The Worst Pies in London

We see here again a piece with a high phatical content. Mrs. Lovett, in her own way, tries to sell one of her pies to Todd. She does not recognize Todd at the time she sings the song, it is only after this song that she recognizes him. This song is so interesting because in it there is a whole characterization of Mrs. Lovett.

Although the verbal communication is not much of a problem here, I would like to analyze the change in function from phatical to emotive. The fact that the emotive section at the end connects well with the ensuing Poor Thing is one observation we can make. And there is of course the actional content of this song, which gives it its own special communication structure.

In this song, which is one of the few really solo-songs in this show, Todd does nothing more than grunt. It is also because of the solo-character of this song that I chose to analyze this.

The song begins as Mrs. Lovett notices or as the stage directions say:

Mrs. Lovett does not notice Todd until his shadow passes across her. She looks up, knife in air, and screams, freezing him in his tracks

And she begins to sing. I think that in most productions the first word will be shouted, because that's more natural:

MRS. LOVETT: Wait!
What's yer rush?
What's yer hurry?
You gave me such a
fright, I thought you was a ghost!
Half a minute, can't-cher
Sit!
Sit ye down
(Spoken) Sit!
(Pushes Todd on a stool)
(Sung) All I meant is that I haven't seen a customer for weeks.
Did you come here for a pie, sir?
(Todd grunts)
(Mrs. Lovett flicks some dust from a pie
Do forgive me, if me head's a little vague
(Spoken) Ugh!
(Plucks something of a pie)
(Spoken) What is that?
(Sung) But you'd think we had the plague
(Drops it on the floor)
(Stomps on it)
from the way that people
(Flicks at something on the counter) keep a-voiding
(Spots it moving)
(Spoken) No, you don't!
(Smacks it with her hand)
(Sung) Heaven knows I try, sir!
(Looks at her hand)
(Spoken) Yich!
(Wipes it on her apron)
(Sung) But there's no-one comes in even to inhale
(Blows dust of the pie as she brings it to him)
(Spoken) Tsk!
(Sung) Right you are, sir, would you like a drop of ale?
(Todd nods and grunts)
Mind you, I can hardly blame them

As we can see this is a highly actional speech, with all the actions accounted for in the music. So there are, apart from the verbal communication, two kinds of non-verbal communication are at work: musical and gestive.

Furthermore, Mrs. Lovett seems to be doing two things at the same time: she tries to make a pie for Todd, and she is busy telling Todd about the state of her business. Both actions are separated.

Whenever there is a reference to her making a pie she speaks, instead of sings. There are many directions and prescriptions concerned with the gestures she's supposed to make and the music accompanies those gestures.

Whereas when there is talk about the state of business, she sings. Or rather: she keeps pattering. The phrases she sings are highly irregular. She has a gossipy way of talking. In most of the phrases she uses the seduction motive. This is not surprising when one realizes that she has to persuade Todd to eat one of her pies.

After this section, there is a strange section. The meter changes, and Mrs. Lovett becomes very sentimental:

These are probably the worst pies in London.
I know why nobody cares to take them
I should know,
I make them,
But good? No,
The worst pies in London.
Even that's polite.
The worst pies in London.
If you doubt it, take a bite:
(Todd bites into the pie)
Is that just disgusting?
You have to concede it.
It's nothing but crusting.
Here drink this, you'll need it.
(Gives him ale)
The worst pies in London.
And no wonder, with the price of

What's she doing here? Could this section be called a reversal or Stimmungsbrechung? I think so. In the first section she tries to sell Todd one of her pies, and here she tries to dissuade him from doing so. The question is: does she address these words to Todd, or could they be called a monological aside? I think that this section the latter is true. Some words are clearly meant for Todd

Here drink this, you'll need it

. But most of this section is clearly not addressed at Todd. The audience is informed about the real state of business and the real quality of Mrs. Lovett's pies, and about Mrs. Lovett's feelings and emotions.

In the music there is a strange thing happening. The key changes from f$\sharp$ minor (A major) to G$\flat$-major. This is strange, as the tone of the lyrics becomes more melancholic and sentimental. This key-change is a reflection of the reversal in the text. The strange thing is that, since the music begin in a minor key, the reversal would require a change to a major key, which is what happens. However, since the words of the major-part are much more sentimental, it sounds as if the music is contradicting the meaning of the words, which it doesn't. The reversal in the lyrics and the music is simultaneous.

In the next section, Mrs. Lovett tries to rat on her competitors:

(Slams a lump of dough on the counter and begins pounding it)
Meat what it is
(grunt)
When you get it.
(grunt)
Never
(grunt)
thought I'd live to see the day
men'd think it was a treat finding
(grunt)
animals
(grunt)
wot are dying in the street.
Mrs. Mooney has a pie-shop
Does a bus'ness, but I notice something weird:
Lately all her neighbors' cats have disappeared
Have to hand it to her.
(grunt)
(Rolls the dough)
Wot I calls
(grunt)
enterprise,
(grunt)
Popping pussies into pies.
Wouldn't do in my shop.
(Pounds the dough)
Just the thought of it, is enough to make you sick
(Again)
And I'm telling them pussycats is quick
No denying, times is hard, sir

Again she is advertising her own pies, as the best, with good meat, instead of the remnants of pets. Although the main reason behind this seems to be that Mrs. Lovett isn't quick and agile enough to catch the cats Mrs. Mooney uses to make her pies:

And I'm telling you them pussycats is quick

In this section the action is not as extensively prescribed as in the previous section. That may have something to do with the fact that the action of telling Todd about the state of business prevails over the making of the pies. There are almost no spoken fragments in this section, apart from Mrs. Lovett's grunts.

After this section there is the same kind of reversal:

Even harder than the worst pies in London.
(As Todd gamely tries another mouthful)
Only lard and nothing more.
Is that just revolting?
All greasy and gritty.
It looks like it's molting
And tastes like...Well, pity
A woman alone
With limited wind
And the worst pies in London
Ah, sir,
Times is hard
Times is hard

As I said about the previous reversal. It does not seem to be addressed at Todd. He certainly doesn't pay much attention to what Mrs. Lovett is saying as he gamely tries another mouthful. Only in the one of the last lines, she addresses Todd directly. The rest of this section could be seen again as a monological aside.

As we see there is a constant change from the phatical f$\sharp$-minor to the emotive, monological G$\flat$-major. The change to the emotive Poor Thing is prepared in The Worst Pies in London. This alternation between emotive and phatical content seems to be another characteristic of Mrs. Lovett persona. For instance, in A Little Priest she has utterance with a highly phatical content, while in Not While I'm Around she has a highly emotive speech. And there are more examples of this in this show.