“An Ordinary Couple” from The Sound of Music

This is the song that was replaced by “Something Good” in the film version, and even productions that are rigorous about fidelity to the original stage version usually use “Something Good” in its place. There are two reasons for this: one, the way the songs are set up means you can substitute one for the other without changing a single line of dialogue, and two, given that fact, it’s only common sense to replace a bad song with a great one. This has to be the dullest, least tuneful ballad Rodgers and Hammerstein ever wrote, and while some of the songs in The Sound of Music may get some flack for being excessively sugary, the fact remains that this is the only clear dud in the entire score. Granted, it has slightly more to do with the actual dramatic situation than “Something Good”, but its dreariness drains all the dramatic life out of what should be a thrilling moment in the show…and let’s face it, almost none of the songs in The Sound of Music are tightly integrated into the drama anyway. The other two songs from the stage version of The Sound of Music that didn’t make it into the film, “How Can Love Survive” and “No Way To Stop It”, were cut for the sake of tonal changes and so they wouldn’t have to hire singers to play the Baroness and Max, but this song was cut because it simply wasn’t a good enough song, and I’d say that was one of the smartest decisions the makers of the film made.