As I mentioned in my post on “Barely Breathing”, Duncan Sheik is criminally underrated. Thankfully, what pop radio couldn’t handle, Broadway was more than ready for, and Duncan has gone on to become a Grammy- and Tony-winning writer for the stage.

“Good Morning!” is a deep cut from Duncan’s fourth album, 2002’s excellent Daylight, and the lyric is perfectly descriptive and cinematic. It proved that-several years before Spring Awakening-Duncan was ready for his turn on the Great White Way. It’s basically a one-act play; a man wakes up from a dream and is greeted by Satan, who then narrates the song. The devil may have come to do some-shall we say-end stage business, and dresses down our newly awakened (ha!) observer with all manner of insults (cut-throat, turncoat).

My favorite part of “Good Morning!”, the part that always resonates in my head during my most misanthropic moments (there are plenty) is the bridge, in which Duncan (as Satan) belts:

Take me to your leader
I sure could use a laugh
(I hear) he’s made a new bird feeder
And he sleeps in a birdbath
Who needs to join the circus
Come on, just look around
We are surrounded
By a bunch of fucking clowns!

It’s wry, it’s dramatic, it’s hilarious (all the hallmarks of a great show or film), and it’s sadly true.