"I Feel Pretty" is a song that is featured in the 2021 live-action feature film, West Side Story. Not knowing about her brother's death, María (Rachel Zegler) and other women from her neighborhood set to work cleaning a fancy department store after it has closed. Inspired by the furniture displays and dressed mannequins around her, she sings this song and poses amid tableaux of prosperous American life.
Lyrics[]
María:
I feel pretty
Oh, so pretty
I feel pretty and witty and bright
And I pity
Any girl who isn’t me tonight
I feel charming
Oh, so charming
It’s alarming how charming I feel
And so pretty
That I hardly can believe I’m real
See the pretty girl in that mirror there:
Who can that attractive girl be?
Such a pretty face
Such a pretty dress
Such a pretty smile
Such a pretty me!
I feel stunning
And entrancing
Feel like running and dancing for joy
For I’m loved
By a pretty wonderful boy!
Rosalía:
Have you met my good friend María?
Luz:
The craziest girl on the block?
Rosalía:
You’ll know her the minute you see her
Luz:
She’s the one who is in an advanced state of shock
Provi and Meche:
She thinks she’s in love
She thinks she’s in Spain!
Luz:
She isn’t in love
Fausta:
She’s merely insane
Meche:
It must be the heat!
Charita:
Or some rare disease?
Provi and Meche:
Or too much to eat!
María:
Or maybe it’s fleas!
Luz:
Keep away from her!
Rosalía:
Send for Chino!
Luz and Rosalía:
This is not the María we know!
Lluvia:
Modest and pure!
Rosalía:
Polite and -
Charita:
Refined!
Fausta:
Well-bred and mature!
Shark Girls:
And out of her mind!
María:
I feel pretty
Oh, so pretty
That the city should give me its key
A committee
Should be organized to honor me
Luz, Meche and Provi:
La-la-la-la la la la la la-la!
María:
I feel dizzy
I feel sunny
I feel fizzy and funny and fine
And so pretty
Miss America can just resign!
Shark Girls:
La-la-la-la la la la la la-la la-la!
María:
See the pretty girl in that mirror there?
Rosalía:
What mirror where?
María:
Who can that attractive girl be?
Charita:
Which?
Luz:
What?
Lluvia:
Where?
All:
Whom?
María:
Such a pretty face
Such a pretty dress
Such a pretty smile
Such a pretty me!
Shark Girls:
Such a pretty me!
Such a pretty me!
Such a pretty me!
María:
I feel stunning
Provi and Meche:
I feel stunning
María:
And entrancing!
Provi and Meche:
And entrancing!
María:
Feel like running
And dancing for joy!
Shark Girls:
Feel like running and dancing for joy!
All:
For I’m loved
By a pretty wonderful boy!
Trivia[]
Prior to the song being featured in the 2021 20th Century Studios adaptation of West Side Story, it was also performed in the Charles Aznavour episode of The Muppet Show.
An insect sound rendition of the song from "Web Side Story" (parody of West Side Story) was also featured as queue music in the "It's Tough to Be a Bug!" attraction.
In the 1961 film version of the song, the line "I feel pretty and witty, and bright" was changed to "I feel pretty and witty, and gay" for an unknown reason. However, the line was changed back to resemble the 1957 Broadway version of the song in the 2021 film since the word gay no longer has the same meaning as it did back then.
