"I Was Born On The Day Before Yesterday" or just "The Day Before Yesterday" was a song for The Wiz. The song is about the Scarecrow being only two days old and already he felt he wasn't going to go anywhere. But soon gains confidence in himself. The music and lyrics were written by Charlie Smalls and was sung by Hinton Battle.
The song was a replacement of "If I Only Had a Brain".
I Was Born On The Day Before Yesterday lyrics[]
- I was born on the day before yesterday
- I had holes in my shoes, and I was crying the blues
- And I didn't have a place to stay
- Somehow I know
- I know, i'm gonna make it this time
- cause somehow i know
- I know i'm gonna make it this time
- I was born on a hill not so far away
- Out of three rubber bands, old gloves for hands,
- And a suit that had been thrown away
- They took the jacket and pants
- Found a brown paper bag
- And they filled it with straw
- And to top off the drag
- They gave me penciled-in eyes
- And a penciled-in nose
- And they stuck me up there and said
- 'Strike me a pose'!!
- But somehow i know, i know i'm
- Gonna make it this time.
- cause somehow i know
- I'm gonna make it this time
- (this time i'm gonna make it)
- Listen to me now
- (woo woo woo)
- Let me sing one
- (woo woo woo)
- So we all can hear it
- (woo woo woo)
- Gonna lift my head up
- (woo woo woo)
- Can you feel my spirit?
- Can you feel my spirit?
- And now that i know
- That i wasn't born yesterday
- And that I'm fully grown
- I can stand on my own
- And nothin's gonna get in my way
- Because i'm gonna get mine
- I'm gonna turn things around
- Gonna get myself together
- Gonna get on down
- And when i feel that rain come in
- Through the bottom of my shoes
- I'm gonna leave 'em by the roadside
- And quit crying the blues
- But somehow I know (i know)
- I know i'm gonna make it this time
- Yes, somehow i know (i know)
- I know i'm gonna make it this time.
- Listen to me now
- (woo woo woo)
- Gonna sing one,
- (woo woo woo)
- So you all can hear it
- (woo woo woo)
- Gonna lift my head up
- (woo woo woo)
- Can you feel my spirit?
- Can you feel my spirit?
- Oh Yeah!
Gallery[]
Videos[]
I Was Born On The Day Before Yesterday
Original Soundtrack
The Wiz, I was born on the day before yesterday1984
1984 Broadway Revival
I Was Born On The Day Before Yesterday - The Wiz Broadway 1975
1975 Broadway Live
The Wiz - Day Before Yesterday (Apartment Sessions)
Trivia[]
- The song was replaced by "You Can't Win" in the film which was sung by Michael Jackson. It was also used for the NBC Live version where it was sung by Elijah Kelley.
- An alteration of one lyric from the song was presented in the movie when the Scarecrow said "I think I'm gonna make it this time".
- In the 2023 revival, the song was reconstructed into "Were Gonna Make it" where the quartet sing the song rather than just the Scarecrow, as they travel to Evillene's palace. They sing this as they transition back into an alternate version of "Ease on down The Road".