"Many a New Day" is a song from the 1943 musical ''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tell ...

'', written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. It was introduced by Joan Roberts in the original Broadway production. In the 1955 film, the song is performed by

Shirley Jones Shirley Mae Jones (born March 31, 1934) is an American actress and singer. In her six decades in show business, she has starred as wholesome characters in a number of musical films, such as '' Oklahoma!'' (1955), ''Carousel'' (1956), and ''The M ...

and appears on the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...

album. "Many a New Day" is sung by Laurey immediately after Curly McLain leaves the scene with Gertie Cummings. Laurey ostensibly does not care that Curly is with a new girl, though it is obvious she is hurt, especially as shown by the slow restatement of the final lines at the end. The song, like many of its era and like many others by Rodgers and Hammerstein, follows some variant of the Verse + AABA structure, a traditional song layout from the Tin Pan Alley era. Also true to form, the economically constructed melody spans only a ninth. The sequence-driven B section ("Never have I wept into my tea," etc.) is exemplary of Rodgers' writing, and similar progressions can be found in songs such as "I Cain't Say No." In the intro verse, Laurey sings about what she does after a romance, to prove that she is not upset. "''I'll snap my fingers to show I don't care,''
''I'll buy me a brand-new dress to wear.''
''I'll scrub my neck and I'll brush my hair,''
''And start all over again.''"

References

External links

Oklahoma! on IMDb
Songs from Oklahoma! Songs with music by Richard Rodgers Songs with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II Shirley Jones songs {{Show-tune-stub