LogFAQs > #979319989

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72. I'm Alive
Source: Next to Normal
Villain: Gabe Goodman
Nominator: Inviso (3 left)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAhgX7RleDQ

Villainy: 2
Characterization: 8
Melody: 3
Total: 13/30

"But I'm alive, I'm alive, I am so alive / And I feed on the fear that's behind your eyes"

Hey, remember a handful of songs ago, where the villain was basically just "mental health disorders?" Well Gabe is largely that same villain, only thankfully easier to characterize here. In just this brief 3 minutes, Gabe manages to establish himself as a pretty fascinating character, not just to the audience, but to Diana (the character being sung to). The whole idea behind the song, that he's alive, when he quite literally isn't, immediately gets listener to think. I mean even without seeing the play, this song tells you 1. Gabe is dead (Cause if you won't grieve me you won't leave me behind), 2. Gabe is being seen by someone who doesn't understand why they're seeing him (If I'm a simple spirit or I'm flesh and blood) and 3. Gabe, as a manifestation of the target's mind, is tormenting them (I feed on the fear that's behind your eyes).

As far as the song itself... it's fine. I can see it being a big moment of the show, but I've heard a lot of Broadway musical songs and this is just kind of one of them; out of the context of the greater show it's not one I'd really go out of my way to listen to. It also falls into the weird zone as Your Mind Is Not Your Friend; it's hard to really call Gabe a villain when he's just a manifestation; the song makes it pretty clear that this is really Diana's own mind being mean to her rather than Gabe being an actual ghost that wishes to harm her.