Jumping right into it, the first musical I want to talk about is Fiddler on the Roof.
Wikipedia says:
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Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Imperial Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters (or Tevye the Dairyman) and other tales by Sholem Aleichem. The story centers on Tevye, the father of five daughters, and his attempts to maintain his family and Jewish religious traditions while outside influences encroach upon their lives. He must cope both with the strong-willed actions of his three older daughters—each one's choice of husband moves further away from the customs of his faith—and with the edict of the Tsar that evicts the Jews from their village.
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I have to be honest, when I first saw this movie/musical on stage I did not grasp all the themes it deals with. However, I relate to the idea of tradition and maintaining it despite the expectations of the world.
"Tradition!" is a freaking excellent song. As the opening number of the show, it sets up the world they live in with a humorous twist. I always giggle at some of the words in this song, despite the rather rampant sexism (and possible racism).
"If I Were a Rich Man" - inspiring generations of pop stars to come - is just classic. If you haven't heard it, now's your chance:
Who needs real words, anyway?!
The next track I wanna share with you guys is actually a very emotional one for me. Having not experienced much in the way of paternal love, it is very sweet to hear a father sing these kind of words about children. Jealous! Feels!
I love that line - "One season following another, laden with happiness, and tears..." All in all, though, a very moving piece about letting your children go.
This music is kind of niche and weird but these three tracks have been staples on my playlist for years. I'm not even a little embarrassed about it.
