OVERVIEW

LYRICS

Music Video

Patricia Neway, Muriel O'Malley, Elizabeth Howell and Karen Shepard Maria
Watch Patricia Neway, Muriel O'Malley, Elizabeth Howell and Karen Shepard Maria on YouTube

Featured In

Listen to The Sound of Music (Original 1959 Broadway Cast Recording) by Rodgers & Hammerstein, Mary Martin, Theodore Bikel & Patricia Neway
ALBUMThe Sound of Music (Original 1959 Broadway Cast Recording)Rodgers & Hammerstein, Mary Martin, Theodore Bikel & Patricia Neway
Listen to Classic Broadway Essentials featuring Rodgers & Hammerstein, Mary Martin, Theodore Bikel & Patricia Neway
PLAYLISTClassic Broadway EssentialsApple Music Film, TV & Stage
Listen to Rodgers & Hammerstein: The Songwriters featuring Rodgers & Hammerstein, Mary Martin, Theodore Bikel & Patricia Neway
PLAYLISTRodgers & Hammerstein: The SongwritersApple Music Film, TV & Stage

Top Songs By Elizabeth Howell

Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS
Elizabeth Howell
Elizabeth Howell
Performer
Karen Shepard
Karen Shepard
Performer
Muriel O'Malley
Muriel O'Malley
Performer
Patricia Neway
Patricia Neway
Performer
Frederick Dvonch
Frederick Dvonch
Music Director
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Composer
Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Hammerstein II
Lyrics
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Goddard Lieberson
Goddard Lieberson
Producer

Lyrics

She climbs a tree
And scrapes her knee
Her dress has got a tear
She waltzes on her way to mass
And whistles on the stair
And underneath her wimple
She has curlers in her hair
I've even heard her singing in the abbey
She's always late for chapel
But her penitence is real
She's always late for everything
Except for every meal
I hate to have to say it
But I very firmly feel
Maria's not an asset to the abbey
I'd like to say a word in her behalf
Then say it, Sister Margaretta
Maria makes me laugh
How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that means Maria?
A flibbertigibbet?
A will-o'-the-wisp?
A clown?
Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her
Many a thing she ought to understand
But how do you make her stay
And listen to all you say?
How do you keep a wave upon the sand?
Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?
When I'm with her I'm confused
Out of focus and bemused
And I never know exactly where I am
Unpredictable as weather
She's as flighty as a feather
She's a darling
She's a demon
She's a lamb
She'll out-pester any pest
Drive a hornet from his nest
She can throw a whirling dervish out of whirl
She is gentle, she is wild
She's a riddle, she's a child
She's a headache
She's an angel
She's a girl
How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that means Maria?
A flibbertigibbet?
A will-o'-the-wisp?
A clown?
Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her
Many a thing she ought to understand
But how do you make her stay
And listen to all you say?
How do you keep a wave upon the sand?
Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?
Written by: Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers

Shazam Footer

Select language:

Company

Legal

Google Play Store
Apple App Store
Chrome Web Store
Galaxy Store

Follow Us

© Copyright 2025 Apple Inc. and its affiliates | Supplier Responsibility
instagramSharePathic_arrow_out