Losing My Mind

Losing My Mind

From: Follies
By: Sondheim
Voice Type(s): Mezzo,Soprano

Melody
E ♭/D ♯
Melody
A ♭/G ♯
Full
A ♭/G ♯
Full
E ♭/D ♯

Show Synopsis:
Weismann Theatre is being demolished, and all the old performers from Weismann's follies have reunited for a party. As the older actors interact, their ghostly younger counterparts show scenes from their past lives working at the theatre. Sally Durant Plummer, who has spent a lot of time in rehab clinics and mental hospitals, and Phyllis Rogers Stone, her former roommate, show up with their husbands Buddy and Ben. Ben and Sally, former lovers, both show regret for how their lives have unfolded, and are kissing each other when Buddy walks in the room. Ben tells Phyllis their marriage is over, and the four dissolve in a sort of group mental breakdown that mirrors a number from their follies days. The couples depart together, hoping to work through their issues as their younger selves are seen getting ready for a night out together.

Character:
Sally Durant Plummer, an aging former performer who longs for her youth; not mentally stable or happy in her marriage.

Song Context: 
During the peformers' vaudeville-style reflections, Sally sings about her past and present passion for Ben while feeling like a follies girl once again.	

Fun Facts:
1. This song, like many in Follies, was a sort of exercise for Sondheim in pastiche - writing songs to evoke eras different from the one they were written in. 
2. A major theme in the musical is theatricality and drama - the characters relive their glory days as performers, and the audience watches the performance, giving them one last bow. The characters in this musical are desperate to entertain and perform again. 
3. This song was meant to be extremely similar to Gerswin's "The Man I Love" with lyrics in the style of Dorothy Fields.
    

"The sun comes up,
I chink about you.
The coffee cup,
I think about you.
I want you so,
It's like I'm losing my mind.
The morning ends,
I think about you.
I talk to friends,
I think about you.
And do they know?
It's like I'm losing my mind.
All afternoon,
Doing every little chore,
The thought of you stays bright.
Sometimes I stand
In the middle of the floor,
Not going left,
Not going right.
I dim the lights
And think about you,
Spend sleepless nights
To think about you.
You said you loved me,
Or were you just being kind?
Or am I losing my mind?
I want you so,
It's like I'm losing my mind.
Does no one know?
It's like I'm losing my mind.
All afternoon,
Doing every little chore,
The thought of you stays bright.
Sometimes I stand
In the middle of the floor,
Not going left,
Not going right.
I dim the lights
And think about you,
Spend sleepless nights
To think about you.
You said you loved me,
Or were you just being kind!
Or am I losing my mind?"