"Free To Be You and Me" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Free to Be... You and Me (2006 Reissue)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

Can a 1972 children’s album be a “2006 musical release”? Yes—when it’s a remastered, label-backed reissue of a culture-shaping original. Free to Be… You and Me returned to stores and digital platforms in 2006 via Arista/Legacy, packaging the classic Marlo Thomas & Friends recordings for a new generation while keeping the original program intact.

The project’s DNA mixes bright, singable pop, spoken-word sketches, and parable-like mini-dramas performed by marquee guests (Diana Ross, Roberta Flack & Michael Jackson, Harry Belafonte, Rosey Grier, Mel Brooks). The 2006 disc is not a new stage cast album—it’s the canonical album, refreshed. For staged versions, the best-known modern production is the Drama Dept. Off-Broadway revival (2002), which drew directly from the album’s material.

Questions & Answers

So what exactly is the “2006” edition?

A remastered Arista/Legacy CD/digital reissue of the 1972 album; it preserves the classic track program and credits.

Was there a “2006” premiere of a new musical?

No. A noted Off-Broadway staging opened in 2002 (Drama Dept., Douglas Carter Beane). The 2006 date refers to the album’s reissue.

Where do these songs appear on screen?

Most anchor the ABC TV special (first aired March 11, 1974). Performances and sketches there map closely to the record.

Who wrote and produced the music?

Music by Stephen J. Lawrence with lyrics by Bruce Hart (plus contributions from Mary Rodgers, Sheldon Harnick, Carol Hall, Shel Silverstein). Produced by Carole Hart, Lawrence, and Hart.

Biggest performers on the album/special?

The New Seekers, Diana Ross, Roberta Flack & Michael Jackson, Harry Belafonte, Rosey Grier, Voices of East Harlem, Tom Smothers.

Recognition since?

Selected by the Library of Congress for the National Recording Registry (2021) as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Notes & Trivia

• The 2006 reissue appears on Apple Music/Spotify as a 19-track, ~46–47 minute album with ℗ notices “1972, 2006 Arista.”
• Original LP: Bell Records (1972). Post-1974 reissues: Arista; the 2006 disc/stream bears Arista/Legacy credits.
• The TV special (1974) includes on-camera performances and animated sketches that mirror the record’s sequencing.
• Library of Congress added the album to the National Recording Registry in 2021.
• Off-Broadway (Drama Dept., 2002) treated the album as a live revue; not a new score.

Genres & Themes

Children’s pop & adult-contemporary balladry → Inclusivity made singable. The New Seekers’ title cut and Diana Ross’s “When We Grow Up” deliver earworms that carry messages about agency and empathy.

Spoken-word comedy & story-songs → Debunking rigid roles. Mel Brooks’ banter, Shel Silverstein’s poems, and parable pieces (“Ladies First,” “Atalanta”) balance jokes with social clarity.

Community gospel/soul → Collective identity. Voices of East Harlem’s “Sisters and Brothers” reframes family beyond blood—chosen community as chorus.

Tracks & Scenes

Selections tie songs to the 1974 ABC special and to how they function on the album. Times vary by version; placements below mirror on-screen order where applicable.

“Free to Be… You and Me” — The New Seekers
Where it plays: Opens the special over a carousel montage; reprise closes the film. Performance track; non-diegetic montage use.
Why it matters: Mission statement—friendship, imagination, and permission to define yourself.

“When We Grow Up” — Roberta Flack & Michael Jackson (TV special) / Diana Ross (album)
Where it plays: Early sequence staging kids’ future selves in the special; album features Ross’s solo studio version.
Why it matters: Counters beauty myths and prescriptive futures; gentlest thesis of the set.

“Parents Are People” — Harry Belafonte & Marlo Thomas
Where it plays: Montage of adults doing non-stereotypical jobs; on-screen performance.
Why it matters: Job roles aren’t gendered; Belafonte’s warmth makes the point land.

“It’s All Right to Cry” — Rosey Grier
Where it plays: Visually varied montage—people crying and feeling better; performance within the special’s frame.
Why it matters: Normalizes emotion in boys and men; core Free-to-Be idea.

“William’s Doll” — Alan Alda & Marlo Thomas (music by Mary Rodgers; lyrics by Sheldon Harnick)
Where it plays: Story-song sequence about a boy who wants a doll; performed on screen.
Why it matters: Preaches caregiving as human, not “for girls.” A watershed moment in kids’ media.

“Sisters and Brothers” — Voices of East Harlem
Where it plays: After a kid-talk interlude; staged performance.
Why it matters: Choir texture expands the project’s communal vibe beyond the nuclear family.

“Helping” — Tom Smothers (poem by Shel Silverstein)
Where it plays: Comic, rhythmic reading amid sketches; studio-style delivery.
Why it matters: Teaches reciprocity with a wink—ethics as everyday habit.

“Ladies First” — Marlo Thomas (from Silverstein’s poem)
Where it plays: Cautionary, funny PSA-style vignette about entitlement (“ladies first”) gone wrong.
Why it matters: Satirizes manners as power move; flips expectations with bite.

“Atalanta” — Alan Alda & Marlo Thomas (text by Betty Miles)
Where it plays: Narrated retelling with race imagery; minimal underscore, performance-driven.
Why it matters: Heroine’s autonomy over marriage; the fable’s feminist pivot is explicit.

“Girl Land” — Jack Cassidy & Shirley Jones
Where it plays: Mock-advertisement for a restrictive theme park; delivered as a theatrical duet.
Why it matters: Parody of sexist “pink ghetto” marketing—sharp even now.

“Glad to Have a Friend Like You” — Marlo Thomas
Where it plays: Late-album affirmation; used variously in stage versions as a curtain-call feel.
Why it matters: Friendship as civic value, not a consolation prize.

“The Sun and the Moon” — Dionne Warwick (bonus/alt performance)
Where it plays: Included as a bonus cut on some editions; appears in the TV special as a visual montage.
Why it matters: Wonders and scales—teaches perspective with lullaby grace.

Music–Story Links

The album moves from permission (“Free to Be…”) to practice (“Parents Are People”) to empathy (“It’s All Right to Cry”), then to explicit deconstruction (“William’s Doll,” “Girl Land”). Choir and community songs (“Sisters and Brothers,” “Circle of Friends”) function as civic glue. The sequencing—anthem → jokes → fables → chorus—mirrors how kids actually learn: catch the ear, crack a smile, tell a story, sing it together.

How It Was Made

Conceived and executive-produced by Marlo Thomas; produced by Carole Hart with Stephen J. Lawrence and Bruce Hart. The 1972 sessions were cut in New York (Mediasound; A&R Studios for music; CBS for voice). Writers include Mary Rodgers & Sheldon Harnick (“William’s Doll”), Carol Hall (“Parents Are People,” “Glad to Have a Friend Like You”), Shel Silverstein (“Helping,” “Ladies First”), Bruce Hart & Stephen J. Lawrence (title song). The 2006 Arista/Legacy edition refreshes audio and packaging for CD/digital without re-recording. A notable stage interpretation preceded it: the Drama Dept. Off-Broadway production (Greenwich House Theater, 2002), directed by Douglas Carter Beane, which functioned as a live revue of the album.

Reception & Quotes

Critical perspective has remained strong and varied across decades.

“Surprise number one is that they all love it, to a person.” Robert Christgau on the LP

“A pioneering recorded album, children’s book, and ABC special… that promotes individuality, tolerance, and gender equality.” Glamour profile

“Selected for the National Recording Registry… culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Library of Congress

“ABC special… celebrated gender equality; became a touchstone.” Time magazine

Additional Info

• Album availability: streaming (Apple Music, Spotify) and 2006 Arista/Legacy CD.
• Key performers across formats: The New Seekers; Diana Ross; Roberta Flack & Michael Jackson; Harry Belafonte; Rosey Grier; Voices of East Harlem; Tom Smothers.
• TV special first aired March 11, 1974 (ABC); Region 1 DVD issued 2001; remastered edition in 2010.
• Not every track in the LP appears in the special, and vice versa (e.g., “Housework”).
• Off-Broadway staging (2002) kept the revue spirit; no separate 2006 stage cast album has been documented.

Technical Info

• Title: Free to Be… You and Me (Remastered Reissue)
• Year: 2006 (reissue of 1972 album)
• Type: Album of songs, sketches, narrated pieces (children’s/variety)
• Music/Lyrics: Stephen J. Lawrence & Bruce Hart; plus Mary Rodgers, Sheldon Harnick, Carol Hall, Shel Silverstein (select tracks)
• Producers: Carole Hart; Stephen J. Lawrence; Bruce Hart
• Studios (orig.): Mediasound; A&R (music); CBS (voice), New York City
• Label: Arista/Legacy (2006 reissue); originally Bell Records (1972)
• Notable placements (screen): ABC TV special Free to Be… You and Me (1974)
• Registry: National Recording Registry (Library of Congress), inducted 2021
• Availability: CD/digital; streaming on major platforms

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: AllMusic; Apple Music; Discogs; Wikipedia; Library of Congress; Playbill; TheaterMania; Glamour; Time.

November, 09th 2025