thanks
Bob Hope & Shirley Ross Lyrics


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Thanks for the memory
Of sentimental verse,
Nothing in my purse,
And chuckles
When the preacher said
For better or for worse,
How lovely it was.
Thanks for the memory
Of Schubert's Serenade,
Little things of jade
And traffic jams
And anagrams
And bills we never paid,
How lovely it was.

We who could laugh over big things
Were parted by only a slight thing.
I wonder if we did the right thing,
Oh, well, that's life, I guess,
I love your dress.

Thanks for the memory
Of faults that you forgave,
Of rainbows on a wave,
And stockings in the basin
When a fellow needs a shave,
Thank you so much.

Thanks for the memory
Of tinkling temple bells,
Alma mater yells
And Cuban rum
And towels from
The very best hotels,
Oh how lovely it was.

Thanks for the memory
Of cushions on the floor,
Hash with Dinty Moore,
That pair of gay pajamas
That you bought
And never wore.

We said goodbye with a highball,
Then I got as high as a steeple,
But we were intelligent people,
No tears, no fuss,
Hooray for us.

Strictly entre nous,
Darling, how are you?
And how are all
Those little dreams
That never did come true?

Awfully glad I met you,
Cheerio and toodle-oo




Thank you,
Thank you so much.

Overall Meaning

The song "Thanks for the Memory" by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross is a bittersweet tribute to a past relationship. The verses reflect on various memories, from sentimental experiences to trivial moments. The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "Thanks for the memory," expresses gratitude for the shared experiences, even if they weren't all positive.


The lyrics convey a sense of nostalgia and longing for what once was. The couple who shared these memories have now parted ways, and the singer wonders if they made the right decision. The final lines, "Awfully glad I met you, Cheerio and toodle-oo, Thank you, Thank you so much," suggest that the relationship is truly over, but that the singer is still grateful for what they had.


Overall, "Thanks for the Memory" is a poignant reflection on past love and relationships. It highlights the importance of shared experiences, even if they weren't all ideal, and the bittersweet nature of looking back on what once was.


Line by Line Meaning

Thanks for the memory Of sentimental verse, Nothing in my purse, And chuckles
Thank you for reminding me of the nostalgic memories that I hold dear, evoking sentimental emotions through beautiful poetry, at a time when I had nothing in my possession but good humor and laughter


When the preacher said For better or for worse, How lovely it was.
Recalling the time when we exchanged marriage vows, promising to stand by each other's side through thick and thin, as we made a solemn oath before the preacher. Such a beautiful moment it was!


Thanks for the memory Of Schubert's Serenade, Little things of jade And traffic jams And anagrams And bills we never paid, How lovely it was.
I am grateful for the memories you have brought back to me - of listening to Schubert's Serenade while admiring the little jade trinkets we possessed, even as we sat in traffic jams or tackled difficult anagrams. And how could I forget the bills that caught up with us, but did not dampen our spirits?


We who could laugh over big things Were parted by only a slight thing. I wonder if we did the right thing, Oh, well, that's life, I guess, I love your dress.
We were a couple who could enjoy life with a lighthearted attitude, but it was a small misunderstanding that drove us apart. I sometimes wonder if we acted rightly, though I do not dwell on it. However, I have to say that I still love how beautiful you look in that dress.


Thanks for the memory Of faults that you forgave, Of rainbows on a wave, And stockings in the basin When a fellow needs a shave, Thank you so much.
Thank you for all the memories of times when you showed me grace by forgiving my faults, and when we enjoyed simple joys such as gazing at rainbows on ocean waves, or when I had to shave with stockings as I ran out of razors. I am thankful for every one of those moments.


Thanks for the memory Of tinkling temple bells, Alma mater yells And Cuban rum And towels from The very best hotels, Oh how lovely it was.
Thanks for taking me back to the time when we traveled together to experience diverse cultures, marveling at the sounds of temple bells, cheering with college yells, sipping on Cuban rum, and enjoying plush towels in grand hotels - fond memories that warm my heart.


Thanks for the memory Of cushions on the floor, Hash with Dinty Moore, That pair of gay pajamas That you bought And never wore.
Thank you for the recollections of times when we spent quixotic moments, sitting on cushions on our floor for our meals, and enjoying Dinty Moore hash, alongside the queer pajamas that you purchased but could not bring yourself to wear.


We said goodbye with a highball, Then I got as high as a steeple, But we were intelligent people, No tears, no fuss, Hooray for us.
We parted ways, bidding farewell over a highball drink, and I could not help soaring, feeling high as a steeple. But I realized that we were intelligent enough to be pragmatic and not allow sentiments to take control. Hence, no tears, no fuss, but a hooray for us.


Strictly entre nous, Darling, how are you? And how are all Those little dreams That never did come true?
Strictly among ourselves, my love, I wanted to ask how you are doing, and how those little aspirations that never materialized are treating you?


Awfully glad I met you, Cheerio and toodle-oo Thank you, Thank you so much.
I am truly thrilled that I met you, and although we may be parting ways for now, I bid you farewell wishing you all the best. Thank you, thank you so much.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@kenhallermd8897

If you're younger than 40 - maybe even 50 Gulp! - you probably don't know who Bob Hope was. Well, Bob hope was a very big deal. For baby boomers, he was a perennial performer on television, and especially on NBC. He hosted frequent variety specials between 1950 and the 1970s and hosted the Oscars a record 19 times. Before my time he was a radio performer as well as a primarily musical and comedic actor on Broadway and in the movies.

Over the years, his signature tune became "Thanks for the Memory" often with special lyrics when he'd perform it at the end of a special to reflect both events in the show and in the world. This is where he first performed it, in his very first film, the Paramount musical, "The Big Broadcast of 1938." At this point in the film, Hope's character runs into his ex-wife, played by Shirley Ross, and they reminisce about their relationship.

I looked this song up because I'm thinking about it for a future cabaret show. Having heard it with protean lyrics for decades, I wanted to get to the source, and I had never heard its original iteration. What a revelation! First of all, Hope: Having known him for decades exclusively as an outright comedian and sketch artist, I am so impressed by his subtlety and vulnerability in this song. And the song itself is claver and sweet and tart and funny and wistful. While their contemporaries, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, have quite rightly been celebrated for performances for romantic ballads like "They Can't Take That Away from Me" and "The Way You Look Tonight," Hope and Ross and "Thanks for the Memory" match and even, I daresay, exceed them in the emotional arc of this scene.

Because it is a scene, not just a song. Unlike so many songs of this period, it's not just a musical number, but rather a scene where the characters discover things about themselves and each other, where they move emotionally from one place to another. In fact the lyrics are so evocative that one could imagine Ross and Hope performing this scene without the music. Still, the music, slightly upbeat and with a gentle swing, adds a subtle poignancy, especially in the final bridge:

Ross: We said goodbye with a highball
Hope: And I got as high as a steeple
Ross [interjecting, spoken]: Did you?
Hope: But we were intelligent people.
Ross: No tears, no fuss
Both [clinking glasses, wistful]: Hooray for us.

No wonder "Thanks for the Memory" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1938 for Ralph Rainger (music) snf Leo Robin (lyrics) and in 2004 was listed No. 63 on the America Film Institute's "100 Years...100 Songs" survey of top tunes in American cinema.

So to Bob and Shirley and Ralph and Leo, as you all say so often in this song, "Thank you so much."



@bibianaguadalupeislasherre9880

Lyrics:
Thanks for the memory
Of rainy afternoons, swingy Harlem tunes
Motor trips and burning lips and burning toast and prunes
How lovely it was

Thanks for the memory
Of candlelight and wine, castles on the Rhine
The Parthenon, and moments on the Hudson River line
How lovely it was

Many's the time that we feasted
And many's the time that we fasted
Oh well, it was swell while it lasted
We did have fun, and no harm done

So thanks for the memory
Of crap games on the floor, nights in Singapore
You might have been a headache, but you never were a bore
I thank you so much

Thanks for the memory
Of China's funny walls, transatlantic calls
That weekend at Niagara when we hardly saw the falls
How lovely that was

Thanks for the memory
Of lunch from twelve to four, sunburn at the shore
That pair of gay pajamas that you bought and never wore
Say, by the way, what did happen to those pajamas?

Letters with sweet little secrets
That couldn't be put in a day wire
Too bad it all had to go haywire
That's life, I guess, I love your dress
Do you?

Thanks for the memory
Of faults that you forgave, rainbows on a wave
And stockings in the basin when a fellow needs a shave
I thank you so much

Thanks for the memory
Of Gardens at Versailles, and beef and kidney pie
The night you worked and then came home with lipstick on your tie
How lovely that was

Thanks for the memory
Of lingerie with lace, and Pilsner by the case
And how I jumped the day you trumped my one and only ace
How lovely that was

We said goodbye with a highball
And I got as high as a steeple
But we were intelligent people
No tears, no fuss, hooray for us
Strictly entre nous, darling, how are you?
And how are all those little dreams that never did come true?
Awfully glad I met you, cheerio, tootle-oo
Thank you, thank you



All comments from YouTube:

@tombrown1898

The commission for this song was to have Bob Hope and Shirley Ross say "I still love you" without actually saying it. The legend is that when Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin, the songwriters, performed it for the studio brass, these though, cigar chomping businessmen all had to wipe the tears off their cheeks.

@jamesdunn7186

"No tears, no fuss - hurray for us!" - so moving. And didn't she look elegant.

@viridityxnyctophillic

Thanks for the memories to someone who will never see this 🤎….

@dariowiter3078

A movie tune that quickly turned into an iconic theme song for Bob Hope, thanks to this film, Big Broadcast Of 1938. 😊😊😊😊😊

@jorgerobles9484

The 1930s is a so underrated decade for music, so many great songs, most of them written for the musical movies of the era

@memyself7413

As I write, my eyes are a blur.
There is something about this song, and the way it is being sung.
It is so beautifully moving.
The emotion on the faces of Shirley Ross, and Bob Hope, sums up everything.

@suevis

ya

@Blacky474

Ah

@carloscharmy

Captivating nostalgia. Bob Hope's heartfelt vocals. Unforgettable melody. Emotionally resonant lyrics. Timeless classic.

@bandini22221

They’re speaking of a world, and a way of life, that doesn’t exist anymore. At 70 now, I’m old enough to remember the tail end of it. I’d love to back to 1933 and spend d a couple of weeks!

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