Favorite Cole Porter lyrics?

[Chrome]

Thinking about standards brought to mind the incredible Cole Porter ... what a way with words!

This is the first one that comes to mind for me. Mahatma Gandhi-Napoleon Brandy always kills me.

You're the top, you're Mahatma Gandhi,

You're the top! you're Napoleon brandy,

You're the purple light, of a summer night in Spain,

You're the National Gallery, you're Garbo's salary,

You're cellophane!

[ghost of miles]

Porter's fantastic, of course. One of the episodes in my Indiana jazz series will focus on singers & songwriters, and he'll figure heavily in that, you can bet! My favorite right now is "Night and Day," for romantic, sentimental reasons. For more barbed Cole words, I always enjoy "I'm Always True to You in My Fashion" (Ella's version was considerably abridged):

ALWAYS TRUE TO YOU IN MY FASHION

Oh, Bill,

Why can’t you behave,

Why can’t you behave?

How in hell can you be jealous

When you know, baby, I’m your slave?

I’m just mad for you,

And I’ll always be,

But naturally

If a custom-tailored vet

Asks me out for something wet,

When the vet begins to pet, I cry “Hooray!”

But I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my fashion

Yes, I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my way.

I enjoy a tender pass

By the boss of Boston, Mass.,

Though his pass is middle-class and notta Backa Bay.

But I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my fashion

Yes, I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my way.

There’s a madman known as Mack

Who is planning to attack,

If his mad attack means a Cadillac, okay!

But I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my fashion,

Yes, I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my way.

I’ve been asked to have a meal

By a big tycoon in steel,

If the meal includes a deal, accept I may.

But I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my fashion

Yes, I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my way.

I could never curl my lip

To a dazzlin’ diamond clip,

Though the clip meant “let ‘er rip,” I’d not say “Nay!”

But I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my fashion

Yes, I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my way.

There’s an oil man known as Tex

Who is keen to give me checks.

And his checks, I fear, means that sex is here to stay.

But I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my fashion

Yes, I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my way.

There’s a wealthy Hindu priest

Who’s a wolf, to say the least,

When the priest goes too far east, I also stray.

But I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my fashion

Yes, I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my way.

There’s a lush from Portland, Ore.,

Who is rich, but sich a bore,

When the bore falls on the floor, I let him lay

But I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my fashion

Yes, I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my way.

Mister Harris, plutocrat,

Wants to give my cheek a pat,

If the Harris pat

Means a Paris hat,

Bebe, Oo-la-la!

Mais, je suis toujours fidele, darlin’, in my fashion,

Oui, je suis toujours fidele, darlin’ in my way.

From Ohio Mister Thorn

Calls me up from night ‘til morn,

Mister Thorn once cornered corn and that ain’t hay.

But I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my fashion

Yes, I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my way.

From Milwaukee Mister Fritz

Often moves me to the Ritz,

Mister Fritz is full of Schlitz and full of play.

But I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my fashion

Yes, I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my way.

Mister Gable, I mean Clark,

Wants me on his boat to park,

If the Gable boat means a sable coat,

Anchors aweigh!

But I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my fashion

Yes, I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my way.

[BruceH]

Damn, ghost, can I get tapes of your show?

[king ubu]

Porter is one of my all time favourite songwriters! I was trying to find the lyrics of "Give Him The Ooh-La-La" but couldn't find them. Love that one!

ubu

[JSngry]

Miss Otis regrets, she's unable to lunch today, madam,

Miss Otis regrets, she's unable to lunch today.

She is sorry to be delayed,

but last evening down in Lover's Lane she strayed, madam,

Miss Otis regrets, she's unable to lunch today.

When she woke up and found that her dream of love was gone, madam,

She ran to the man who had led her so far astray,

And from under her velvet gown,

She drew a gun and shot her love down, madam,

Miss Otis regrets, she's unable to lunch today.

When the mob came and got her and dragged her from the jail, madam,

They strung her upon the old willow across the way,

And the moment before she died,

She lifted up her lovely head and cried, madam......

Miss Otis regrets, she's unable to lunch today.

[couw]

with a million neon rainbows burning below me,

and a million blazing taxis raising a roar,

here i sit, above the town,

in my pet-paillated gown,

down in the depths

of the ninetieth floor.

while the crowds in all the nightclubs punish the parquet,

and the bars are packed with couples calling for more,

i'm deserted and depressed

in my regal-eagle nest,

down in the depths

of the ninetieth floor.

when the only one you wanted wants another,

what's the use of swank and cash in the bank galore?

why, even the janitor's wife

has a perfectly good love life,

and here i am, facing tomorrow,

alone in my sorrow,

down in the depths

of the ninetieth floor.

[ghost of miles]

Damn, ghost, can I get tapes of your show?

Bruce, sure, I'll be happy to, but the series won't be airing until October 2005... I'm submitting the budget next Monday and don't anticipate finishing production until early next summer. I'm also putting together a 2-CD compilation for the Indiana Historical Society, and there will definitely be a couple of Porter songs on that one, done by Indiana musicians.

Jim, "Miss Otis" is one of my favorites too. Another, non-Porter song I like, is this one, by Rodgers & Hart:

Lyrics:

I've been married, and married, and often I've sighed

"I'm never a bridesmaid, I'm always a bride"

I never divorced them, I hadn't the heart

Yet remember these sweet words, "`till death do us part"

I married many men, a ton of them

Because I was untrue to none of them

Because I bumped off every one of them

To keep my love alive

Sir Paul was frail, he looked a wreck to me

At night he was a horse's neck to me

So I performed an appendectomy

To keep my love alive

Sir Thomas had insomnia, he couldn't sleep at night

I bought a little arsenic, he's sleeping now all right

Sir Philip played the harp, I cussed the thing

I crowned him with his harp to bust the thing

And now he plays where harps are just the thing

To keep my love alive

To keep my love alive

(bridge)

I thought Sir George had possibilities

But his flirtations made me ill at ease

And when I'm ill at ease, I kill at ease

To keep my love alive

Sir Charles came from a sanitorium

And yelled for drinks in my emporium

I mixed one drink, he's in memorium

To keep my love alive

Sir Francis was a singing bird, a nightingale, that's why

I tossed him off my balcony, to see if he, could fly

Sir Atherton indulged in fratricide,

He killed his dad and that was patricide

One night I stabbed him by my mattress-side

To keep my love alive

To keep my love alive

To keep my love alive

[BruceH]

I can wait!

As for Porter, other lyricists rarely matched his playful fecundity. "You're the Top" immediately came to mind, but my memory is so lousy that I can't a complete a stanza.

(Re: Indiana---isn't it remarkable how many top-drawer jazz musicians came out of Indianapolis? I smell a new thread here.)

[brownie]

At Long Last Love

Lyrics:

Is it an earthquake or simply a shock?

Is it the good turtle soup or merely the mock?

Is it a cocktail, this feeling of joy?

Or is what I feel the real McCoy?

Is it for all time or simply a lark?

Is it Granada I see or only Asbury Park?

Is it a fancy not worth thinking of?

Or is it at long last love?

Is it an earthquake, or simply a shock?

Is it the good turtle soup, or is it merely the mock?

Is it a cocktail, this feeling of joy?

Or is what I feel the real McCoy?

Is it for all time or simply a lark?

Is it Granada I see or only Asbury Park?

Is it a fancy, not worth thinking of?

Or is it at long long long last love?

[tonym]

Good authors, too, who once knew better words. Now only use four letter words, writing prose.....anything goes!

The whole lyric is fantastic, and, if I'm not wrong, one of his most lengthy.

He could also speak volumes on minimal ones like, say, I Concentrate On You.

cheers, tonym

[Man with the Golden Arm]

"I can't look at hobbles..."

although these fleecy ones ain't bad.

[BERIGAN]

Might find some "missing" lyrics here...>lyrics<

By the way, jsut cuz I posted these lyrics, I still am very straight! If any of the uh...hundreds, yes hundreds of ladies I have been with in the past tell you differently, they are lying!

Love the Lee Wiley version, with a pretty hot , yet muted Berigan(Who had a one and off affair with her)

FIND ME A PRIMITIVE MAN (Fifty Million Frenchmen,1929)

Now, before this modern idea had burst

About the women and children first,

The men had much more charm than they have today.

And if only one of that type survived,

The very moment that he arrived,

I know I'd fall in love in a great big way.

I can't imagine being bad

With any Arrow collar ad,

Nor could I take the slightest joy

In waking up a college boy.

I've no desire to be alone

With Rudy Vallee's megaphone,

So when I'm saying my prayers, I say:

Find me a primitive man,

Built on a primitive plan.

Someone with vigor and vim.

I don't mean a kind that belongs to a club,

But the kind that has a club that belongs to him.

I could be the personal slave

Of someone just out of a cave.

The only man who'll ever win me

Has gotta wake up the gypsy in me,

Find me a primitive man,

Find me a primitive man.

Trouve moi un homme primitif

Trouve moi un garcon naif.

Quelqu'un tout plein de vigeur,

Ces p'tits maquereaux qu'on appelle gigolos ne

Pourraient jamais donner le vrai bonheur.

J'ai besoin d'un bel animal

Pour chauffeur mon chaffage centrale.

Et l'homme qui me veut pour capitane

Devrait reveiler mon sang tzigane,

Trouve moi un homme primitif, vif,

Trouve moi un homme primitif.

(Find me a primitive man,

Find me a forthright young lad,

Someone with vigor to spare,

Those fatuous beaux they call gigolos could never give me happiness.

I must have a gorgeous beast

To heat up my own central heat.

And he who aspires to be my stud

Must reawake my gypsy blood.

Find me a primitive man.)

[Larry Kart]

As an interactive words/music unit, "I've Got You Under My Skin" is pretty fantastic. Try to sing it yourself -- it's a kick.

[Tim McG]

I've Got You Under My Skin

Cole Porter

I've got you under my skin.

I've got you deep in the heart of me.

So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me.

I've got you under my skin.

I'd tried so not to give in.

I said to myself: this affair never will go so well.

But why should I try to resist when, baby, I know so well

I've got you under my skin?

I'd sacrifice anything come what might

For the sake of havin' you near

In spite of a warnin' voice that comes in the night

And repeats, repeats in my ear:

Don't you know, little fool, you never can win?

Use your mentality, wake up to reality.

But each time that I do just the thought of you

Makes me stop before I begin

'Cause I've got you under my skin.

(Musical interlude)

I would sacrifice anything come what might

For the sake of havin' you near

In spite of the warning voice that comes in the night

And repeats - how it yells in my ear:

Don't you know, little fool, you never can win?

Why not use your mentality - step up, wake up to reality?

But each time I do just the thought of you

Makes me stop just before I begin

'Cause I've got you under my skin.

Yes, I've got you under my skin.

[Edward]

I Am In Love:

I am dejected. I am depressed.

Yet resurrected and sailing the crest.

Why this elation, mixed with deflation?

What explanation? I am in love.

Such conflicting questions rise

around in my brain: Should I order cynanide

or order champagne?

Oh, what is this sudden jolt?

I feel like a frightened colt,

just hit by a thunderbolt. I am in love.

I knew the odds were against me before,

I had no flair for flaming desire,

But since the gods gave me you to adore,

I may lose but I refuse to fight the fire,

So come and enlighten my days and never depart.

You only can brighten the blaze that burns in my heart,

For I am wildly in love with you,

and so in need of a stampede of love.

I knew the odds were against me before,

I had no flair for flaming desire,

But since the gods gave me you to adore,

I may lose but I refuse to fight the fire,

So come and enlighten my days and never depart.

You only can brighten the blaze that burns in my heart,

For I am wildly in love with you,

and so in need of a stampede of love,

and so in need of a stampede of love.