Pulling Strings

Pulling Strings is a song performed by Buddy Aldridge in the Paramount+ original series, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.

Overview[]

Buddy learned that his father had pulled strings his whole life to get him better grades, a place on the football team, and even manipulated the outcome of the student council president election. Buddy was distracted at the play and Mr. Vaughan had to shove him on stage where he struggled to perform. He was taken into a song where he contemplated his entire life, whether he’d ever made a decision, and how doors had been opened for him all his life, strings pulled, and people manipulated to get him to where he was. He realized his privilege for the first time. The song carried him through the play and his kiss with Hazel. He left the stage before the final bow. ^[1]

Lyrics[]

They say all the world's stage
All the men and women merely
Got a part to play
Am I the one pretending
Or is everybody fake
Are we a little different
Or are we all the same?

Silver spoons, they fall
Every single time I
Go to open up my mouth
Do I make decisions?
Or has that not been allowed?
Or am I just a vessel
For someone else's sound?

Am I a puppet in a dream
Who's closed his eyes to everything
All the hands that point directions
Open doors to good connections
I'm a product of pulling strings

But I swear I'm
Standing on the brink
Of being who everyone thinks
Without hands that point directions
Open doors to good connections
I'm a product of pulling strings

I thought I got the gold
But I was steps ahead
Of every starter pistol pulled
I thought I was a winner
But it turns out I'm a joke
Don't want my reputation
Up in smoke

Am I a puppet in a dream
Who's closed his eyes to everything
All the hands that point directions
Open doors to good connections
I'm a product of pulling strings

But I swear I'm
Standing on the brink
Of being who everyone thinks
Without hands that point directions
Open doors to good connections
I'm a product of pulling strings

Exposing my real flaws
Will come at a real cost
I might be a damn fraud
But at least I'm changing
At least I'm changing

I am waking from the dream
Open eyes to everything
All the hands that point directions
Open doors to good connections
Oh, from now on
I'll be cutting strings

I swear I'm standing
On the brink
Of being who everyone thinks
I'm switching my perception
Making meaningful connections
So from now on
I'll be cutting strings