Annotations for Jessica keenan wynn alice lee and elle mclemore candy store

Lyric: Oh-ohh
Annotation:
this riff really shows how eager Heather Chandler is to be seen as the female alpha of the heathers, because she’s currently stealing the spotlight from Heather Duke, who just a few seconds ago tried to sing the solo. (which was, -in turn- interrupted by Heather Chandler saying her classic line “SHUT UP, HEATHER!”)

Lyric: Welcome to my candy store
Annotation:
the welcome here is kind of ironic; they clearly don’t like veronica much, only tolerating her because of looks and her writing talents.

Lyric: Honey, whatchu waitin’ for?
Annotation:
This lyric shows slight pump in it- “Whatchu Waitin' for?” come on in! Leave your old life behind.

Lyric: Then step into my candy store
Annotation:
This means Heather Chandler wants her to step into her world, become like her, and become another person she can walk all over.

Lyric: Woah, woah, woah
Annotation:
Heather Duke and McNamara are the backups to Heather Chandler. While she sings the lyrics, Duke and McNamara sing the words “I like,” signifying that, not only are these the things that Chandler likes, but this is her influence continuing to spread and infect the students at her high school. Her influence is why it is so chaotic after her death, and why Duke was able to take the red scrunchie as her own without much retaliation. In the next verse, Chandler sings backup as well, though there is no clear answer as to who sings the most lines.

Lyric: (All you)
Annotation:
By saying ‘all you have to do’, the Heathers are disregarding Veronica’s genuine friendship with Martha. They’re saying ‘oh, this is just one little thing, it’s fine, don’t worry about it.’ Because, as we can see throughout both the movie and the musical, the Heathers have a very backward idea of friendship.

Lyric: Or forget that creep
Annotation:
McNamara is again referring to Martha in this line. Even though McNamara is clearly the nicest Heather, she goes along with what the other two Heathers say because she needs to be liked. Perhaps her contributions are so harsh because she is overcompensating, due to her need to be accepted by her friends.

Lyric: Time for you to prove you’re not a loser anymore
Annotation:
The “proving” of Veronica to be one of the Heathers is basically writing the letter to Martha. The Heathers are using taunting to make Veronica feel weak, and forcing her to turn on her friend in order to prove herself. This paired with the previous lines show the cruelty in the Heathers and adds insight to why they’re so feared. They’re slowly turning Veronica against her best friend and showing her the life she could have–if only she accepts their deal.

Lyric: In my Porsche with the quarterback
Annotation:
Porsche is a German brand of high-quality sports cars and SUV’s. The 911 model in 1989 was worth approximately $58,000, so we know Chandler is not only at the top of the social pyramid, but the economic one as well.  A quarterback is a position in American football and who’s considered the leader of the offensive team, and usually portrayed in media as popular and handsome. If she does what the Heathers' say, Veronica could have booze, boys, money, and status.

Lyric: Or you could come smoke, pound some rum and coke
Annotation:
Here, Chandler has contrasted a child’s hobbies (“play dolls”, “Let your mommy fix you a snack”) to more “grown-up” activities. Buying cigarettes under the age of 18 was illegal in most places in Ohio in 1989, meaning Heather is an underage drinker and smoker.

Lyric: Killer clothes
Annotation:
This refers to her clothes (obviously!) that were very popular in the 80’s, most obviously, her blazer with shoulder pads. But her clothes (and the other Heathers') are quite significant. Shoulder pads were often worn by women as they gave the appearance of broader shoulders. In the 80’s, as  Margaret Thatcher’s shoulder pads and had broke the glass ceiling for women in Western societies, women adopted shoulder pads in a way to feel more powerful in the workplace. The Heathers' clothing emphasises the power and status they have in the school. Additionally, each of the Heathers' signature colours has a special meaning. Chandler’s signature colour is red, meaning passion, violence, and power. Duke’s is green, representing envy and greed. McNamara’s is yellow, symbolising youth and innocence. The word “killer” also foreshadows the murders that will take place in the musical.

Lyric: Maxin’ Dad’s credit card
Annotation:
By maxing out her dad’s credit card, we can see that Heather has a lack of respect towards most people, which we’ve seen previously with her not caring about Duke’s eating disorder. We can also infer that she comes from a wealthy family as she seems to say the line so casually, like spending $10,000 (the maximum you can seem to get on credit cards)  is nothing. These lines can be interpreted as her showing off to Veronica, demonstrating the power that she has because she’s rich, she’s beautiful, and she’s the most popular girl in school. She is showing Veronica that she could ruin her because she has that much influence. Also, Veronica doesn’t seem to be as wealthy as the Heathers as when they are playing croquet (after “Fight For Me”), Heather C says “and by the look of your house, you can’t afford replacement panties.” This could be another instance where she’s showing how much higher she is, not just in the school hierarchy, but in society generally.

Lyric: You just gotta prove you’re not a pussy anymore
 Then step into my candy store
Annotation:
By forging the note, Veronica is promised fame and glory, and the Heathers are trying to pressure her by using the term “pussy” to sort of bully her into submission. Really, Heather Chandler is the one pulling the strings, as the founder and leader of the Heathers. Heather Chandler is the one with all the fame, the reputation.

Lyric: ’Course if you don’t care, fine!
Annotation:
Saying this is really implying that the Heathers don’t  need Veronica. They don’t even really care about her all that much. In the beginning of the musical, the only reason the Heathers liked Veronica was because she had okay looks and could forge signatures well.

Lyric: Let’s go tear up someone’s lawn
Annotation:
It’s a very cliche teenage thing to do. You get in a car and you do donuts on some poor guys lawn, have a little fun, raise a little hell! It’s basically their idea of a good time and really shows something about the consideration for others (or lack thereof).

Lyric: H. MCNAMARA
Annotation:
Every situation is very ironic in McNamara’s case because she endlessly follows the tirade when she obviously has the ideas and brain capacity to follow on her own. “ Lifeboat” is a breakout for her and this song helps underline her prisoner stance in Heathers.

Lyric: Ram invited me to his homecoming party
 This proves he’s been thinking about me
Annotation:
This can start with the backstory of Martha and Ram. Even though it is later elaborated in “ Kindergarten Boyfriend”, it shows Martha has never given up hope for Ram. As a jock, he’s from a different social class, and he doesn’t reciprocate her feelings. Their relationship worsens after the first act when Martha starts to key in that it was indeed a murder.

Lyric: (That freak’s)
Annotation:
The Heathers are manipulating Veronica, with Heather M. acting as though she’s a concerned friend when in reality, their intentions are much worse. The line has a “trust me” atmosphere to it. It also foreshadows the ending where Martha and Heather McNamara end up being Veronica’s only remaining friends.

Lyric: Help you cheat
Annotation:
Heather M doesn’t actually do her homework–she charms guys into giving her the answers. It can also have more than one meaning – a guy can just as easily help you cheat on a romantic partner or help you bend or break local laws (cheating the system.) Looks like at least one Heather considers boys to be tools at her disposal.

Lyric: Pay the check
Annotation:
On a date it is a common practice for the man to pay for the meal. The Heathers are used to using guys to get free favours, as every guy in the school falls for them. Well, almost every guy.

Lyric: Go braid her hair
Annotation:
Braiding hair is thought of as a typical tween girl sleepover activity, and braids (especially double braids) are often seen on young girls to depict innocence. Heather McNamara is stating that Veronica can either be a child, or grow up, forget Martha, and join them.

Lyric: Drinkin’ hard
Annotation:
Heather C. likes engaging in social drinking, and given the fact that she’s a high school junior and therefore 16 or 17 years old, she’s an underage drinker.  In 1989, the drinking age in Ohio was 19, so she’s not so far off of the drinking age. It might not be so unbelievable or taboo in her small town to see teenagers drink.

Lyric: (Guys fall) At your feet
Annotation:
Every guy in school–jocks, nerds, goths, etc.–are always head over heels for a Heather (except for J.D., that is]. The only way to get noticed is if you’re one of the popular kids in school. Before its Off-Broadway run, the lyrics read: What’s your fantasy? Sleep in class? Sleep with me! Just one! Job to do Say goodbye to Shamu!

Lyric: Skippin’ gym, scarin’ her
Annotation:
The fact that H. Chandler prefers bullying her classmates over doing other activies is a clear character trait and shows that she had a negative presence in the school. The “her” could refer to Martha or any of the other “lesser” girls she takes joy in torturing.

Lyric: Lookin’ hot, buying stuff they cannot
Annotation:
H. Chandler is obviously the group leader and the icon the other two Heathers follow.  In this song, H. Duke and H. McNamara are usually seen behind H. Chandler, and like we can see in these three verses, singing backup vocals after Chandler starts the song.

Lyric: [HEATHERS]
 Or if you prefer
 
 [H. CHANDLER]
 Keep on testing me
 
 [HEATHERS]
 And end up like her
Annotation:
This is our clearest look so far at how vicious H. Chandler really is. She practically spits the word “testing” and her voice throughout her line here is low, sinister, and seems to come through clenched teeth. H. Chandler is not a thug like Kurt or Ram, who will tolerate being talked back to only because they find it entertaining to slam whoever does it afterwards. She is, as Veronica later says, the demon queen of high school. She will be respected and obeyed, or you will regret it. “Her” refers to Martha. The Heathers show disdain for Martha’s naivety, and remind us that they can hurt Veronica just as easily and dismissively as they can hurt Martha.

Lyric: I’m so happy
Annotation:
As you learn later in Kindergarten Boyfriend, Martha has had a mega crush on Ram since kindergarten, which is a  very long time. Veronica knew this, and by the tone of Martha’s voice you can tell that she’s genuinely excited and happy, which makes the line sting a little. This also tells you that this was probably an effective way for Veronica to become a Heather, as the Heathers are simply genuinely mean and back-stabby people.

Lyric: But I’m feeling nice, here’s some advice
 Listen up, biatch
Annotation:
Heather Chandler wants to create the illusion of being nice, in an attempt to manipulate Veronica in doing what she wants. Heather’s tone is much more threatening than nice, and the powerful way the line is delivered implies that there is no kindness involved. Heather let Veronica pass with a warning, but is ensuring she won’t ever question a Heather again.

Lyric: She would leave you to rot
Annotation:
If Martha had Veronica’s opportunity to be with the Heathers, Martha would leave Veronica in the dust, trying to persuade Veronica to do the same. At least, that’s what Heathers are trying to imply. This is a reference to the scene in the movie where Heather Duke says I mean, do you really think that if Betty Finn’s fairy god-mother made her cool she’d still hang out with her dweebette friends? No way, Veronica. In the musical Betty Finn’s character is combined with Martha’s.

Lyric: I’d normally slap your face off
 And everyone here could watch
Annotation:
Although she would usually show little hesitation in showing her fellow students who’s boss, Heather sees Veronica’s potential as a pawn in her plans of school-wide humiliation.  Chandler wants to scare Veronica but still sees the benefit of her being part of the group (forging handwriting, for example).

Lyric: [H. MCNAMARA]
Annotation:
Heather Chandler first talked about how Veronica would seem childish if she didn’t write the note, then in the second verse the other Heathers add their own commentary, showing that Chandler is the leader.

Lyric: If you lack the balls, you can go play dolls
Annotation:
Here the Heathers equate Veronica to a little child when she doesn’t take up their request to forge a note. The Heathers consider someone not wanting toying with someone’s feelings like a child shying away from a certain object. It’s also an example one of the recurring themes of the musical: the transition from childhood in high school. If you weren’t cool, you were still a child, someone playing catch-up. This theme appears again in Seventeen, when Veronica chooses being a teenager rather than going along with JD’s plans. It’s also a nod to the original film, when Heather C. tells Veronica that she was “playing barbies with Betty Finn”. In the musical, Betty Finn’s character was combined with Martha Dunnstock’s.

Lyric: And get in my Jeep
Annotation:
Later, in Act 2 when Duke has become the new queen bitch, McNamara mentions that all her rides to school are dead. Clearly Duke is not a good friend.

Lyric: It’s my candy store, it’s my candy
 It’s my candy store, it’s my candy
 It’s my candy store, it’s my candy store
Annotation:
The repetition of “It’s my candy store” seems like it mirrors the “kid in a candy store” idiom, where the kid in question has everything they want right in front of them. In a similar way, repeating “It’s my candy” puts the emphasis on moments like these;  the Heathers torturing kids like Martha gives is what they live for.

Lyric: Screwin’ him
Annotation:
This points out that Heather Chandler was either very sexually active or extremely rude, at a very young age. She’d rather spend her time intimidating people into doing what she wants than trying to befriend them. The fact that she takes the latter route with Veronica further implies that Veronica is different from everyone else at Westerburg.

Lyric: Honey, whatchu waitin’ for?
 Welcome to my candy store
Annotation:
A “candy store” could refer to being a sort of safe haven in which you have everything you could ever want, although it could also be a place filled with addiction and decay. While the promise of all the treats that come with status is tempting and very attractive to an outsider, all that sugar will rot Veronica’s moral compass. Heather calling her world a “candy store” also implies that like in the real thing, Veronica’s good graces with the Heathers, not to mention the other sweet perks Heather C. references, can be bought… for a price, of course. The question left in Veronica’s mind, and the audience’s, now becomes, “Is the price of admission (playing a cruel trick on Martha, Veronica’s best friend) worth it?”

Lyric: Maybe Sesame Street is on
Annotation:
Throughout the musical, maturity is a recurring theme. The Heathers are not really that mature (thought they pretend to be), but they still condemn Veronica for being a child. This is all very ironic since the Heathers often exhibit the behaviour of a bratty, entitled kid throwing a tantrum. It might be worth noting that when Heather M delivers this line (at least in the videos that have been released), her voice cracks. While this could be Elle’s voice cracking because of the strain of doing the show 8 times a week, it could also be adding to Heather M’s character, like she’s trying to be tougher than she actually is and it shows in her voice.

Lyric: Color me stoked
Annotation:
In this line, Veronica bregrudingly proves she’s not a loser anymore by siding with the Heathers and going along with their cruel prank on her best friend Martha. In the musical, Veronica’s way of saying this line, is quite regretful, as she’s more or less upset with the fact that Martha genuinely thinks Ram wrote that letter.

Lyric: Are we gonna have a problem?
 You got a bone to pick?
 You’ve come so far, why now are you pulling on my dick?
Annotation:
Heather Chandler finds it hard to understand why Veronica is so hesitant to forge a lovenote from Ram to Martha for her, especially after the Heathers gave Veronica a makeover and accepted her into their group. The line “why are you pulling on my dick” is a reference to the movie, in which Heather Duke actually says it after Heather Chandler’s death.

Lyric: You can join the team (Or you can bitch and moan)
 You can live the dream (Or you can die alone)
Annotation:
This line shows immature “black-and-white thinking” pattern that many people have. Veronica probably could have gotten along just fine in life without being a member of the Heathers, but the Heathers themselves either don’t realize that or are too self-absorbed to acknowledge it. During this section (especially “Or you can die alone!”) H. Duke and H. McNamara sound noticeably pitchy compared to H. Chandler. The result is that their lines in this section sound much more childish, underlining for the audience who the truly immature people are in this number: The Heathers, who fling insult after insult at Veronica, Martha, and other students like children on the playground. This whole section is darkly reprised in “ Shine A Light (Reprise)” in which Heather Duke (either in person or in H. McNamara’s head) drives Heather McNamara towards attempting suicide: Your ass is off the team! Go on and bitch and moan, You don’t deserve the dream, You’re gonna die alone!"

Lyric: You can fly with eagles
Annotation:
Eagles are a symbol for the supposed “popular clique that rules the school” as an eagle soars over the skies, dominating them, as the Heathers sort of do. This references the movie where Veronica quotes Heather: She said, real life sucks losers dry. You want to fuck with the eagles, you have to learn to fly. Heather justifies what she does to people, saying it’s to teach them “real life”.

Lyric: Kickin’ nerds in the nose
Annotation:
In the off-broadway version, the Heathers literally high kick during this line as they walk towards Veronica; their high heels come dangerously close to Veronica’s nose. This implies that Veronica is close to being a nerd again unless she obeys Chandler.

Lyric: Ooh-woah
 Honey, whatchu waitin’ fo—
 
 [H. CHANDLER, spoken]
 Shut up, Heather!
 
 [H. CHANDLER, H. DUKE & H. MCNAMARA]
 Step into my candy store
Annotation:
Heather Duke shows her ambition to be the leader of the Heathers here. She wants to stand in the spotlight, but Heather Chandler makes sure she doesn’t take her place by violently shoving H. Duke onto the ground in the musical.  Later on, we’ll see Duke seize the opportunity to finally become the leader. Heather Chandler also goes off-tune with the line “Step into my candy store!”, showing her desperation to maintain her status as Alpha female.

Lyric: (If she)
Annotation:
Veronica has been made popular by her association with the Heathers, a significant rise in the social hierarchy. They’re saying that if Martha had to sell Veronica out in order for a shot at her new found popularity, she wouldn’t even hesitate.

Lyric: Say goodbye to Shamu
Annotation:
Shamu, referencing the famous killer whale, is being used in jest to allude to Veronica’s overweight best friend since kindergarten, Martha.

Lyric: Let your mommy fix you a snack
Annotation:
They see her refusal to forge the note as an attachment to childlike ideals and friendships and young children are generally served snacks/food by their parents because they aren’t independent enough to do it themselves. Heather is implying that Veronica isn’t independent enough to break off her friendship with Martha and that she’s a baby for staying attached to childhood friends. This becomes really clear when you remember that Veronica says that their friendship has lasted since “diapers”. This line may be slightly foreshadowing the line in ‘Meant To Be Yours’ where Veronica’s mom yells: “Veronica! Veronica! I made you a snack!” Her mom is also shown making snacks for Veronica and the Heathers in the show.

