Tonight, tonight, won't be just any night. Tonight there will be no morning star.
Sometimes people leave you halfway through the wood. Others may decieve you - you decide what's good. You decide alone, but no one is alone. People make mistakes. Fathers, mothers, people make mistakes, holding to their own, thinking they're alone. Honor their mistakes. Fight for their mistakes. Witches can be right. Giants can be good. You decide what's right. You decide what's good.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes personal decision-making and understanding human imperfections.
Stephen Sondheim's quote reflects on the complexities of human relationships and the importance of making individual choices. It highlights that while people may deceive us or leave us feeling abandoned, we must take responsibility for our own decisions about what is right and good. It acknowledges the flaws in everyone, suggesting compassion and honor for others' mistakes while also recognizing our own agency in navigating these relationships. Ultimately, it encourages understanding that no one is truly alone, even in moments of solitude.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about resilience and decision-making.
More from Stephen Sondheim
All quotes →After the Rodgers and Hammerstein revolution, songs became part of the story, as opposed to just entertainments in between comedy scenes.
Musical comedies aren't written, they are rewritten.
Let Pirelli's / Miracle Elixir / Activate your roots, sir... Keep it off your boots, sir- / Eats right through. Yes, get Pirelli's! / Use a bottle of it! / Ladies seem to love it... Flies do, too!
Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos.
Careful the spell you cast, not just on children. Sometimes the spell may last Past what you can see And turn against you... Careful the tale you tell. That is the spell.
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In this life struggle, here I am among you fully cognizant that a true believer has no fear of what God has ordained for him. Those who are visited by fear live only for their present, under the illusion that the world began with them and will end with their departure.
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