Song Meaning

The lyrics present a raw, almost confessional account of artistic struggle, centering on a student named Morales in an acting class. The initial scene sets a tone of forced participation, where the instructor, Mr. Karp, demands immediate emotional immersion in a bobsled scenario. Morales's inability to conjure the expected feelings – the wind, the cold – immediately marks them as an outsider, unable to access the "motion" everyone else seems to grasp. This disconnect isn't just about acting; it's a profound internal void that sets the stage for the central conflict. The core tension lies in Morales's persistent "nothingness" versus the external pressure to feel and perform. While classmates "feel the snow" and "feel the air," Morales can only report "nothing." This perceived deficit is amplified by Mr. Karp’s dismissive attitude, suggesting that "nothing" is a barrier to progress and even implying a need for transfer. The repeated phrase "dug right down to the bottom of my soul" highlights Morales's earnest, albeit futile, attempts to find something, anything, to express, only to be met with the same emptiness. This internal search becomes a desperate plea for authenticity in a system that demands a manufactured response. The lyrics employ a sharp contrast between the instructor's rigid expectations and Morales's internal reality. The shift from the bobsled to other objects like a "table" or "ice-cream cone" doesn't alleviate the pressure; it merely changes the object of Morales's perceived failure. The taunts from classmates – "Nothing!" and "Hopeless" – underscore the isolating effect of this artistic block. The turning point arrives not through external validation but through an internal voice, a revelation from the "bottom of my soul" that the problem isn't Morales's lack of feeling, but the "nothing" of the course and the instructor himself. This empowers Morales to seek a realization that true artistry requires finding a better environment, not forcing a feeling. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics stems from their unflinching honesty about creative paralysis and the eventual triumph of self-awareness. The narrative arc moves from external judgment to internal liberation, culminating in a poignant, ironic final moment. After Mr. Karp's death, Morales's response is again "nothing," but this time it's a profound and earned emptiness, a release from the pressure to perform a feeling that was never there. It’s a powerful statement on finding one's own path, even if it means rejecting the very system that tried to define you.

Yamil Borges - Pop

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(Spoken) On the first day of acting class, Mr. Karp, puts us upon the stage with our legs around each other, one in back of the other, and he says: "Okay, we're going to do improvisations. You're on a bobsled and it's snowing out and it's cold. Okay, go!" (Song) Every day for a week we would try to feel the motion Feel the motion Down the hill Every day for a week we would try to hear the wind rush Hear the wind rush Feel the chill And I dug right down to the bottom of my soul To see what I had inside Yes, I dug right down to the bottom of my soul And I tried, I tried! (Spoken) And everybody's going "Whoosh! Whoosh! I feel the snow, I feel the cold, I feel the air." And Mr. Karp comes up to me and he says: "Okay, Morales, what did you feel?" And I said (Song) "Nothing I'm feeling nothing," And he says "'nothing' could get a girl transferred." They all felt something But I felt nothing Except the feeling that this bullshit was absurd! (Spoken) But I said to myself, "Don't worry about it! It's only the first week. Maybe it's genetic; they don't have bobsleds in San Juan!" (Song) Second week, more advanced, and we had to be a table Be a sports car Ice-cream cone Mister Karp, he would say, "Very good, except Morales Try, Morales All alone." So I dug right down to the bottom of my soul To see how an ice cream felt Yes, I dug right down to the bottom of my soul And I tried to melt! The kids yelled, "Nothing!" They called me "Nothing" And Karp allowed it, which really makes me burn They were so helpful They called me "Hopeless" Until I really didn't know where else to turn (Spoken) And Karp kept saying, "Morales, I think you should transfer to Girl's High, You'll never be an actress, never!" Jesus Christ! (Song) Went to church, praying, "Santa Maria Send me guidance Send me guidance" On my knees Went to church praying, "Santa Maria Help me feel it Help me feel it Pretty please" And a voice from down at the bottom of my soul Came up to the top of my head And a voice from down at the bottom of my soul Here is what it said: "This man is nothing! This course is nothing! If you want something go find a better class And when you find one You'll be an actress!" And I assure you that's what finally came to pass Six months later I heard that Karp had died And I dug right down to the bottom of my soul And cried 'Cause I felt nothing

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Writers: Edward Kleban
Marvin Hamlisch

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