The Greatest Showman Takeaways: Are You Never Enough Or Is This You?
I don’t know about you, but this movie has been helping to solidify major life shifts for my circle. (So the short story is: if you haven’t seen it, go see it now.)
The music, the amazing actors, the dancing, the message. It’s all there.
So today I’m listening to the soundtrack on repeat as I’m working and something sparked in my brain.
I realized the extreme juxtaposition between ballads (and the characters) of Jenny Lind (sung by Loren Allred) and Lettie Lutz (played and sung by Keala Settle).
Whether you’ve seen the movie or not, I welcome you to listen to both. I’m also posting the lyrics below each if you can’t listen right at the moment.
Never Enough
Lyrics
I’m trying to hold my breath
Let it stay this way
Can’t let this moment end
You set off a dream with me
Getting louder now
Can you hear it echoing?
Take my hand
Will you share this with me?
‘Cause darling without youAll the shine of a thousand spotlights
All the stars we steal from the nightsky
Will never be enough
Never be enough
Towers of gold are still too little
These hands could hold the world but it’ll
Never be enough
Never be enoughFor me
Never, never
Never, never
Never, for me
For me
Never enough
Never enough
Never enough
For me
For me
For meAll the shine of a thousand spotlights
All the stars we steal from the nightsky
Will never be enough
Never be enough
Towers of gold are still too little
These hands could hold the world but it’ll
Never be enough
Never be enoughFor me
Never, never
Never, never
Never, for me
For me
Never enough
Never, never
Never enough
Never, never
Never enough
For me
For me
For meFor me
This is Me
Lyrics
I am not a stranger to the dark
Hide away, they say
‘Cause we don’t want your broken parts
I’ve learned to be ashamed of all my scars
Run away, they say
No one’ll love you as you areBut I won’t let them break me down to dust
I know that there’s a place for us
For we are gloriousWhen the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I’m gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I’m meant to be, this is me
Look out ’cause here I come
And I’m marching on to the beat I drum
I’m not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is meOh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, ohAnother round of bullets hits my skin
Well, fire away ’cause today, I won’t let the shame sink in
We are bursting through the barricades and
Reaching for the sun (we are warriors)
Yeah, that’s what we’ve become (yeah, that’s what we’ve become)I won’t let them break me down to dust
I know that there’s a place for us
For we are gloriousWhen the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I’m gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I’m meant to be, this is me
Look out ’cause here I come
And I’m marching on to the beat I drum
I’m not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is meOh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh
This is meand I know that I deserve your love
(Oh-oh-oh-oh) ’cause there’s nothing I’m not worthy of
(Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh)
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I’m gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
This is brave, this is proof
This is who I’m meant to be, this is meLook out ’cause here I come (look out ’cause here I come)
And I’m marching on to the beat I drum (marching on, marching, marching on)
I’m not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is meWhen the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I’m gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
I’m gonna send a flood
Gonna drown them out
Oh
This is me
Do you see the difference?
Let’s talk about ’em.
Never Enough
The first ballad (“Never Enough”) speaks about life not being enough unless Jenny Lind (the singer) is able to be with P.T. Barnum, based on the very clear camera shots during the song. She sings about having everything but it never being enough without him. Trouble is, of course, P.T. is (seemingly happily) married!
It’s an interesting song because it can relate to so many things in life: it may feel like never enough because you don’t have this, that, or the other thing. It doesn’t just have to be love. (And it’s not just you; we all struggle with being happy now at some point or other.)
The reality? You are more than enough. And that’s why I love the second song so much.
This is Me
Conversely, “This is Me” is about coming out of life broken and bruised, but owning who you are nonetheless. It’s an epic lesson in truly accepting who you are, becoming a warrior, and never letting outside perspectives let you question that reality.
“This is Me” is about loving who you are regardless of what you have; never questioning if this is enough, as in the first song. (As a side note, if you want to watch an even more emotional version of this song, watch Keala Settle as she performs it during a presentation pre-production.)
So what camp are you in…do you need more and it’s “never enough”? Or are you ready to accept “this is me”?
