Apparently, cormorants do it too — social distance — although 6 feet may be harder.
* Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love, also known as "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love) or Let's Do It is a popular 1928 song written by Cole Porter and introduced the same year in Porter's first Broadway musical (From) Broadway to Paris by French songstress Irene Bordoni. Porter wrote the musical as a starring vehicle for her. The play ran for 77 performances.
The song was used in the 1929 English production of Wake Up and Dream. It was the title theme music in the 1933 Hollywood movie, Grand Slam, with Loretta Young and Paul Lukas. The film is not about baseball. In 1960, the song was in the film version of Cole Porter's Can-Can, a star-studded 20th Century Fox Studio's lavish musical that featured Shirley MacLaine, Frank Sinatra, Maurice Chevalier, and Louis Jourdan and was #2 at the box office that year. The song is featured prominently in Woody Allen's 2011 film Midnight in Paris.
In Porter's 1928 publication, opening lines for the chorus carried three derogatory racial references: Chinks, Japs, and Laps. The original lyric was: Chinks do it, Japs do it,
up in Lapland little Laps do it...
These original lines were heard in several early 1928 recordings of the song by the Dorsey Brothers & their Orchestra (featuring vocal by Bing Crosby), Rudy Vallée, Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra. Billie Holiday also and Peggy Lee (with the Benny Goodman orchestra) recorded a version in 1941. And, again, a 1944 version by singer and well-known Broadway star Mary Martin (with Ray Sinatra's orchestra) included these lyrics.
The opening was later changed to the less offensive lyrics: Birds do it, bees do it, Even educated fleas do it, Let's do it, let's fall in love.
An online search came up with nearly 40 artists recordings of the song in addition to those above including: Eartha Kitt, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Della Reese, Nancy Sinatra, Al Hirt, Johnny Hartman, Joan Jett, Diana Ross, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Alanis Morrissette.
And now both you and I know all more about the song's history than before. (You never know when such info could be useful, perhaps in trivia games?)
As if the current pandemic crisis wasn't enough, now more thoughts and prayers to those in Louisiana, Texas and all other places threatened by hurricanes. Such a pity these rains can't help the state of California in battling disastrous and devastating fires there.
As if the current pandemic crisis wasn't enough, now more thoughts and prayers to those in Louisiana, Texas and all other places threatened by hurricanes. Such a pity these rains can't help the state of California in battling disastrous and devastating fires there.
Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone
21 comments:
Songs such as this one seem destined to live on forever, and have an appeal that transcends transient musical fads and genres. A classic will always be a classic. I wonder how many times it has been recorded and by how many artists? Many, I would bet.
My husband used to sing barbershop harmony and that song was one he sang.
No social distancing at the White House last night!
Some songs just stay in vogue for years
I've heard the song before many times but never knew that it was not in the original song that's about the birds and bees.
I enjoyed the story behind this classic.
That is so interesting about the lyrics of this song. I had no idea of its history. Thank you for that. Great pic too!
I remember this song and always enjoyed it. I enjoyed learning the history behind it too. I agree about the rain, it's really needed in California. For years I have been saying that we need to build water pipelines across our country so that all the extra rain can be shuttled to where it is needed most. You have a super day, hugs, Edna B.
Quite a crowd.
I did not know about the racist beginnings of the song. Wow!
"Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love) or Let's Do It is a popular 1928 song written by Cole Porter"
*thunderous applause*
And look you at you with all the Color Porter memorabilia. That's AWESOME! I adore that song! Have you ever seen the movie with Robert Klein, in which he portrayed Color Porter? It's called, "De-Lovely." Wonderful film! Ashley Judd is marvelous too!
Great photograph of the cormorants!
Have a faaaaabulous weekend, my friend! Stay cool!
I don't recall that song but the picture is a great lead-in to the song! Interesting info! And, yes, I wish we could redistribute water to where it is needed most. In the meantime we will pray for the victims of flooding and fire devastation.💖
A very interesting history of the song. Great photo of the cormorants.
Wonderful photo of the cormorants. Interesting history behind the song, thanks for sharing.
I will be honest with you, I only read the post quick and half through, but i will return and take the time for it.
For now I wanted to greet you and thank you for your visit on my blog. Lately I didn;t have too much to blog about, due to circumstances, but I do blog already a looong time.
Not promising to come daily, at the moment, but I will try to visit your blog at times, okay?
Sending a lot of greetings from far away Holland.
Kyra from With a Russian Dutch heart.
Fascinating. I'm a Cole Porter fan -- and a huge Ella Fitzgerald fan -- and really enjoyed learning more about the history of Let's Do It. Take care and stay well!
I love Cole Porter's work -- very witty. He had a way with language that was quite sophisticated. This was a fun post!
We even have a bad wildfire here in a rural part of our Oregon County ...near the Coast ... 30 or so homes have been evacuated. Could anything else go wrong this year (don’t answer that ))!......your old song reminds me: there used to be an annual summer musical theater festival here in Eugene celebrating the American Songbook. (I hope it will come back next summer, along with much else that has been Covid-cancelled). Anyway... one year the play was , I think, “Annie Get Your Gun “ and the program notes explained about some lyrics that were cringe-inducing to today’s audience. I seem to remember that the producers decided to leave them in because one of the purposes of the Festival is to learn the history of musical theater. .... I ‘m not sure about that.
Oh my goodness! I did not know those terms were originally in the song! Of course, during WW II, anti-Asian sentiment ran high. I wish I could say that people have evolved but not enough to make you feel good about it.
i enjoyed your amazing memory and introduction to many beautiful songs dear Dorothy :)
thank you for mentioning the Midnight In Paris ,sounds like a nice movie by Own Wilson
i love old songs most ,i used to listen John Elton a lot
i did not know about the fire ,i hope and pray that things are better in both states now
here after many years heavy and constant rains have caused many problems specially in Karachi
That photo is interesting and unusual.
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