Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: show-tunes
Song Meaning of “Sweeney Todd (arr. J. Silberschlag, orch. W.T. McKinley for trumpet and string orchestra): Johanna” by Stephen Sondheim
This beautiful and haunting song, from the Tony award-Winning musical ‘Sweeney Todd,’ tells the story of Johanna’s unrequited love for her childhood friend, Tobias. The lonely winter night conveys the heroine’s sense of isolation and wistful longing. The plaintive strings and haunting sound of a single trumpet provide a starkly melancholic backdrop for her lament.
Johanna’s woeful tune speaks to the all-too-familiar feeling of unrequited love, and her desperate search for someone to love and to be loved in return. Her hopeful plea for connection echoes across the lonely night, as she waits in vain to be reunited with Tobias. She seeks solace from the cold night, wishing to be taken away from her loneliness and never find another sunrise alone.
‘Sweeney Todd (arr. J. Silberschlag, orch. W.T. McKinley for trumpet and string orchestra): Johanna’ captures the universal truth of heartache and longing that is so often felt in the depths of our souls. It’s a beautiful testament to the power of love, and the beauty of loneliness.