''"It's about one moment
The moment before it all becomes clear
And in that one moment
You start to believe there's nothing to fear
It's about one second
And just when you're on the verge of success
The sky starts to change
And the wind starts to blow!"''
—- "Opening"
Songs for a New World is a musical revue by Jason Robert Brown featuring a variety of different musical styles from jazz to an homage to "Surabaya Johnny" to gospel to...
There is no main plot, but the songs are linked by themes of aspirations, decisions, and the power of "that moment before it all becomes clear."
"Stars and the Moon" is arguably the best-known song from the show, as it has been covered by numerous singers.
This musical revue has examples of:
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: From "The Steam Train":"There were twelve boys in my fifth grade class at Sojourner Truth. Four of them are in jail, six of them are dead... and Gordon Connors works at Twin Donut on 125th Street."
- As the Good Book Says...: MANY songs fall prey to this.
- Babies Make Everything Better: Believed by the singer of "Christmas Lullaby."
- Bad Santa: What Mrs. Claus makes him out to be in "Surabaya Santa."
- Be Careful What You Wish For: "Stars and the Moon" has a woman singing about how she turned down two poor lovers who offered her virtues, life experiences, and immaterial things ("stars and the moon") in exchange for one who promised the lavish lifestyle she craved. It's only years later that she realizes that she's living a dreamless, stagnant, and empty life despite having everything she wanted, and will "never have the moon".
- Bravado Song: In "I'm Not Afraid Of Anything", the female singer compares her stated lack of fear to the fears of the people around her, saying she can't understand why they're afraid. The unfortunate consequence is that she can't see eye-to-eye with her lover David, who is afraid... of being with her. Depending on the interpretation, the singer may actually be covering up her own fears of intimacy.
- Dead Man Walking: "King Of The World" is sung by someone who is about to be executed.
- Driven to Suicide: the whole theme of "Just One Step."
- Hobo: The singers of "The River Don't Flow."
- Final Love Duet: "I'd Give It All For You." Downplayed as it is about halfway through the second act. Downplayed further since the musical is a series of vignettes and there are no fixed characters (though, in the traditional cast, the guy who sings "The World Was Dancing" also sings this song).
- "I Want" Song: Oddly averted: Although many characters complain or ask for help from God, they never explicitly say want they want. Played straight in "Stars and the Moon," where the woman singing outright declares that she wants a life of wealth and luxury, but it's ultimately subverted when she gets that and ends up regretting it when she realizes it didn't make her happy.
- Minimalist Cast: The original recording involves only four actors (plus a one-line Creator Cameo from Jason Robert Brown in the final song).
- No Plot? No Problem!.
- Non-Appearing Title: "On the Deck of a Spanish Sailing Ship, 1492", "Surabaya Santa", "Christmas Lullaby", "The Flagmaker, 1775".
- Perfection Is Static: In the song "Stars and the Moon," the (female) narrator relates turning down a proposal from a man who wanted to help her grow and an offer of adventure from another man to marry a wealthy man who gave her the luxurious life and material goods she had always dreamed of, and has come to realize "that it [her life] never changed and it never grew."
- Prone to Tears: Depending on your interpretation, the subject of "She Cries."
- Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor: The woman in "Stars and the Moon" has to choose between two poor suitors and one rich suitor. She chooses the rich one, but ends up regretting it.
- Runaway Groom: "The World Was Dancing."And since I'd spent so long with Amy
We got ourselves engaged
But then I thought:
''I can't, this can't be right
‘Cause dreams get burned down overnight
I wasn't quite prepared to choose,
To take that risk and maybe lose
And since I couldn't tell her why
I hit the road
And never said goodbye - Sanity Slippage Song: "The Flagmaker, 1775", yet, rather understandably.
- Santa Claus: Is the subject of "Surabaya Santa."
- Selective Obliviousness: "I'm Not Afraid of Anything."
- Sexy Santa Dress: Some productions have Mrs. Claus dressed in one of these.
- Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer: Ty Taylor is prominently featured on the soundtrack CD of the original cast recording but does not appear in any of the cast photos included with the CD. This is because the photos all come from the stage production, which Taylor was not actually part of; in the stage show, Billy Porter was the fourth cast member but could not appear on the cast recording due to contractual issues, so Taylor stepped in.
- You Are Fat: Comes up in "Just One Step" and "Surabaya Santa."
