Keep Young and Beautiful
Annie Lennox Lyrics
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It's her beauty, not brains
Old father time will never harm you
If your charm still remains
After you grow old, baby
You don't have to be a cold baby
Keep young and beautiful
Keep young, beautiful
If you want to be loved
Don't fail to do your stuff
With a little powder and a puff
Keep young and beautiful if you want to be loved
If you're wise, exercise all the fat off
Take it off, off of here, off of there
When you're seen anywhere with your hat off
Wear a Marcel wave in your hair
Take care of all those charms
And you'll always be in someone's arms
Keep young and beautiful if you want to be loved
(Mhm)
If you're wise, exercise all the fat off
Take it off, off of here, off of there (off of there)
When you're seen anywhere with your hat off
Wear a Marcel wave in your hair, hahaha
Keep young and beautiful
It's your duty to be beautiful, that's right girls
Keep young and beautiful
If you want to be loved
Keep young and beautiful
If you want to be loved
Boo pee doo, ah
The song "Keep Young and Beautiful" by Annie Lennox is a commentary on the societal expectation for women to maintain their beauty and youth. Lennox questions what's considered attractive, stating that it's not intelligence, but rather physical beauty that is valued in a woman. She then goes on to suggest that if you want to stay attractive as you age, you must work hard to maintain your appearance. Lennox references "father time," implying that as people age, they become less valuable to society, and she encourages women to fight against this by doing everything they can to stay beautiful.
Lennox's lyrics suggest that a woman's worth is tied to her appearance, reinforcing harmful beauty standards that can lead to low self-esteem and body image issues. Additionally, the emphasis on physical appearance being a woman's duty can be seen as problematic and perpetuate gender roles. However, the song's playful tone and references to fashion and beauty standards of the time add a layer of irony that suggests Lennox is critiquing these societal expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
What's cute about a little cutie?
What makes a cute girl charming is her beauty, not intelligence
It's her beauty, not brains
A girl's charm comes from her aesthetically pleasing appearance, not necessarily her intellect
Old father time will never harm you
If you retain your charm, you won't be affected by the effects of aging
If your charm still remains
If you continue to radiate your beauty, you'll remain youthful and attractive
After you grow old, baby
Even as you get older, you can still maintain your appeal
You don't have to be a cold baby
You don't have to let aging make you unapproachable and unattractive
Keep young and beautiful
Maintain your youth and good looks
It's your duty to be beautiful
It's expected of you to be physically appealing
If you want to be loved
Being good-looking is a prerequisite for earning someone's affection
Don't fail to do your stuff
Don't neglect your grooming and upkeep
With a little powder and a puff
Use cosmetics to enhance your appearance
If you're wise, exercise all the fat off
To maintain your figure, exercise and lose excess body fat
Take it off, off of here, off of there
Lose weight from specific areas of your body to achieve your desired shape
When you're seen anywhere with your hat off
Make sure you always look presentable, with well-styled hair
Wear a Marcel wave in your hair
Style your hair in a Marcel wave to project sophistication and elegance
Take care of all those charms
Ensure that you maintain all your appealing features
And you'll always be in someone's arms
If you stay attractive, you'll always have someone willing to hold you close
If you want to be loved
To earn someone's affection, you need to be young and beautiful
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Dubin, Harry Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
clarsairdeteine
Keep Young And Beautiful
Annie Lennox
What's cute about little cutie?
It's her beauty, not brains
Old father time will never harm you
If your charm still remains
After you grow old baby,
You don't have to be a cold baby
Keep young and beautiful,
It's your duty to be beautiful
Keep young and beautiful,
If you want to be loved.
Don't fail to do your stuff
With a little powder and a puff.
Keep young and beautiful if you want to be loved.
If you're wise, exercise all the fat off,
Take it off, off of here, off of there
When you're seen anywhere with your hat off,
Wear a marcel wave in your hair
Take care of all those charms,
And you'll always be in someone's arms
Keep young and beautiful if you want to be loved.
Compositori: Al Dubin / Harry Warren
Testo di Keep Young And Beautiful © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc
Byte Me! Communications
LOVE YOU Annie! Your music and talent will remain with me forever, thank you.
Happy ExPat
I remember when Annie released this cover of the 1930's hit..and she was ripped apart for sending the wrong message. I believe she was poking fun at that attitude, of having to be young and thin and perfect to be loved....and she did a great job. Annie Lennox, of all the major musicians, I believe would be the last to actually believe that message.
I Bosquez
Damn right she would not believe it!
Hector's Mommy
Some people forgot to turn on their sarcasm detectors.
Dragonrdh
I agree, its a kind of satire.
Betsy Manning
It was a joke and silly song in 1933s!!! Gawd, just because it's old doesn't mean it's serious! LOL
gnacan2
Of course this was "tongue in cheek". A song from 1930.
Kirk Hassett
A tremendously loyal and authentic (if quite cheeky) cover of a period âvaudevilleâ artifact. Well done as always, Annie!
Side note: this little cabaret number sounds like the kind of song Freddie Mercury loved to create during Queenâs 70âs heyday. But I doubt he could have persuaded the band to go along with this one. đâ€ïž
Amanda Abbott
What amazes me that I have watched movies made in the early 1930-1940 of women singing and Annie did a splendid job in this video reenacting The motion,movement,and most of all the voice of pre-traying this video of being in that time and Generation...Just another Master piece by Annie Lennox...
J J
Just an FYI -- early '30s. By 1935, styles in music, hair, fashions, and film-acting were very different. (I watch a lot of 1930s and 1940s movies.)