"You've Got Possibilities" is an American

show tune A show tune is a song originally written as part of the score of a work of musical theatre or musical film, especially if the piece in question has become a standard, more or less detached in most people's minds from the original context. T ...

. It was created by

Charles Strouse Charles Strouse (born June 7, 1928) is an American composer and lyricist best known for writing the music to such Broadway musicals as '' Bye Bye Birdie'', ''Applause'', and '' Annie''. Life and career Strouse was born in New York City, to Jewis ...

and

Lee Adams Lee Richard Adams (born August 14, 1924) is an American lyricist best known for his musical theatre collaboration with Charles Strouse. Biography Born in Mansfield, Ohio, Adams is the son of Dr. Leopold Adams, originally of Stamford, Connectic ...

for the 1966

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

show '' It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman'' and sung by

Linda Lavin Linda Lavin (born October 15, 1937) is an American actress and singer. She is known for playing the title character in the sitcom ''Alice'' and for her stage performances, both on and off-Broadway. After acting as a child, Lavin joined the C ...

in the show. Lavin plays a secretary at the ''

Daily Planet The ''Daily Planet'' is a fictional newspaper appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. The newspaper was first mentioned in ''Action Comics'' #23 (April 1940). The ''Daily Planet'' build ...

'' with a crush on

Clark Kent Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...

and the song describes her hope to change Kent's mild-mannered, square persona ("Let me pry you from your shell... You've got possibilities... you don't even know you've got"). ''It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman'' was not a big hit, but "You've Got Possibilities", generally considered the show's most memorable tune, became something of a cabaret standard.

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalis ...

recorded the song on her 1966 album '' Big $pender'' and released it as the B-side of the single "Come Back To Me".

Joanie Sommers Joanie Sommers (born Joan Drost, February 24, 1941) is an American singer and actress with a career concentrating on jazz, standards and popular material and show-business credits. Once billed as "The Voice of the Sixties", and associated with to ...

released "You've Got Possibilities" as the B-side of her single "Never Throw Your Dreams Away", also in 1966, while Carol Ventura released it also in 1966 as an

A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

single. Linda Lavin included the song on her 2011 album ''Possibilities'' (she had earlier sung it on the 1966 original cast album for ''It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman''). Matt Monro's version appears on his ''Here's To My Lady'' (1966) and ''The Best of the Capitol Years'' (1990),

Jason Graae Jason Graae (pronounced "grah" or "graw", but not "gray") (born 15 May 1958) is an American musical theater actor, best known for his musical theater performances but with a varied career spanning Broadway, opera, television and film. He has ...

released a version on ''You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile'' (1996), Wendy Coates on ''Journeys'' (2001), and

Karen Akers Karen Akers (born October 13, 1945) is an American actress and singer, who has appeared on Broadway, and in cabaret and film. Early life Akers was born Karen Orth-Pallavicini in New York City on October 13, 1945. Her immigrant father, Heinnick C ...

on ''Like It Was'' (2006).

Barbara McNair Barbara Jean McNair (March 4, 1934 – February 4, 2007) was an American singer and theater, television, and film actress. McNair's career spanned over five decades in television, film, and stage. McNair's professional career began in music dur ...

recorded a version for

Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''mot ...

in 1966, but it was only released in 2016, in digital format on ''Motown Unreleased: 1966''. Song composer Charles Strouse himself is heard singing "You've Got Possibilities" on the album ''Charles Sings Strouse'' (2006), part of the Songwriter Series produced in conjunction with the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

. "You've Got Possibilities" was used in a 2005 television advertising campaign for Pillsbury Grand biscuits.

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite web , url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/22/theater/reviews/its-a-bird-its-a-plane-its-superman-at-city-center.html , title=He's the Man of Steel, as Well as a Man of Song , author=Ben Brantley , date=March 21, 2013 , work=New York Times , access-date=February 14, 2017 , quote="Possibilities", the one number from the score that has had any significant afterlife. {{cite web , url=https://variety.com/2010/legit/news/it-s-a-bird-it-s-a-plane-it-s-superman-1117943076/ , title=Review: 'It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman!' , author=Joe Leydon , date=June 28, 2010 , work=Variety , access-date=February 14, 2017 {{cite web , url=https://www.discogs.com/Joanie-Sommers-Never-Throw-Your-Dreams-Away-Youve-Got-Possibilities/release/5527288 , title= Joanie Sommers – Never Throw Your Dreams Away / You've Got Possibilities , work=Discogs , access-date=February 14, 2017 {{cite web , url=https://www.discogs.com/Linda-Lavin-Possibilities/release/9721333 , title= Linda Lavin – Possibilities , work=Discogs , date= 29 November 2011 , access-date=February 14, 2017 {{cite web , url=http://www.masterworksbroadway.com/music/its-a-bird-its-a-plane-its-superman-original-broadway-cast-recording-1966/ , title=It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman – Original Broadway Cast Recording 1966 , work=Masterworks Broadway , access-date=February 14, 2017 {{cite web , url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-the-capitol-years-mw0001054558 , title= Matt Monro – The Best of the Capitol Years , work=Allmusic , access-date=February 14, 2017 {{cite web , url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/youre-never-fully-dressed-sings-strouse-mw0000188979 , title= Jason Graae – You're Never Fully Dressed: Sings Strouse , work=Allmusic , access-date=February 14, 2017 {{cite web , url=https://www.discogs.com/Peggy-Lee-Come-Back-To-Me-Youve-Got-Possibilities/release/4895457 , title= Peggy Lee – Come Back To Me / You've Got Possibilities , work=Discogs , year= 1966 , access-date=February 14, 2017 {{cite web , url=http://www.45cat.com/record/nc430228us , title=Record Details , work=45cat , access-date=February 14, 2017 {{cite web , url=https://www.discogs.com/Matt-Monro-Heres-To-My-Lady/master/393661 , title= Matt Monro – Here's To My Lady , work=Discogs , year= 1967 , access-date=February 14, 2017 {{cite web , url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/like-it-was-mw0000442329 , title= Karen Akers – Like It Was , work=Allmusic , access-date=February 14, 2017 {{cite web , url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/motown-unreleased-1966-mw0003010190 , title= Various Artists – Motown Unreleased: 1966 , work=Allmusic , access-date=February 14, 2017 {{cite web , url=https://www.amazon.com/Motown-Unreleased-1966-Various-artists/dp/B01MXZ82GW , title=Motown Unreleased: 1966 , work=Amazon.com , access-date=February 14, 2017 {{cite web , url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/journeys-mw0000004675 , title= Wendy Coates – Journeys , work=Allmusic , access-date=February 14, 2017 {{cite web , url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/charles-sings-strouse-mw0001901123 , title= Charles Strouse – Charles Sings Strouse , work=Allmusic , access-date=February 14, 2017 {{cite web , url=http://screenrant.com/superman-actors-trivia-list/ , title=16 Actors Who Have Portrayed Superman , author=Paul Young , date=May 15, 2013 , work=Screen Rant , access-date=February 27, 2017

External links

Detailed exposition on "You've Got Possibilities"
by

Seth Rudetsky Seth Dennis Rudetsky (born February 28, 1967) is an American musician, actor, writer and radio host. He currently is the host of ''Seth's Big Fat Broadway'' and ''Seth Speaks'' on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio's '' On Broadway''. The show focuses on R ...

(video) 1966 songs Songs from musicals Songs with music by Charles Strouse Songs with lyrics by Lee Adams Superman music