanks.

[monmouth]

2. I think if you google it and put in lyrics you might get it...eom

[Radio_Lady]

3. Hi monmouth... I spent about two hours trying to do just that, but the title is too common.

Also, there are many things named Shenandoah... names, places, things.

Best I could do was that little girl's video on AOL, but I have to listen to it a couple more times to get the rest of the lyrics.

I did get a musical (MIDI) version with no lyrics.

Thanks so much for your suggestion.

Good night and good luck.

Radio Lady Ellen

[monmouth]

4. How about "Shenandoah song lyrics" and if you know the

composer stick that in there too...lol.

[Radio_Lady]

7. Tried it many ways -- Peter Udell (lyricist), revivals, singing group named Shenandoah

Complicated search and no more time to devote to it.

Thanks, Monmouth.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

5. still searching...looks like you may have to purchase the sheet

music.

http://www.music44.com/X/contents/Why+Am+I+Me%253F

[Radio_Lady]

8. Thanks, Tuesday Morning.

I have most of the lyrics and it's good enough for my two elementary school grandkids. Appreciate your help.

In peace,

Radio Lady in Oregon

[Robeson]

6. Hey Radio_Lady....

...I saw the Broadway production in 75 with the original cast. It was my first "Broadway" experience. It was a great.

[Radio_Lady]

9. Thanks... the show ran from 1975 to 1977 -- 1050 performances, then revived in 1989.

Interesting that John Cullum, born in 1930, is still performing in NYC Shakespeare production, Cymbeline, at least until January 6, 2008.

http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=36838

Wish I could talk with him... would be fun.

CU@theDU

Cheers,

Radio Lady Ellen

[Radio_Lady]

10. Update: Based on some kids' singing on YouTube and AOL Video, here's what the song says...

Why Am I Me?
(Originally sung by a white child and a black child in the Broadway musical “Shenandoah” with John Cullum)

Tell you what I’m thinkin’
Honestly and true…
How come I come to life as me
And not to life as you.

Lord, I know the feeling
‘Cause when I’m by myself
I wonder why
I’m who I am
And not somebody else

‘Way down underneath it all
Where no one gets to see
I’ll bet it feels no different
Bein’ you or bein’ me.

Why was I born
When I was born
Who I was born to be
Why was I given
The body I’m livin’ in?

Why am I Gabriel?
Why am I Anderson?
Why am I me, why am I me…

Why am I here
Why am I now
Why am I who you see
Why was I handed
The body I landed in

Why am I Gabriel? (So how come we’re all slaves…)
Why am I Anderson? (And how come we’re all free…)
Why am I me, why am I me, why am I me?

I figured
Somebody puts the “who” into folks,
Like dropping a stone in a lake
So maybe I’m thinkin’
I’m Abraham Lincoln
And somebody made a mistake?

If I were born
Somebody else
Betcha I still would be me
So many beings I know I could be me in.
Why must I be in the being you see me in?

(So how come we’re all slaves
And how come we’re all free)

Why am I me? (Repeated 6 times.)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=A8F58mlM-ew

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfDwIhP-0xo&NR=1

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/shenandoah-solo/385281791

http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1111130/a/Shenandoah.htm

Thanks to all.

Grandma Radio Lady