13 / Becoming a Man

Lyrics

[EVAN, spoken] I'm Evan Goldman. I live at 224 West 92nd Street, in the heart of Manhattan! And my life just went to hell (sung) Picture me: Just another cool kid in NYC Near the park and the Met Life is sweet: Yankees in the Bronx, pretzels on the street – Just how good can it get? Who'd have guessed Dad would meet a stewardess? Mom's depressed And her lawyers are mean Now I'm stressed – Life is a disaster And I'm cracking from the strain Going totally insane And I'm just about to turn Just about to turn Just about to turn   [EVAN] Everything switches Everything turns around End up in stitches Find a way underground Can I get through it? Life has changed overnight How do I do it? Nothing is going right [EVAN & KIDS] Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! [ALL] The best and the worst And the most and the least And the crazy and the scary And I'm standing on the edge! [EVAN] Twelve years old – Everything that used to be good as gold Starts to crumble and crack [EVAN, SIMON, RICHIE] Pressure mounts: Once it was a joke, now it really counts And there's no turning back [EVAN, SIMON, RICHIE, CASSIE, CHARLOTTE] Life goes wrong [RICHIE] Suddenly they're yelling 'cause your hair's too long [CASSIE] Or your room isn't clean [ALL FIVE] Roll along: [EVAN] Every conversation is another lost cause Or a list of my flaws And I'm just about to turn [EVAN & KIDS] Just about to turn God, I'm gonna to turn Thirteen! [RICHIE] I want a dirt bike! [LUCY] I want to kill my ma [EDDIE] I want a mustache! [CASSIE] I want a WonderBra! [SIMON, EDDIE, LUCY CASSIE, PATRICE, MOLLY] When do I get it? All of the grown-up stuff? How will I make it? When am I old enough?   [KIDS] Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! [ALL] Why is the world feeling suddenly stranger? Why are my friends acting totally weird? Why do I feel like my life is in danger? Why do I feel like my brain disappeared? [MOLLY] How will I get through a year of Spanish? [SIMON] How can I not look dumb in Track? [BRETT] How can I gain twenty pounds by Friday? [MALCOLM] How can I make my voice not crack? [ALL] I wanna fly, wanna run, wanna drive [KENDRA, SIMON, RICHIE, CHARLOTTE] Wanna get rich Wanna get my braces off   [BRETT, LUCY, MALCOLM, MOLLY] Wanna get drunk Wanna get my nose pierced     [CASSIE, EVAN, PATRICE, EDDIE] Wanna get out! Wanna grow my hair long [ALL] But all I keep hearing is: "No, you're not ready!" "No, it's not time yet!" "No, it's not right now!" "Wait until you're older!" "No, you're not ready!" "No, it's not time yet!" "No, it's not right now!" "Wait until you're older!" "No, you're not ready!" "No, it's not time yet!" "No, it's not right now!" "Wait until you're older!" [EVAN, BRETT, MOLLY] "Homework!" [EDDIE, PATRICE, CHARLOTTE] "Laundry!" [KENDRA, MALCOLM] "Dishes!" [LUCY, SIMON, RICHIE] "Courses!" [ALL] "Just settle down and hold your horses!" [Guitar solo and dance.] [EVAN] In the middle of this city In the middle of this street There's the sound of something crumbling Rumbling underneath my feet In the middle of the sidewalk Outside P.S. 84 I hear a roar I can't ignore I hear, "Evan, it's not your fault" I hear, "Evan, can't you see?" I hear, "Evan, do you want to go with Mom or stay with me?" I hear, "Kiddo, I'm not angry" I hear, "Buddy, you know best" And there's the rumbling getting louder But there's one day in October When the pieces all will fit When they have to be together And pretend they didn't quit I've got one day in October And I know it's got to be The perfect party I'm becoming a man I don't know what "a man" really means The rule book grows But no one knows What all the rules allow I'm becoming a man No one tells all us scared in-betweens Just how we should Be strong, be good With so much pressure now! One day it gets better - One day it makes sense One day I'll stop talking in the friggin' future tense One day in October It'll all be great! And I can't wait! I can't wait! [EVAN] I can't wait! [KIDS, overlapping] I can't wait to come to your party! I can't wait to come to your party! I can't wait to come to your party! I can't wait to come to your party! I can't wait- Your party! [ALL KIDS] I can't wait! I can't wait! Can't wait Can't wait Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait, can't wait for [EVAN, BRETT, KENDRA LUCY, EDDIE, PATRICE] Somethin' is comin'! Somethin' is goin' up! Somethin' is hummin'! Somebody's growin' up! [CASSIE] Hey, yeahhh! [EDDIE] No, no, no-no, no-no! [MALCOLM] Hey yay-yeah-yay-yeah! [CHARLOTTE] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! [KIDS] Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen! [ALL] The best and the worst And the most and the least And the crazy and the scary And we're just about to turn Thirteen!