"Anybody Have a Map?" is the first song in the Dear Evan Hansen soundtrack, and it also introduces both Evan and Connor's family for the first time. This song is sung by Heidi Hansen (Rachel Bay Jones) and Cynthia Murphy (Jennifer Laura Thompson).
Lyrics[]
[HEIDI]
Have you been writing those letters to yourself? "Dear Evan Hansen, this is gonna be a good day and here's why."
[EVAN]
I started one.
[HEIDI]
Those letters are important, honey. They're gonna help you build your confidence!
[EVAN]
I guess.
[HEIDI]
Can we try to have an optimistic outlook
Huh?
Can we buck up just enough
To see... the world won't fall apart?
Maybe this year we decide
We're not giving up before we've tried
This year, we make a new start
Hey, I know—you can go around today and ask the other kids to sign your cast. How 'bout that?
[EVAN]
Perfect.
[HEIDI]
I'm proud of you already.
[EVAN]
Oh. Good.
[HEIDI]
Another stellar conversation for the scrapbook
Another stumble as I'm reaching for
The right thing to say
I'm kinda comin' up empty
Can't find my way to you
Does anybody have a map?
Anybody maybe happen to know how the hell to do this?
I dunno if you can tell
But this is me just pretending to know
So where's the map?
I need a clue
'Cause the scary truth is
I'm flying blind
And I'm making this up as I go
[CYNTHIA]
It's your senior year, Connor. You are not missing the first day.
[CONNOR]
I already said I'd go tomorrow.
[LARRY]
He doesn't listen. Look at him, he's probably high.
[ZOE]
He's definitely high.
[CYNTHIA]
I don't want you going to school high, Connor!
[CONNOR]
Perfect. So then I won't go. Thanks, Mom!
[CYNTHIA]
Another masterful attempt ends with disaster
[LARRY]
Interstate's already jammed.
[CYNTHIA]
Pour another cup of coffee
And watch it all crash and burn
[ZOE]
Connor finished the milk!
[CYNTHIA]
It's a puzzle, it's a maze
I try to steer through it a million ways
But each day's another wrong turn
[LARRY]
I better head out.
[ZOE]
If Connor's not ready, I'm leaving without him...
| [CYNTHIA] Does anybody have a map? |
|
[CYNTHIA/HEIDI]
Anybody maybe happen to know how the hell to do this?
I don't know if you can tell
But this is me just pretending to know
[HEIDI]
So where's the map?
[HEIDI]
I need a clue
[CYNTHIA/HEIDI]
Cause the scary truth is
| [CYNTHIA] I'm flying blind I'm flying blind |
|
[CYNTHIA/HEIDI]
I'm flying blind
And I'm making this up
As I go
As I go
Song Description[]
“Anybody have a map?” is a song that signifies the similarities between Evan Hansen, Connor Murphy and their families. This song really sets the storyline of the musical and has some deep messages and lines.
“Another stumble as I’m reaching for the right thing to say. I’m kinda coming up empty can’t find my way to you.”
This verse is about Heidi trying to be a good mother to her son, Evan. Heidi has been trying to grasp on what's left of Evan's childhood and the great relationship they used to have, but now Evan has become a stranger to her.
While Cynthia tries to connect to her two kids, Connor and Zoe. Zoe has been trying to get through to Connor for many years, trying to rebuild their relationship while Connor keeps on shutting her out of his life. The same goes for Cynthia, who is shown multiple times trying to get close to Connor and failing. For example, in the deleted song: 'In the bedroom down the hall', Cynthia talks about getting Connor a sweater when he was young which he never touched.
The same goes for Connors dad, who says he gave Connor a baseball glove, which he never touched (In 'To Break in a Glove').
Liberetto[]
"We drove Steven Levenson bonkers in this section. We would send him iPhone recordings of the song with built-in pauses for where we wanted dialogue. He of course came up with the most perfect and authentic family interjections."
"When we wrote this, Cynthia and Heidi sang in unison at the start of the 2nd chorus. Lac was like. 'Hey, what if they don't come in together and it feels a little more staggered and asymmetrical'. And we were like 'whoa, minds blown...'"
- Justin Paul
"This was one of the harder songs for us to write, ironically. We needed to understand who Evan and Connor were right away. Who better to illuminate them than their mothers, desperate to find a connection with their kids."
- Benj Pasek
"From the beginning, we wanted to establish that Evan and Connor were mirror images of one another - as are Heidi and Cynthia, Two boys, lost, two mothers, desperate to find them. Benj and Justin accomplish this beautifully in the music and lyrics, and the staging here is meant to support the same idea visually."
- Steven Levenson