No One Mourns the Wicked is the opening number of the show. It has also been known as Keiner Weint um Hexen with a translated title of "Nobody Weeps for Witches" in the German production, Wicked Die Hexen Von Oz. It is also known as Guddo Nyusu, translated, "Good News" in Wicked in Tokyo. In the Dutch production, this song is known as "Niemand Huilt om Heksen" which has a translated title of "Nobody Cries for Witches."
Context
"No One Mourns the Wicked" eventually becomes a musical motif throughout Wicked, but is introduced in its main form as the show's prologue. Following the overture, the citizens of Oz (mostly Munchkins) emerge, joyously celebrating the death (by melting during the thirteenth hour) of The Wicked Witch of the West. The song introduces the audience to the character of Glinda, who appears to be celebrating her death along with the others. However, her verses of the song seem to be an attempt to create sympathy toward the Witch. "And goodness knows/the wicked's lives are lonely/goodness knows the wicked die alone" (this is most likely to show her capacity as "good" as opposed to actually publicly defending the Witch). It is here that Glinda poses the question, "Are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?" She takes the audience through a flashback to the
Witch's birth, showing how she was conceived illegitimately, born green-skinned (after her mother drank a potion simply called "Green Elixir"), and consequently rejected by her father and cursed to a difficult childhood. The main events of the show occur through another flashback immediately following this song's conclusion.
The song is reprised in several parts during the show, including the act one finale, "Defying Gravity" (Look at her, she's Wicked, get her! No One Mourns the Wicked! So we've got to bring her... Down!) and the entr'acte. It is also briefly sung in the show's finale, as the show's ending occurs chronologically at about the same time as its opening.
The opening few notes of the song are also repeated at the beginning of As Long as You're Mine and after Elphaba sings "Fiyero" for the second time in No Good Deed. Also the tune for this song is played and sung at the beginning of Thank Goodness.
The birth of Elphaba.
Note that at no time during the song or the play does Glinda ever actually say "No one mourns the wicked" implying that she does mourn Elphaba and does not believe she was ever Wicked. Also none of her lyrics clarify who the "Wicked" is, meaning that she could very well be implying the "Wicked" that she is glad to have gone is The Wizard or Madame Morrible, in fact the only time she ever clarifies the conversation is when trying to convince the Ozians to sympathize for Elphaba by explaining her back-story. On top of which Glinda truthfully answers the question asked at the end of the number by saying Elphaba was her friend, and it seems the only reason she was trying to get around it was the fact that she didn't want to get hurt. All of this showing that Glinda isn't completely in her act of "No One Mourns the Wicked" because in her case and the case of many others there is a comma inserted in that phrase. Turning her viewpoint into "No, One Mourns The Wicked"
Development
This was the second song Stephen Schwartz created for Wicked, after the unused song Making Good. Its context changed a great deal as workshop tryouts continued. It began originally as a television reporter speaking about Elphaba's death, then interviewing the scarecrow, who sang the song's main theme. At this point, the scarecrow subplot had not been added and Glinda's role was much smaller. However, when Kristin Chenoweth joined the project, Glinda's role was expanded and so it was determined that she would be involved in the opening number. Schwartz also wanted to utilize Chenoweth's high soprano, so created an extra counterpoint for Chenoweth to sing in the song.
Lyrics
| CITIZENS OF OZ GOOD NEWS! SOMEONE IN THE CROWD GLINDA SOMEONE IN THE CROWD ANOTHER PERSON ALL MAN WOMEN ALL GLINDA ALL GLINDA FATHER MOTHER FATHER GLINDA LOVER GLINDA MIDWIFE FATHER MIDWIFE FATHER MIDWIFE AND FATHER FATHER MOTHER MIDWIFE FATHER MIDWIFE FATHER MIDWIFE AND FATHER ALL FATHER GLINDA ALL GLINDA ALL GLINDA CROWD GLINDA ALL |
Videos
Trivia
- Towards the end of the Broadway version, part of the lyrics for when the Wizard pays a visit to Elphaba's mother and offers her a drink can be heard in the background.