"I Want" song

The "I Want" song (also called an "I wish" song) is a popular type of song featured in musical theatre, and has become a particularly popular term through its use to describe a series of songs released through the Disney Renaissance that had the main character singing about how they are unsatisfied with their current life, and what they are searching for. The term "'I Want' song" is believed to have been coined by Lehman Engel.

Composer Stephen Schwartz explains the concept in regard to the 1995 Disney film Pocahontas:

It's not really that there is a "formula" for these things, but I have learned over the years that pretty much any successful musical you can name has an "I Want" song for its main character within the first fifteen or so minutes of the show. I can think of exceptions, but frankly I feel that the lack of such a moment is a weakness in most of those cases. "Just Around the Riverbend" may not be a classic "I want" song, because the character doesn't really want anything that strongly until she meets John Smith, but it sets up her sense that she has another destiny to pursue than the one laid out for her by her father and society and her desire to go after it. The third number, "Mine Mine Mine", was basically supposed to introduce the antagonist, Ratcliffe, and what HE wanted, so that the central dramatic conflict could be established.

Musical 101 explains: "The Main "I Want" Song comes early in the first act, with one or more of the main characters singing about the key motivating desire that will propel everyone (including the audience) through the remainder of the show. In many cases, these songs literally include the words "I want", "I wish" or "I've got to". Classic examples include My Fair Lady's "Wouldn't It Be Loverly", Carnival's "Mira", The Sound of Music's "I Have Confidence" and "King of Broadway" in The Producers.

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