TOP 10: Songs from “The Book of Mormon”
This week the podcast debated the best songs from the Broadway smash Hamilton. We also thought it would be a great opportunity to revisit another 2010s musical icon, The Book of Mormon. The show premiered on Broadway in 2011, the brainchild of South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Avenue Q songwriter and composer Robert Lopez.
An instant lightning rod for controversy given its highly sarcastic take on the Mormon Church as well as its eyebrow-raising setting in Uganda, the show would prove a smash both commercially and critically. It continues to run on Broadway nearly 15 years after its debut, and has been crisscrossing the country and the world via tours and a residency in London’s West End. It won a slew of awards, including major Tonys and Drama Desk trophies, and helped to cement stars of initial leads Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad.
Check out our favorite songs from the show below. Disagree with our takes? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
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10. “Tomorrow Is a Latter Day”
The closing number for the show references many of the previous songs, notably “I Am Here for You,” “Hello,” and “I Believe.” It starts quiet and contemplative before exploding into a rollicking closing number featuring the entire cast belting and admonishing the audience for wasting their time believing and praying, and not doing anything to change the lives they’re currently living. It ends with a fun button that brings us back to the opening of the show, and arguably sets up a sequel in The Book of Arnold. “Hello, you have a lovely mud hut, and if you just put down that gun I’ll…Oh! OK, I’ll leave.” Perfection.
9. “I Believe”
Elder Price’s big showcase song is honestly great — it’s only so low on the list because this soundtrack is so crowded with bangers. It’s both emotional and hilarious as this conflicted Mormon wrestles with his increasing doubts, and plainly states the bonkers tenants of the Mormon faith. The verses are a bit jerky, but the chorus is so hummable. “A warlord who shoots people in the face. What’s so scary about that?” Coupled with General Buttfucking Naked’s, “The fuck is this?!” is hysterical. Dang it! A Mormon just believes!
8: “Sal Tlay Ka Siti”
The loveliest ballad in the show, with Ugandan Nabulungi pouring her heart out about the promised land in America, about which her late mother used to sing to her. It’s genuinely beautiful, even as she sings lines like, “the flies don’t bite your eyeballs, and human life has worth!” I’ll confirm that there are no eyeball-biting flies, but given what’s going on in this country right now, not so sure about that last part.
7. “All-American Prophet”
Maybe a controversial pick, but this tent-revival-style number is impressive for the way it chucks actual Mormon doctrine at the audience, but makes it entertaining as hell even as it peels back the absurdity of the entire faith. The synchopated spoken-word delivery is incredibly complicated, and the mock interactions with audience plants are hilarious. “Wow, so The Bible is actual a trilogy? And Part 3 is Return of the Jedi? I’m interested!” And then there’s the sung parts addressing the massive logic holes with the entire concept of the golden plates. And then there’s absurd, “I have maggots in my scrotum” line, out of nowhere.
6. “Turn it Off”
All of the Mormon missionary group numbers are great, and this one is both funny and sad, but sad in a way that somehow makes it funnier. Repression: The Song is light and fresh even when dealing with domestic abuse, cancer, and identity crisis. And it all climaxes in an old Hollywood tap number? CRUSH IT!
5. “Two By Two”
An upbeat, catchy ditty that ships the Mormon missionaries out on their paths, specifically the unexpected destination for our protagonists. It’s a heavy plot song, but you cannot beat that infectious chorus and dance break.
4. “You and Me (But Mostly Me)”
A great song on its own, and critical to the plot of the story. This song really underscores how much of an asshole Elder Price actually is — as if admitting that Orlando, FL, is his favorite place on Earth was not indication enough — and establishes the initial dynamic between him and Elder Cunningham.
3. “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream”
One of the least-essential songs in the show from a plot perspective, but one of the most astonishing sequences from an audience perspective. When I first saw this show live, my mouth was literally agape for this entire number, as a guilt-plagued Elder Price is transported to Hell and tormented by actual demons, terrible humans (Jonny Cochran!), and Jesus himself. It is a WILD RIDE, honey, and it is such a banger of a song. Andrew Rannells’ delivery in this song shows real range. “Spookitus!” whip crack
2. “Hello”
One of the most effective opening numbers in recent musical history. The average person understands the concept of the doorbell-ringing Mormons peddling their sacred text, and having a chorus of cheerful-turned-vaguely-threatening mission kids set up the basic premise, as well as core personality traits for our two leads, is so effective. And so catchy!
1. “Man Up”
So many of the songs in Book of Mormon are deliberate plays on other numbers from blockbuster musicals. This song, which closes out Act I, is a massive rock opera featuring Elder Cunningham psyching himself up by taking his cues from Jesus himself. It then morphs into a multi-stream song bringing in Nabulingi referencing “Sal Tlay Ka Siti” and Elder Price roughly alluding to “Two by Two” as he has his dark night of the soul. The three of them overlap as the music builds to, in my opinion, one of the most thrilling climaxes in 21st Century Broadway.
Who are YOUR favorite messy comic-book exes? Leave a comment below!
