"Hair"Soundtrack Lyrics

"Hair (Original Broadway Soundtrack) — 1990 Edition" Soundtrack Description

Overview

What does revolution sound like when you press “repeat” in 1990? This reissue/compilation of Hair (Original Broadway Soundtrack) packages the late-’60s tribe anthems for a CD era—collecting marquee numbers from Galt MacDermot (music) with Gerome Ragni and James Rado (lyrics/book) as performed by Broadway and affiliated cast recordings. It is not a new cast; it’s a regionally released, rights-cleared anthology that keeps the show’s backbone—“Aquarius,” “I Got Life,” “Let the Sunshine In”—in circulation for a new format and market.

The release carries a 1990 date and credits indicating a late-’80s/1990 manufacturing window in Latin America. In practice, it serves as a compact gateway to the musical’s score without duplicating every track from the 1967–68 cast albums. Historical context: the original Broadway cast recording topped the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks in 1969 and later entered the U.S. National Recording Registry—facts that frame why labels kept reissuing the material in subsequent decades (trusted source: Library of Congress; trusted source: The New York Times).

Questions & Answers

What exactly is the “1990” album?

A territory-specific CD anthology labeled Hair (Original Broadway Soundtrack), dated 1990, compiling key numbers from stage recordings for the CD market.

Is it the 1979 film soundtrack?

No. It’s focused on the stage material. Note: a separate 1979 film OST exists; a 1990 reissue of that film album even omitted several numbers compared with the original LP.

Are these the original Broadway performances?

They are sourced from official cast recordings associated with the musical. Packaging varies by territory; credits trace back to the show’s canonical recordings.

Why did labels keep repackaging Hair?

Demand and relevance: the songs became pop standards, and the cast album made chart history, justifying periodic remasters and compilations for new formats.

Does the 1990 disc include the full score?

No. It’s a selection. Expect the big set-pieces and a handful of character numbers, not a complete track-by-track stage sequence.

What’s the running time?

About an hour and change (roughly 32 tracks on common 1990 listings, ~66 minutes).

Where was this particular edition issued?

Documentation shows Latin American credits (e.g., Brazil) on some pressings; availability in other regions varies.

Notes & Trivia

• The stage score’s hits—“Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In,” “Good Morning Starshine,” “Easy to Be Hard”—also charted in pop covers (The 5th Dimension, Oliver, Three Dog Night).
• The original Broadway cast LP won the 1969 Grammy for Best Score from an Original Cast Show Album and hit No. 1 on Billboard for 13 weeks (trusted source: Library of Congress).
• 1990s CDs sometimes normalized levels and trimmed intros between segued tracks to suit the format.
• Film vs. stage: the 1979 movie project added and cut material; one 1990 reissue of the film OST dropped several songs that had been on the earlier LP.

Genres & Themes

Rock-soul crossover → communal lift: brass and choral stacks turn demonstrations into celebrations (“Aquarius,” “Let the Sunshine In”).

Acid-folk / pop ballad → intimacy and doubt: lighter rhythm sections and close harmonies underscore relationship beats (“Frank Mills,” “Easy to Be Hard”).

Funk/psych edges → protest and parody: groove-driven vamps frame satire of war, racism, and consumer culture (“Colored Spade,” “Don’t Put It Down”).

Tracks & Scenes

“Aquarius” — Tribe
Where it plays: Prologue/Act I opening as the tribe assembles in the park (non-diegetic to the audience; diegetic chant within the scene).
Why it matters: Announces the show’s cosmology and communal voice; the 1990 CD anchors around this as the gateway track.

“Donna” — Berger & Tribe
Where it plays: Early Act I, Berger’s comic-romantic ode, establishing free-wheeling tone.
Why it matters: Character color and rhythmic ease; gives the album a breezy gear after the overture-like opener.

“Manchester, England” — Claude & Tribe
Where it plays: Claude’s self-mythologizing entrance.
Why it matters: Theme of identity vs. draft pressures; on record, the choral answers sharpen his internal split.

“I Got Life” — Claude & Tribe
Where it plays: Act I release valve after cataloging anxieties.
Why it matters: Call-and-response propulsion; the 1990 mastering typically keeps drum/bass punch upfront, ideal for CD playback.

“Easy to Be Hard” — Sheila
Where it plays: Confrontation about hypocrisy and empathy.
Why it matters: The score’s moral center; ballad clarity amid a rock score—often a highlight for new listeners.

“Hair” — Claude, Berger & Tribe
Where it plays: Mid-Act I, playful manifesto about bodies and freedom.
Why it matters: Icon status; sneakily sophisticated horn writing under the joke-bright surface.

“Where Do I Go?” — Claude & Tribe
Where it plays: Act I climax leading into the controversial tableau.
Why it matters: Questions turn into ritual; the CD preserves the dynamic arc from private plea to communal echo.

“Good Morning Starshine” — Tribe
Where it plays: Act II levity amid darker turns.
Why it matters: Pure pop surge; the song’s life beyond the show explains why compilations like this spotlight it.

“The Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In)” — Tribe
Where it plays: Finale.
Why it matters: Protest becomes lament becomes anthem; most 1990 editions place it as the cathartic closer or penultimate cut to mirror the stage arc.

Music–Story Links

As Claude drifts from fantasy to conscription dread, the album pivots from bright chorus numbers to tighter, more aching songs. Berger’s swagger gets tambourine and horn sparkle; Sheila’s confrontation strips back to voice and sustained chords. By the finale, the tribe’s stacked vocals swallow solo lines—protest and grief voiced as one body. That alchemy is why a 1990 CD—decades later—still feels current.

How It Was Made

Score by Galt MacDermot; book/lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado. The 1990 CD credits indicate compilation/pressing work under a Sony-affiliated Latin American imprint; track provenance points back to official cast recordings (original Broadway/off-Broadway and related sessions). Separately, film-album reissue notes from 1990 document a different curation for the Miloš Forman movie soundtrack, including omitted numbers on that CD pressing—useful for collectors comparing editions.

Reception & Quotes

The musical’s stature—rather than any single 1990 pressing—drives reception. The original Broadway cast album’s accolades and the show’s revival history keep demand alive for reissues and compilations.

“The cast album of Hair was… a must-have for the middle classes… [It] became a pop-rock classic.” The New York Times

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

Additional Info

• Expect sequencing differences by region; some 1990 CDs expand to ~30+ cuts by splitting medleys into indexable tracks.
• Film vs. stage order differs; the 1990 film-album CD notoriously dropped several songs present on the earlier LP.
• Pop-chart afterlife: “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” (The 5th Dimension) and “Good Morning Starshine” (Oliver) anchor cross-generational recognition.
• Cast-album discographies log multiple masterings from 1967 onward; dynamic range and segues can vary.
• Revival waves (1977, 2009/2010) periodically spiked interest, prompting more reissues.

Technical Info

• Title: Hair (Original Broadway Soundtrack) — 1990 Edition
• Year: 1990 (CD compilation/reissue; regional)
• Type: Stage musical compilation (various cast recordings; Broadway-origin material)
• Creators: Music — Galt MacDermot; Lyrics/Book — Gerome Ragni, James Rado
• Label credit (example pressing): Sony-affiliated Latin American imprint (Brazil credit line)
• Length: ~66 minutes (≈32 indexed tracks on common 1990 listing)
• Notable inclusions: “Aquarius,” “I Got Life,” “Where Do I Go?,” “Good Morning Starshine,” “The Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In)”
• Context notes: Distinct from the 1979 film soundtrack; a 1990 film-album reissue omitted multiple numbers present on the original LP.

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Library of Congress National Recording Registry; The New York Times (cast-album history); Apple Music album page (1990 edition metadata); Wikipedia (musical overview and film-album reissue note); Discogs and CastAlbums.org (discography/pressing context).

November, 10th 2025