#frankley

Merrily was made with 0 thought of a little queerness

ME AND @menlikevultures DISCOVERED THERE WAS A SONG IN THE ORIGINAL 1934 PLAY THAT MERRILY WAS BASED ON (with the same name)

It’s called “Life Begins With Love”, and I’m pretty sure it was played during the first scene when everything sucks (because in 1934, Frank is a writer instead of a composer, and I don’t remember music ever coming up outside of this first scene)

This song has the singer singing about how someone (their lover most likely) changed their view, and made them notice that “life begins/ends with love”

This is like the same irony as Rich and Happy, although it’s kinda more like the irony of Good Thing Going, because it’s (ignorantly or not) a little naive/innocent

While I doubt George Kaufman and Moss Hart were sneaking in some gay hints…

I mean… who else is the song about if not Charley

Life begins with love, and who’s been here since the very start? CHARLEY

Not even Mary, as (both in OBC and 1934) there is a scene before her entrance to their lives

And I mean I guess this could be about Beth, but in 1934 their marriage was even shorter and more burdensome than any other version… so I don’t think so… NOT TO MENTION Beth is there for a way more limited time compared to the musical… so we’re not starting with her, and if we’re ending with her, then frank will have been dead for two acts 😭😭😭

I don’t know it just doesn’t make sense to me unless this song is about longing for a gone relationship in 1934

And no relationship is even remotely as impactful to Frank as Charley’s, even if the song is about a lover