"Dinah's Disco" is a short scene before the final race, which Dinah refuses to team up with Electra. The word "disco" is an abbreviation of "disconnection" rather than a reference to the musical style.
Dinah's rebellion marks the beginning of the end of Electra's reign, as she insults his virility and attraction, in doing so, she damages his ego which is the centre of his character. This number also makes it clear what the innuendo of "whistling" involves, as Dinah points out Electra's codpiece as he "lacks the apparatus".
Context[]
The scene comes after Starlight Sequence, and provides a change of pace and mood, from magic to comic relief.
Dinah has reached the end of her tether, having been dumped by Greaseball, and picked up by Electra who doesn't treat her in the way she is used to. She disconnects Electra, causing him to scramble for a new partner for the Downhill Final. Ignoring all his components around him, Electra calls on Caboose to race with him instead. It is never made clear why Electra doesn't choose to race with a component, when some, but not all, have already raced in heats, but instead chooses to race with the known psychotic and treacherous Caboose.
History[]
"Dinah's Disco" reprised the melody of "He Whistled At Me", in which Pearl makes clear how important an engine's whistle is to a coach. Elsewhere in the musical this melody is used as a representation of the Steam Engines through the "Engine of Love" motif, but its context in this scene links from the original production which did not include "Engine of Love".
The 1992 "new" London show, which ran without Caboose, had Electra summon Buffy to replace Dinah. As far as Buffy is concerned, Rusty is damaged and unable to race again, so she is free to take another race partner.
The 2003 US Tour used a new version of this scene, with lyrics for Dinah written to the melody of "Whole Lotta Locomotion". Electra's call for "Red Caboose" remained from the original.
In the 2018 Bochum version the scene was rewritten as short reprises of 'I Am Me' and 'AC/DC '.
Lyrics[]
Original London Lyrics[]
| DINAH: | I'm fed up with all this racing, |
| This Electric thing I'm chasing, | |
| Doesn't have that certain something | |
| That a girl expects to hear! | |
| He never whistles at me, | |
| It's damaging my status | |
| I don't think he can whistle at me, | |
| He lacks the apparatus! | |
| Why do you never whistle at me? | |
| Beginning to suspect you, | |
| I need someone to whistle at me, | |
| I'm gonna disconnect you! | |
| ELECTRA: | C.B! C.B! |
| Dinah's gone and made a disconnection, | |
| C.B! C.B! | |
| You gotta help me in the final section! | |
| (Control begins the Race: Downhill Final) |
Electra's lines alter in various productions, calling on "Red Caboose" instead of "C.B.". In the later London production, once CB was cut, Electra instead called on Buffy to take Dinah's place.
| ELECTRA: | Who cares, who cares, |
| Dining cars can make you wait forever. | |
| Hey Buffet, make my day, | |
| Make it fast, and make it now or never! | |
| BUFFY: | Electricity gives me a charge! |
1997 Mexico + Translation[]
| VIANDA (Spanish): | Basta ya! de tantas Tiras | DINAH (English): | That enough! Of too many trips |
| Y del tren de baterias | And the battery powered train | ||
| Que no tiene esa cosa | That doesn't have that something | ||
| Que una chica quiere oir | That a girl wants to hear | ||
| Jamás me pudo Chiflar | He never could whistle at me | ||
| Porque le falta algo | Because he's missing something | ||
| Me urge quien me pueda chiflar | It's urgent someone whistles at me | ||
| Asi que yo me salgo | So I'm out of here! | ||
| ELECTRA: | Ven Cabús, Ven Cabús | ELECTRA: | Come Caboose! Come Caboose |
| Vianda sale y se desconecta | Dinah left and disconnected | ||
| Ven Cabús, Ven Cabús | Come Caboose, Come Caboose | ||
| Ayudame a terminar la recta. | Help me finish the rest |
2nd US Tour Lyrics[]
Only a temporary rewrite during the 2nd US Tour in which Dinah raps her rewritten verse in a reprise of "Whole lotta Locomotion" not "He Whistled at Me".
| DINAH: | You say you're AC/DC |
| Well there's something manly missing | |
| You just take the engine's warming | |
| But you can't get it into gear | |
| I thought you were Electra Future - | |
| Doubt you're just Electra Lite - | |
| Now I'm giving you the boot | |
| I'm so outta here! | |
| ELECTRA: | Red Caboose! Red Caboose! |
| Dinah's gone and made a disconnection, | |
| Red Caboose! Red Caboose! | |
| CABOOSE: | I'm gonna help you win the final section! |
German Lyrics[]
| DINAH: | Hab genug von diesem Rennen |
| Werd mich von der E-lok trennen | |
| Ihm fehlt das gewisse etwas | |
| Das ein Mädchen so sehr liebt | |
| Hab ihn nie pfeifen gehört | |
| Ich kann es nicht begreifen | |
| Ich habe ihn nie pfeifen gehört | |
| Ich glaub ihm fehl'n die Pfeifen | |
| Nie hab ich die Pfeifen gehört | |
| Das schadet meinem Wagen | |
| Denn niemand hat dich pfeifen gehört | |
| Ich will dich nicht mehr haben | |
| ELECTRA: | Red Caboose, Red Caboose |
| Dinah geht und lässt mich einfach hängen | |
| Red Caboose, Red Caboose | |
| Bitte helf mir in dem letzten Rennen |
2017 London Workshop Lyrics[]
The reboot changed the tune of Dinah's Disco to "I Am Me" and Electra's part to the tune of "You're Honoured", changing Dinah's reason for disconnecting to trying to go her own way on her own terms this time around, trying to bring through a message of girl power.
| DINAH: | I'm through with racing with what I'm chasing |
| 'Cause he doesn't do the things that I want him to | |
| He might be electric, but I'll disconnect it | |
| 'Cause I'm starting to suspect it - hoooooo! | |
| I got me and that's all I need | |
| I'll say goodbye and watch you cry | |
| I got me and that's all I need | |
| You're history, I'm breaking free | |
| ELECTRA: | You gotta help me |
| Dinah has left me | |
| CABOOSE: | I can help you if the price is right |
| Thirty grand? | |
| ELECTRA: | Ten? |
| CABOOSE: | Okay, let's say twenty |
| ELECTRA: | Done! |
| CABOOSE: | Greaseball will be out like a light |
| BOTH: | AC/DC it's okay by me |
| CABOOSE: | Racing's easy if you pay the fee |
2018 German Lyrics[]
Dinah's verse sung to the tune of 'I Am Me'
| DINAH: | Ich renn‘ nicht mehr hinter jedem her |
| Will keinen Kompromiss der dann doch wertlos ist. | |
| Er ist zwar elektrisch, doch ich find‘s echt schrecklich! | |
| Und dafür mach ich mich von ihm los! | |
| Ich bin ich und mehr brauch ich nicht | |
| Ich kann allein auch glücklich sein | |
| Ich bin ich und mehr brauch ich nicht | |
| Es ist vorbei, jetzt bin ich frei! | |
| ELEKTRA: | Du musst mir helfen |
| Ich brauch ‘nen Wagen. | |
| CABOOSE: | Ich helf‘ dir gern sag mir nur den Preis. |
| Dreißigtausend? | |
| ELEKTRA: | Zehn! |
| CABOOSE: | Dann sagen wir zwanzig. |
| ELEKTRA: | Gut. |
| CABOOSE: | Und Greaseball fliegt bald aus dem Gleis |
| BOTH: | AC/DC ist okay für mich. |
| CABOOSE: | Willst du siegen, dann bezahle mich. |
