Sometimes the most unlikely friendships produce the most spectacular moments. Case in point: my daughter AJ and her mate Bella, two humans who are different in many ways, yet somehow create absolute musical mayhem together that would make the cast of Hamilton weep with joy.
I wrote “Why Are We Friends?” from AJ & Bella The Musical as a 17th birthday gift for these two dynamic humans who are each their own person. AJ is up before 5am most mornings to do intense sports training, which Bella doesn’t do, and Bella obsesses over olives (she loves them), whereas AJ thinks they’re just okay. Yet at school, they often burst into song, belting out musical numbers from Frozen, Wicked, and any other musicals they think of. They’re gloriously crazy and just lose themselves in those moments.
So I ventured forth to write THEIR musical number.
The song captures that moment when two people who shouldn’t work together suddenly make perfect sense. I’ve tried to structure this like a proper Broadway number, starting with the combative verses where they list all their differences, then hitting that recognition moment in the chorus where they realise none of that matters when they’re performing together.
There’s something beautifully subversive about two teenagers who refuse to fit into neat friendship categories. They’ve figured out that compatibility isn’t about shared interests or similar schedules. It’s about that ineffable thing that happens when you find someone who brings out the best version of yourself, even if that version only emerges when you’re belting show tunes in the school corridor.
The bridge gets fierce because that’s exactly how protective they are of each other. “We’re not sisters, we’re something more” captures how chosen family can be stronger than blood relations. They’ve created their own category of connection that doesn’t need anyone else’s approval or understanding.
Writing this taught me something about friendship that I’d been taking for granted. The best relationships aren’t built on similarity but on mutual permission to be completely yourselves. AJ and Bella give each other license to be early-rising, olive-loving, show-tune-belting versions of themselves without apology.
The song ends where it should: with them acknowledging that when the performance is over, they’ll still be there for each other. Because that’s what real friendship looks like when you strip away all the expected compatibility markers. It’s two people who’ve decided that whatever weirdness they bring to the world, they’re going to bring it together.
Happy 17th, girls. May you never stop bursting into song.
Lyrics: “Why Are We Friends?” (from AJ & Bella The Musical)
[VERSE 1 – Combative, building tempo]
CHAR A: You think “slow and steady wins the race”
CHAR B: I think “fast and sweaty’s a disgrace”
BOTH: So why are we friends?
CHAR B: You say “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”
CHAR A: I say “an olive a day keeps reality at bay”
BOTH: So why are we friends?
CHAR A: They say “early bird gets the worm”
CHAR B: Well I say “late sleepers live and learn”
BOTH: We’re chalk and cheese, we’re night and day
[Accelerando] So, why don’t we walk away?
[CHORUS – The Turn/Recognition/Triumph]
BOTH: Because, when we are… Elsa and Anna
[Harmony building] When we’re Elphaba and Glinda
We forget the world exists
We lose ourselves in this
CHAR A: You belt “Defying Gravity”
CHAR B: You nail “Let It Go” perfectly
BOTH: And suddenly we’re something more
Than what we thought we were before
[VERSE 2 – Recognition dawning, still playful]
CHAR A: They say “great minds think as one”
CHAR B: But we prove “weird minds have more fun”
BOTH: Still why are we friends?
CHAR B: You say “good things come to those who wait”
CHAR A: I say “good things come from pushing weight”
BOTH: So why are we friends?
CHAR A: “Opposites attract” – that tired old line
CHAR B: But we’re more like “misfits by design”
BOTH: We’re chalk and cheese, but here’s the twist
[Ritardando for emphasis] We can’t resist
[CHORUS – Repeated]
BOTH: ‘Cause when we’re Elsa and Anna
When we’re Elphaba and Glinda
We forget the world exists
We lose ourselves in this
CHAR A: You belt “Defying Gravity”
CHAR B: You nail “Let It Go” perfectly
BOTH: And suddenly we’re something more
Than what we thought we were before
[VERSE 3 – Building excitement]
CHAR A: The audience goes wild when we perform
CHAR B: Our chaos breaks expected norms
BOTH: Now we know we’re friends
CHAR A: They say “friendship means compromise”
CHAR B: We say “friendship means surprise”
BOTH: Is that why we’re friends?
CHAR A: Two voices, one song
CHAR B: Nothing can go wrong
BOTH: When we sing as one
[Ritardando for emphasis] Pure harmony, pure fun
[BRIDGE – Fierce protection, rapid-fire]
CHAR A: We’re not sisters, we’re something more
CHAR B: You treat her badly, I’ll keep the score
CHAR A: Touch my chosen, feel the heat
CHAR B: Cross our friendship, face defeat
BOTH: They say “blood is thicker than water”
But we say “screw that – we choose each other”
[CHORUS]
BOTH: So when we’re Elsa and Anna
When we’re Elphaba and Glinda
We forget the world exists
We lose ourselves in this
CHAR A: You belt “Defying Gravity”
CHAR B: You nail “Let It Go” perfectly
BOTH: And suddenly we’re something more
Than what we thought we were before
[OUTRO – Tender, then building]
BOTH: (singing, accelerando to finish) ‘Cause when the curtain falls tonight
We’ll still be here, burning bright
That’s why we’re friends
That’s why we’re friends
[Big finish] That’s why we’re FRIENDS!
[CHORUS – Triumphant]
BOTH: So when we’re Elsa and Anna
When we’re Elphaba and Glinda
We forget the world exists
We lose ourselves in this
CHAR A: You belt “Defying Gravity”
CHAR B: You nail “Let It Go” perfectly
BOTH: And suddenly we’re something more
Than what we thought we were before
Listen to ‘Why Are We Friends?”
The song is out across all streaming platforms. Here is the YouTube version.