(pun fully intended)
"Dead in the Water" is one of the songs from Operation Mincemeat that I shamefully underestimated when I saw the show live. I only properly appreciated it when I listened to the cast recording and had the chance to read the lyrics. As well as being super catchy and funny, it ties into a lot of the themes of the show, explains Charles’ character and point of view, and shows us the desire that drives him. That’s a lot of things for one song to do. So come with me on my nerdy deep dive of 10 Reasons Why "Dead In The Water" Is Amazing:
1. It conforms to the conventions of the I Want Song while simultaneously undercutting them
"Dead in the Water" follows the conventions of the I Want Song, a common song trope in musical theatre. The “I Want Song” is usually found near the start of the show, and explores the desire or dream that drives the protagonist. Think “The Wizard and I” from Wicked, “My Shot” in Hamilton and “Roxie” from Chicago. "Dead in the Water" expresses Charles’ desire to be seen and appreciated by the other agents, and for his ideas to be recognised. The song initially seems to conform to the format of “Protagonist has a dream. Protagonist sings about dream”, especially when Charles bares his soul with the line “If only I were different…”. The next line seems like it’s going to explore Charles’ deepest desire, with the words “I wish” held for ages for extra dramatic tension. But it’s undercut by the end of the sentence, which is “I was a maggot”: a weird, off-kilter ending when you are expecting some deep desire to be revealed. This ties into Charles' tendency to making unexpected statements and incongruous responses. Also, the subversion of the I Want Song format suggests a playful attitude towards the format of musical theatre. This attitude is carried throughout the show, for example in the self-aware “Glitzy Finale”, interrogation of the show's "moral" and the breaking of the fourth wall after the Act 2 opener.
2. It sets up Charles’ dreams and what drives him…
In "Dead in the Water", Charles articulates his desire to be noticed by the others. He wishes to be able to succeed and for the other agents to take his ideas seriously. In this respect, it is similar to “Mr Cellophane” from Chicago; like Amos, Charles just wants to be noticed. Charles explores this wish through various animal-based metaphors, but it is best summed up by these lyrics from the final verse: “I wish that I could change my life / Be the one that could hold up to their attention / Blow their minds […] Make them say / Oh Cholmondeley, you clever chap!”. By the end of the song, we know exactly what Charles wants: to be part of the group and be noticed by the others.
3. …And he explains it in a way specific to him.
The song is full of scientific metaphors: the language that Charles thinks in. Charles compares his hypothetical success to growing “legs, wings or gills”, and imagines his own development as “pupating”, “mutating” and “metamorphosising”. He imagines how he would be successful using biological terminology, characterising his own success in terms of the natural world. Also, the lines that initially seemed silly are explained by Charles so that they make perfect sense. For example, Charles explains the initially ridiculous line “I wish I was a maggot”, clarifying that a maggot possesses all the parts needed to succeed. Charles explains his ideas step by step and shows that they have a strongly logical basis. This introduces us to Charles’ quirky yet very rational way of thinking, and shows us the consideration behind everything he does. By the end of the song, we know exactly how Charles thinks and we understand his character better.
4. Weird, quirky ideas? Not when you think about it…
Also, Charles’ explanation of his logic behind wishing to be a maggot or tadpole shows that he sees value in things that other people overlook or consider odd. For example, while others would see a maggot as something small and gross, he sees its inherent potential. This shows Charles’ knack for finding unusual ideas that others don’t notice, and his ability to see things in a slightly different way to others. This links to his initially crazy-seeming idea of Operation Mincemeat, suggesting that his mad scheme of using a corpse to fool the Nazis might just succeed, as his other seemingly daft statements have a sound logical basis.
5. It’s just really funny
The song is full of funny lines and surprising twists such as the previously discussed “I wish I was a maggot” and his comparison to the “slimy nascent thing” of a tadpole. It constantly undercuts the stereotypically deep, soul-searching nature of the "I Want Song" to hilarious effect.
6. It continues the themes from “Born to Lead” – musically and lyrically
Charles struggles with the idea of success being something inherent. He states that it is “part of my biology / To start with an apology”, suggesting that he views himself as inherently unable to succeed. This contrasts with the MI5 agents’ pronouncement that “Some were born to follow / But we were born to lead” in the opening number: as is made clear in "Dead in the Water", Charles does not view himself as born to lead. This is further highlighted by the musical styles of the song. In Born to Lead, the musical style of Charles' verse is in contrast to the rest of the song; he is accompanied by quick, light piano chords, while the other agents are accompanied by brass and drums. The thin texture of Charles' section next to the thicker, fuller sound of the other agents' verses suggests that Charles lacks the brash confidence that backs the other agents up. This contrast is carried on in "Dead in the Water". When Charles is speaking in his natural idiom - scientific analogies – it is underscored by quick, staccato piano chords. However, when he imagines being appreciated and accepted by the others, the tempo slows and drums and woodwind are introduced, hinting towards the style that was associated with the other agents in Born to Lead. This further underlines his yearning to be accepted into the group and to find the confidence that they have.
7. It also connects musically to God That’s Brilliant
The main chord progression of "Dead in the Water" is largely same as in for God That’s Brilliant, albeit in a different key and with a different final chord. (Somebody has put it as “God That’s Brilliant is more mysterious, "Dead in the Water" is more hopeful”.) Charles is largely silent in God That’s Brilliant while the other agents all confidently pitch their own mad ideas. The use of the theme from God That's Brilliant in this song underlines his desire to be able to contribute his own ideas and be noticed by the other agents.
8. “hIPpoPoTaMuS?!”
Enough said.
9. But seriously, the animals he picks are indicative of his view of himself and what he wants to be.
Charles identifies himself with small animals that have potential – a maggot, a tadpole, a termite and wasp. This suggests that he views himself as something small and unimportant but with the potential to become something bigger and better. It is only late in the song that he realises he could have picked a bigger animal, showing his humble view of himself. And when he does consider picking a bigger animal, he dismisses the idea as being “ridiculous”; he doesn’t want to magically transform into a larger, more powerful animal, he wants to realise the potential for growth that he knows he has.
10. The reprise in the finale shows what’s changed – and what hasn’t
Charles’ verse in “A Glitzy Finale” uses the same melody as “Dead in the Water”. This harks back to Charles’ desire to be noticed at the beginning of the show, and shows that he has achieved his dream by the success of Operation Mincemeat. However, the lyrics explain that Charles’ work is still going unnoticed – “I’m afraid I cannot tell you what I went on to do / 'Cause where I go is need-to-know, I won’t give one clue” – showing that in a way, nothing has changed for him. His hard work is still going unnoticed by others, only now it is because of the secret nature of his assignments rather than being overlooked. This makes the ending somewhat bittersweet.
So that’s my extremely nerdy deep dive into "Dead in the Water". Hopefully you now understand a bit about why I think it’s so brilliant, and you think it's brilliant as well! (Or if you don’t, I'm frankly astonished you've made it this far.)
If you haven't already seen it, go and book tickets to see Operation Mincemeat! Official website here.