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Too Much Exposition Lyrics by Mark Hollmann

Urinetown (Original Cast Recording)

2001

[LOCKSTOCK, spoken]
Well, hello there. And welcome—to Urinetown! Not the place, of course. The musical. Urinetown "the place" is... well, it's a place you'll hear people referring to a lot throughout the show. 

[PENNY, spoken]
You hear the news? They carted Old So-and-So off to Urinetown the other day. 

[BOBBY, spoken]
Is that so? What'd he do?

[PENNY, spoken]
Oh, such-and-such, I hear. 

[BOBBY, spoken]
Well, what do you know. Old So-and-So

[LOCKSTOCK]
It's kind of a mythical place, you understand? A bad place. A place you won't see until Act Two. And then? Well, let's just say it's filled with symbolism and things like that. 

But Urinetown "the musical", well, here we are. Welcome. It takes place in a town like any town that you might find in a musical. This here's the first setting for the show. As the sign says, it's a "public amenity," meaning, public toilet. These people have been waiting for hours to get in. It's the only amenity that they can afford to get into. 

[LITTLE SALLY, spoken]
Say, Officer Lockstock, is this where you tell the audience about the water shortage?

[LOCKSTOCK, spoken]
What's that, Little Sally?

[LITTLE SALLY, spoken]
You know, the water shortage. The hard times. The drought. A shortage so awful that private toilets eventually became unthinkable. A premise so absurd that—

[LOCKSTOCK, spoken]
Whoa there, Little Sally. Not all at once. They'll hear more about the water shortage in the next scene. 

[LITTLE SALLY, spoken]
Oh, I guess you don't want to overload them with too much exposition, huh?

[LOCKSTOCK, spoken]
Everything in its time, Little Sally. You're too young to understand it now, but nothing can kill a show like too much exposition. 

[LITTLE SALLY, spoken]
How about bad subject matter?

[LOCKSTOCK, spoken]
Well—

[LITTLE SALLY, spoken]
Or a bad title, even? That could kill a show pretty good. 

[LOCKSTOCK, spoken]
Well, Little Sally, suffice it to say that in Urinetown (the musical) everyone has to use public bathrooms in order to take care of their private business. That's the central conceit of the show!
(sung)
Better hope your pennies
Add up to the fee
We can't have you peeing for free
If you do, we'll catch you
We, we never fail!
And we never bother with jail

[ENSEMBLE]
You'll get Urinetown!
Off you'll go to Urinetown!
Away with you to Urinetown!

[LOCKSTOCK]
You won't need bail
(spoken)
Later on, you'll learn that these "public bathrooms" are controlled by a private company. They keep admission high, generally, so if you're down on your luck, you have to come to a place like this—one of the poorest, filthiest urinals in town. 

[LITTLE SALLY, spoken]
And you can't just go in the bushes either. There's laws against it. 

[LOCKSTOCK, spoken]
That's right, Little Sally. Harsh laws, too. That's why Little Sally here's counting her pennies. Isn't that so, Little Sally?

[LITTLE SALLY, spoken]
I'm very close, Officer. Only a few pennies away. 

[LOCKSTOCK, spoken]
Aren't we all, Little Sally? Aren't we all. 

Well, we've talked on long enough, I imagine. Enjoy the show, and welcome—to Urinetown (the musical)!
Credits
Mark Hollmann

Mark Hollmann

About “Too Much Exposition” by Mark Hollmann

Read the complete lyrics to "Too Much Exposition" by Mark Hollmann from the album "Urinetown (Original Cast Recording)" in 2001. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"Too Much Exposition" is performed by Mark Hollmann. from the album "Urinetown (Original Cast Recording)" in 2001 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Too Much Exposition", explore more songs by Mark Hollmann using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Mark Hollmann · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Too Much Exposition" is credited to Mark Hollmann. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Too Much Exposition" appears on "Urinetown (Original Cast Recording)" in 2001.

Visit the Mark Hollmann artist page at /artist/mark-hollmann for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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