"Dick- a - Dick - a - Dick-a- Dick-a-Dick"

[Demitri2]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 7:06pm

I was just listening to the Broadway revival of "Kiss Me Kate" today and once again was floored by the lyrics.Throughout my life, even going back to my childhood, whenever I hear the cast recording of the show I'm always amazed at the musical number "Tom, Dick or Harry". There's a portion in that song where the lyrics read, "Every Tom, Dick or Harry", "Every Harry, Tom or Dick" (though repeating the names in reverse would be " Every Harry, Dick or Tom". This leads to the foursome running around the stage singing "Dick- a- Dick- a Dick- a Dick- a Dick- a Dick- a- Dick". I remember asking my parents who had seen the original if the term DICK was used back then as a slang word for male genetalia and they said, "Yep". So does anyone know if Cole Porter purposely used the catch phrase on purpose as a sort of risque take on the word or am I totally off base and alone on this one?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 7:10pm

Whenever you hear a dirty Cole Porter lyric, there is no doubt that it was put there on purpose. He was a dirty bird. Listen to "Out of This World" if you want to hear some really dirty lyrics.

Tom, Dick, or Harry is one of my favorite showtunes ever! I'm putting it on now!

Updated On: 9/10/05 at 07:10 PM

[BroadwayBettini2]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 7:19pm

I listened to the old and new versions of Always True. In both versions there is a line where it goes "There's an oil man known as tex who is keen to give me checks and these checks I feel mean that sex is here to stay" which is hey, I'm gonna cheat on you because he'll give me money but don't worry, I still love you. I always thought Louis was a flirt, but obviously she's a bit more

[Liz_Bennet]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 7:57pm

No one historically was willing to own up to writing the extra dirty verse to "You're the Top." I can't believe it was Irving Berlin. But it's damn funny, whoever wrote it.

You're the top!
You're Miss Pinkham's tonic
You're the top!
You're a high colonic
You're the burning heat
Of a bridal suite in use
You're the breasts of Venus
You're King Kong's penis
You're self-abuse!
You're an arch
In the Rome collection
You're the starch
In a groom's erection
I'm a eunuch who
Has just been through an op
But if, baby, I'm the bottom
You're the top!

[lildogs]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 10:47pm

But I ain't UP for my baby tonight cause it's too darn hot...


also Sappho, ho!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 10:53pm

I directed KISS ME, KATE for a Catholic High School, where the musical director was a nun who looked like Miss Hathaway on THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES. I had to water down some of those wonderful lyrics to satisfy the nun. The "Always True" lyric became "When those checks appear I know TEX is here to stay."

However that same nun never flinched when I had Lois Lane walk out into the audience and sit on a man's lap during the encore of that same song! (The girl made sure it was her father every night)

[lildogs]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 10:57pm

It's funny you mentioned that, Dollypop. My ex and i directed this show a few years ago and we had Lois doing a striptease down to her slip behind a rolling rack. The artistic director the the summer stock company objected to this until we pointed out the shorts and halter top she wears in the first scene is MUCH skimpier. Always interesting where they draw the line, huh?

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 12:47am

Didn't Noel Coward write some additional risque verses to Cole Porter songs?

[ticenewyorkcity]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 2:06am

i saw the highly praised revival in ny twice and i think that the song goes

tom. harry. or dick, dick, dick, dick-a-dick a dick, dick dick dick a dick a dick dick dick dick a dick a dick dick dick

dick is a widely known nick name for Richard, also as is RICH.

and his CHECKS i fear mean that TEX is here to stay

it is MUSICAL theatre.....
d

[mygfdontliveincanada]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 2:41am

The "dick" thing is totally intentional, as is "If baby I'm the bottom, you're the top" in "You're the Top" in "Anything Goes."

[PramsAclams]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 2:45am

Liz_Bennet: You are never to type those words again. Just not good.

[lamentingenvelope]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 6:29am

it is MUSICAL theatre.....



What, so that means Cole Porter isn't allowed to write dirty lyrics?

Listen to his songs again. A lot of them are very risque. I think when Kiss Me Kate first premiered many people refused to play 'Too Darn Hot' on the radio because it was so dirty. He was really the... eh... [insert name of modern rapper/rock band who pushes the envelope HERE] of his day.

But with more rousing tap numbers, of course.

[Jon]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 8:16am

Noel Coward wrote parody lyrics to LET'S DO IT, which he performed in his nightclub act in thre 1960s:

BELGIANS AND GREEKS DO IT
NICE YOUNG MEN WHO SELL ANTIQUES DO IT
LET'S DO IT - LET'S FALL IN LOVE

IN TEXAS SOME OF THE MEN DO IT
OTHERS DRILL A HOLE, AND THEN DO IT
LET'S DO IT... ETC.

MISS AMERICA UNDER THE FLAG DOES IT
"THE MAN FROM GLAD" WITH A LITTLE BAG DOES IT
LET'S DO IT... ETC.

My favorite:
SNOW WHITE FELT SHE *MUST* DO IT
THE SEVEN DWARVES COULD ONLY *JJJJJUUUUST* DO IT!


My favorite KISS ME KATE lyrics:

IF SHE SAYS YOUR BEHAVIOR IS HEINOUS
KICK HER RIGHT IN HER "CORIOLANUS"

and

IF YOUR BABY IS PLEADIN' FOR PLEASURE
LET HER SAMPLE YOUR "MEASURE FOR MEASURE"

[Glebb]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 8:26am

Don't forget, KISS ME KATE was filmed in 3-D!

[pattifan2]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 10:09am

I think 'Always True To You' are some of the best lyrics ever written. I know the big favourite from 'KMK'is 'Brush Up Your Shakespeare' but I would always say the former has the cleverest lyric. 'Paris hat' etc is just so brilliant and the number had a knockout performance by Nancy Anderson in London.

[poodleboy]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 10:30am

If you want some "dirty" lyrics, try "Bewitched,Bothered and Bewildered"

"I'll sing to him Each spring to him
And worship the trousers that cling to him
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I

When he talks he is seeking Words to get off his chest.
Horizontally speaking He's at his very best.

Vexed again Perplexed again
Thank God I can't be oversexed again
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I"

Updated On: 9/12/05 at 10:30 AM

[musicnmath]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 10:50am

these are some charming lyrics to wake up to

[CastAlbumFan]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 3:56pm

A sample of Cole's lyrics from the song "Vite! Vite! Vite!" from the musical "Leave It to Me!"

"I lost my hatbox
I lost my sables
I los my suitcase
The one with the beautiful labels

I lost my traveler's checks
Only this afternoon
I still have my virgini-ti
But I'm hoping to lose it soon!"

To this day I STILL can't figure out how he got away with that in a 1938 musical!

...That and the song "My Heart Belongs to Daddy"!

Updated On: 9/12/05 at 03:56 PM

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 4:14pm

and lest we forget the choreography in the recent revival - during the dick-a-dick section, there was an awful lot of pelvic thrusting going on!

[Demitri2]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 8:44pm

I do recall when reading the last Cole Porter biography that was published a few years ago just how perverse the man could be. This was best illustrated in the origin of the song "Love For Sale" from the 1930 Broadway show "The New Yorkers". According to the author, the song was first performed in an out of town preview by a young girl in school uniform, anklets and Maryjane shoes. From the mouth of this young child came the lyrics...

"Love for sale, appetizing young love for sale, love that's fresh and still unspoiled, love that's only slightly soiled, love for sale...Who will buy? Who would like to sample my supply? Who's prepared to pay the price? For a trip to paradise. LOVE FOR SALE!

Needless to say, Porter couldn't pull this one off and by the time the show opened in New York, the song was instead sung by British singer Elizabeth Welch who was well into her twenties with the character now portrayed as a prostitute instead of an adolescent school girl. Yep, Cole Porter was one sick pup at times.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 9:25pm

My favorite recording of "Love For Sale" is by "The Kissing Bandits" of the Hotchkiss Dance Orchestra (recorded in 1931) on the "Can't Help Lovin' that Man" Columbia compilation CD of rare 1920s-30s recordings - all featuring male vocalists singing great love songs ...to men.

The "Bandits" sound like a slightly tone-deaf glee club and the orchestra is out of tune. It's just perfect.

[CurtainUp]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 10:51am

God, that man was so witty. I saw KMK when I was quite young and listened to it again-especially, Always True - and I heard it again and it is just brilliant innuendo after brilliant innuendo! "When he lies on the floor I let him lay..." "When the priest goes to far east", "He likes to give my cheek a pat". And to think I thought that was innocent! Porter was naughty, but kind of ingenius when you think about it.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 12:27pm

My fav recording of Love For Sale is Ella's - it's the one I was raised on. Just gorgeous.

[Demitri2]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 8:41pm

Believe it or not my favorite rendition of "Love For Sale" is by the Manhattan Transfer. Not especially a fan of the group, the arrangement used is one of the best I've heard. True to popular recordings of the period, the song is first played throughout as an instrumental with the group's vocals entering halfway through the song. If you ever have the chance, give it a listen.

Posted: 9/13/05 at 8:54pm

wow... I knew I recognized those lyrics, but I couldn't put a song to it... but I sing that phrase all of the time!

It's a really catchy tune, but its really strange out of context. I try not to sing just that phrase, but it's really the phrase most prominent in that song... which Porter does on purpose My favorite song is "Bianca", sung by Michael Berresse!

--korenglish