Stop The World

An illustration of the planet earth with yellow text circling it on a red background.

Stop the World-I Want to Get Off is a musical that was co-written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. Both individuals worked on the music, lyrics, and accompanying book for the production. The musical debuted in England in 1961 and falls in the comedy and parody genre.

The musical itself centers around the main character Littlechaps’ life, following him from birth to death. At various points during the musical, particularly when Littlchap is going through bad experiences, he will stop the world. In these moments, Littlechap will break the fourth wall and address the audience. This act of stopping the world and wanting to leave during unsavory experiences is what inspired the title. Since this time, stop the world has become a common phrase in the English language when things are not going well for someone.