The Music Man Quotes
Harold Hill poses as a boys' band leader to con naive Iowa townsfolk.
Marian Paroo: No, please, not tonight. Maybe tomorrow.
Harold Hill: Oh, my dear little librarian. You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering.
Marian Paroo: Oh, so would I.
Harold Hill: Oh, my dear little librarian. You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering.
Marian Paroo: Oh, so would I.
[in song]
Marian Paroo: Do you think that I'd allow a common masher - ? Now, really, mama. I have my standards where men are concerned and I have no intention...
Mrs. Paroo: I know all about your standards and if you don't mind my sayin' so there's not a man alive who could hope to measure up to that blend of Paul Bunyan, Saint Pat, and Noah Webster you've concocted for yourself out of your Irish imagination, your Iowa stubbornness, and your li'berry full of books!
Marian Paroo: Do you think that I'd allow a common masher - ? Now, really, mama. I have my standards where men are concerned and I have no intention...
Mrs. Paroo: I know all about your standards and if you don't mind my sayin' so there's not a man alive who could hope to measure up to that blend of Paul Bunyan, Saint Pat, and Noah Webster you've concocted for yourself out of your Irish imagination, your Iowa stubbornness, and your li'berry full of books!
[in song]
Harold Hill: I cheer, and I rave, for the virtue I'm too late to save, the sadder but wiser girl for me... I smile, I grin when the gal with a touch of sin walks in / I hope and I pray for Hester to win just one more "A" / The sadder but wiser girl's the girl for me / The sadder but wiser girl for me.
Harold Hill: I cheer, and I rave, for the virtue I'm too late to save, the sadder but wiser girl for me... I smile, I grin when the gal with a touch of sin walks in / I hope and I pray for Hester to win just one more "A" / The sadder but wiser girl's the girl for me / The sadder but wiser girl for me.
Constable Locke: That was pretty good, Professor, but you made a couple of mistakes.
Harold Hill: Oh?
Constable Locke: Yeah, the billiard hall and that pool table belong to Mayor Shinn.
Harold Hill: Oh
[looks thoughtful]
Harold Hill: What was my other mistake?
Constable Locke: That Zaneta, she's the mayor's oldest girl.
Harold Hill: Oh?
Constable Locke: Yeah, the billiard hall and that pool table belong to Mayor Shinn.
Harold Hill: Oh
[looks thoughtful]
Harold Hill: What was my other mistake?
Constable Locke: That Zaneta, she's the mayor's oldest girl.
Marian Paroo: The librarian hasn't felt much like doing research lately, but she did plenty when you first came here.
Harold Hill: What about?
Marian Paroo: Professor Harold Hill. Gary Conservatory of Music, gold medal class of '05. Harold, there wasn't any Gary Conservatory of Music in '05.
Harold Hill: Why, there most certainly w...
Marian Paroo: Because the town wasn't even built until '06. I tore this page out of an Indiana Journal. I was going to use it against you, but now I give to you with all my heart.
Harold Hill: What about?
Marian Paroo: Professor Harold Hill. Gary Conservatory of Music, gold medal class of '05. Harold, there wasn't any Gary Conservatory of Music in '05.
Harold Hill: Why, there most certainly w...
Marian Paroo: Because the town wasn't even built until '06. I tore this page out of an Indiana Journal. I was going to use it against you, but now I give to you with all my heart.
Mrs. Shinn: [answering doorbell the Prof Hill rang] Oh, George, it's you.
Mayor Shinn: [to Prof Hill] I never had a son!
Mrs. Shinn: [not seeing Prof Hill] I never said you did.
Mayor Shinn: What would you know?
Mrs. Shinn: Well, I'd certainly know if I gave you a son!
Mayor Shinn: I wasn't talking to you.
Mrs. Shinn: Well who were you talking to?
Mayor Shinn: I was talking to-
[realizes that Prof Hill is no longer there]
Mayor Shinn: Never mind!
[Mayor Shinn storms away]
Mrs. Shinn: Zaneta, call the doctor for your father.
Mayor Shinn: [to Prof Hill] I never had a son!
Mrs. Shinn: [not seeing Prof Hill] I never said you did.
Mayor Shinn: What would you know?
Mrs. Shinn: Well, I'd certainly know if I gave you a son!
Mayor Shinn: I wasn't talking to you.
Mrs. Shinn: Well who were you talking to?
Mayor Shinn: I was talking to-
[realizes that Prof Hill is no longer there]
Mayor Shinn: Never mind!
[Mayor Shinn storms away]
Mrs. Shinn: Zaneta, call the doctor for your father.
Harold Hill: Mothers of River City, heed that warning before it's too late! Watch for the telltale signs of corruption! The minute your son leaves the house, does he rebuckle his knickerbockers below the knee? Is there a nicotine stain on his index finger? A dime-novel hidden in the corncrib? Is he starting to memorize jokes from Captain Billy's Whiz-Bang? Are certain words creeping into his conversation? Words like "swell" and "so's your old man"? If so my friends, ya got trouble!
Amaryllis: I'm having a party on Saturday. I'd like it if you could come.
Mrs. Paroo: Well, Amaryllis asked you to her party. Are you going or not?
Winthrop Paroo: No
Mrs. Paroo: No what?
Winthrop Paroo: No, thank you.
Mrs. Paroo: No thank you, who? You know the little girl's name.
Amaryllis: I bet he won't say it.
Mrs. Paroo: No, "thank you, WHO," Winthrop?
Winthrop Paroo: No, thank you, AMARYLLITH!
Amaryllis: Amaryllith! Amaryllith!
Mrs. Paroo: Well, Amaryllis asked you to her party. Are you going or not?
Winthrop Paroo: No
Mrs. Paroo: No what?
Winthrop Paroo: No, thank you.
Mrs. Paroo: No thank you, who? You know the little girl's name.
Amaryllis: I bet he won't say it.
Mrs. Paroo: No, "thank you, WHO," Winthrop?
Winthrop Paroo: No, thank you, AMARYLLITH!
Amaryllis: Amaryllith! Amaryllith!
