Give Up All Desires (from "Hair"): Piano/Vocal/Chords

This collection captures the raw energy and social urgency that made Hair a watershed moment in musical theater. The songs function beautifully as piano-vocal material, giving singers access to iconic repertoire that still resonates emotionally and politically with contemporary audiences. For programs seeking to engage younger performers with music that matters beyond the stage, these pieces offer substance alongside accessibility.

These songs carry the spiritual seeking, political anger, and unbridled joy of the late 1960s. You'll encounter tender moments of vulnerability alongside confrontational numbers, all threaded with melodies that burrow into your memory and harmonies that reflect both classical craft and rock sensibility.

Singers preparing solo or ensemble material from Hair will find this collection essential for study and performance. Voice teachers and choral directors can draw on individual songs to explore contemporary musical theater with students, while pianists will appreciate the straightforward keyboard arrangements that stay true to the show's sound.

• Honor the rhythmic drive and syncopation; these songs pull their power from forward motion, not rubato. Keep the pulse alive even in slower numbers.
• Explore the counterculture attitudes embedded in the lyrics and melodies. The music was written to provoke and question, so approach it with intentionality rather than nostalgia.
• Balance the rock and soul elements in the accompaniment with vocal clarity. The piano part should support without overwhelming the lyrical content.
• Layer dynamics thoughtfully across the collection. These 30 songs span moods from spiritual (Hare Krishna) to defiant (Sodomy) to vulnerable (Easy to Be Hard), so contrast between selections strengthens the overall impact.

Program individual songs from this collection in recitals celebrating American musical theater or in thematic concerts exploring music and social change. A mixed ensemble or solo recital featuring 3-4 selections from Hair works particularly well as a bridge between classical and contemporary repertoire, especially when paired with other theater music from the same era.

• Singing with rhythmic precision across syncopated accompaniment patterns
• Interpreting lyrics that carry political and social meaning
• Reading piano-vocal scores with chord symbols
• Understanding the stylistic demands of 1960s rock-influenced musical theater
• Sustaining vocal line while the accompaniment drives rhythmically forward