" Ease on Down The Road" is a song used in The Wiz and all of its adaptations. Both the music and lyrics were written by composer Charlie E. Smalls. The song was a R&B re-interpretation of "Follow The Yellow Brick Road" and "We're Off to See the Wizard". The song was sung three times by Dorothy Gale, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion as they wandered down the Yellow Brick Road. This song stands as the the most remembered number in the production, partially because it frequently plays in commercials for different versions of it. The duet that Diana Ross and Michael Jackson recorded for the movie (in character as Dorothy and the Scarecrow, respectively) was number 41 on the 1978 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 in the U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles in the 70's.
"Ease on Down the Road" Lyrics
Dorothy and Scarecrow
Come on and
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
Don't you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on and
Ease on down, Ease on down the road
Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road
Don't you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on, ease on down ease on down, down the road
Cause there may be times when you think you lost your mind
And the steps you're taking leave you three four steps behind
You just keep on keepin' on the road that you choose
Don't you give up walking cause you gave up shoes
Ease on down, Ease on down the road
Ease on down, Ease on down the road
Don't you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on
Ease on down, Ease on down, down the road
Dorothy, Scarecrow, and Tin Man
Pick your right foot up, when your left one's down
Come on, legs keep moving, don't you lose no ground
Cause the road you're walking might be long sometimes
You just keep on stepping and you'll be just fine.
Ease on down, Ease on down the road
Ease on down, Ease on down the road
Don't you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on
Ease on down, Ease on down, down the...
Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion
Come on
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Come on
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Don't you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Cause there may be times, when you wish you wasn't born
And you wake one morning just to find your courage gone
But just know that feeling only lasts a little while
You just stick with us and we'll show you how to smile
Come on
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Don't you carry nothin'
That might be a load
Come on
Ease on down, ease on down...
Ease on down, ease on down...
Ease on down, ease on down...
Trivia
- The soundtracks for the Original Broadway version and The Wiz Live! don't include the first verse.
- The movie swapped some lyrics from the first two verses. Productions of the original play (including The Wiz Live!) continue to use the original words.
- The Wiz Live! changed some parts into solos for star Shanice Williams. Most drastically, "You just keep on stepping and you'll be just fine," became, "You just stick with me and you'll be just fine."
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