Top 10 Most Relatable Broadway Songs

Welcome to MsMojo, and today were counting down our picks for the show tunes that make us feel seen.

#10: Forget About the Boy

Thoroughly Modern Millie

Millie Dillmount is figuring out how to be a modern woman in a world of expanding opportunities. The irony is that shes dealing with the same everyday detritus in her personal life that everyone can relate to. As Millie vows to forget the guy shes fallen for, her fellow stenographers do the same. But if you have to sing about them, youre definitely not over them. Forget About the Boy rings true to anyone whos ever spent heartsick days trying to get over a breakup or even an unrequited crush. You just spend more time thinking about the person in the process.

#9: She Used to Be Mine

Waitress

The stifling but comforting ordinariness of Opening Up feels familiar to anyone whos just going through the motions of life. But Waitress goes pretty deep on the danger of just getting through life instead of living it. She Used to Be Mine is the emotional climax of a story about an expectant mother whos given up on so many of her dreams that she barely knows who she is anymore. You dont have to go through what Jennas gone through to relate to her heartstring-tugging ballad. In fact, you dont even really need context. Theres something about the way she speaks of her past self thats terrifying, devastating, and shockingly recognizable to anyone who fears their best days might be behind them.

#8: If I Were a Rich Man

Fiddler on the Roof

I mean, the relatability is right there in the title. Who hasnt daydreamed of massive amounts of wealth? Bonus points if youve done it while you were supposed to be working. Tevye, the humble milkman of a Ukrainian shtetl, isnt asking for much. In fact, he doesnt even seem to be asking for all the money in the world. He just dances with unbridled glee at the thought of himself as the wealthiest, most important, most benevolent, most leisurely man in his community. Its the kind of fantasy that runs through your head when you buy a lottery ticket or just cant wait for the end of a soul-draining shift.

#7: Corner of the Sky

Pippin

Themes of belonging and the search for meaning will never go out of style. At the start of this twisted fantasy musical featuring a troupe of ominous performers, we meet Prince Pippin. Disillusioned by royal life, he knows his purpose in life is outside the walls of the castle and his princely duties. He vows to find his Corner of the Sky. This yearning for freedom outside the unfulfilling life he knows isnt just reserved for medieval royalty. Its one that many, if not most, people share when the limits of everyday life become too boring, too demanding, and too painful.

#6: Waving Through a Window

Dear Evan Hansen

Love it or hate it, this Tony-winning musical speaks to some sticky emotional territory. Whether its depiction of anxiety disorders or adolescent ennui gets you, Evan Hansens introductory song hits at some deep-seated stuff. His intense shyness, feelings of inadequacy, and social displacement feel ripped right out of the low self-esteem greatest hits playlist. Its not just about fitting in, though. It gets at the fear of being completely invisible to other people. Waving Through a Window is equal parts sad and charming, but its also filled with moments of existential panic. If you cant relate even a little, take it as a sign that things are probably going pretty well for you.

#5: I Can Do Better Than That

The Last Five Years

The opening number Still Hurting packs a punch, but we give an edge to this other song. Many can relate to wanting to get away from their hometown and people who are settling for a life we dont want. Yeah, its judgmental, but in the way its easy to be when youre freshly an adult, and theres so much you want to do and see. As judgmental of other peoples lives as it comes across, I Can Do Better Than That is more about the person singing it than it is about the people whose lives they dont envy. Its about how easy it becomes to attach dreams to new and exciting opportunities, whether its a new job, a new home, or a new romance.

#4: What Do You Do with a B.A. in English/It Sucks to be Me

Avenue Q

Buckling under the disappointments of life? The stuffed denizens of Avenue Q are right there with you. There are few things that signify the millennial experience more than realizing a bachelors degree is not exactly the investment it was supposed to be. Luckily, this early 2000s musical captured that realization exactly. This isnt just about a useless English degree. Theres all sorts of disappointments and crushing reality contained in its painfully funny lyrics. There are lay-offs, resentments, professional drudgery, and the fading feelings of hope about what your future would hold. And we can all relate to that feeling that, at the moment at least, our life just sucks.

#3: 9 to 5

9 to 5

Dolly Parton managed to create the ultimate anthem to how soul-crushing a job can be. 9 to 5 follows three employees who live out every workers fantasy. They kidnap their boss and make sweeping changes to their workplace that make everyones lives much easier. The title song is a toe-tapping ode to the raises we didnt get, the promotions we were passed up for, and the employers who seem to enjoy making our lives harder. This one might be cheating a little bit, considering the song and the original movie have been around for much longer than the stage musical, but its a certified bop.

#2: Maybe This Time

Cabaret

Although it didnt actually appear in the original Broadway production, this track is probably as well-known as Cabarets title song. Maybe This Time hit so hard with audiences that it was integrated into the shows score after its appearance in the 1972 film. The song sees Sally Bowles summing up her losses in love and life, but still hoping that things can turn out differently. Her optimism in this moment verges on delusional. But who hasnt had to fool themselves into seeing the bright side when things have fallen apart? Theres a reason this one is covered so much. Everyone knows what its like to feel like a loser at one point or another.

#1: Being Alive

Company

Stephen Sondheims concept musical about marriage follows 30-something bachelor Bobby hemming and hawing over settling down. His first-act closer, Marry Me a Little feels like a deeply relatable halfway point. Yes, he wants to fall in love, but he also doesnt want to commit to anyone. But it doesnt work that way. Bobbys long-buried hopes and dreams for a life partner come tumbling out of him in the shows climax, Being Alive. Its a statement of purpose. Ultimately, he wants what most of us want in a relationship, the good stuff and the irritating stuff.

What Broadway song makes you feel seen? Give us some recs in the comments.