Anything Goes
Bud Noble Lyrics
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And we've ofter rewound the clock
Since the puritans got a shock
When they landed on Plymouth rock
If today any shock they might try to stem
'Stead of landing of Plymouth rock
Plymouth rock would land on them
Was looked on as something shocking
But now God knows
Anything goes
Good authors to
Who once knew better words
Now only use four letter words
Writing prose
Anything goes
If driving fast cars you like
If low bars you like
If old hymns you like
If bare limbs you like
If Mae West you like
Or me undressed you like
Why nobody will oppose
When every night
The set thats smart
Is intruding on nudist parties
In studios
Anything goes
When Mrs. Ned McClean God bless her
Can get Russian reds to yes her
Than I suppose
Anything goes
When Rockafeller still can hoard
Enough money to let Max Gordon
Produce his shows
Anything goes
The world has gone mad today
And good's bad today
And black's white today
And days night today
And that gent today
You gave a cent today
Once owned several chateaux
When folks
Who still can ride in Jitney's
Find out Vanderbilts and Whitney's
Lack baby clo'es
Anything goes
When Sam Goldwyn
Can with great conviction
Instruct Anna Sten in diction
Than Anna shows
Anything goes
When you hear that
Lady Mendl standing up
Now turns a handspring landing up
On her toes
Anything goes
Just think of those shocks you've got
And those knocks you've got
And those blues you've got
From those news you've got
And those pains you've got
(if any brains you've got)
From those little radios
So Mrs. R.
With all her trimmin's
Can broadcast a bed from Simmon's
Cause Franklin knows
Anything goes
The lyrics of Bud Noble's song "Anything Goes" highlight the societal shifts that have occurred over time. The reference to the Puritans' shock when they landed on Plymouth rock juxtaposes with the idea that today, if a shock is to occur, it would be Plymouth rock landing on them. The song suggests that anything is possible in modern society, even despite long-standing societal norms. The perception of a glimpse of stocking as something shocking, for example, is contrasted with the current times, where anything goes. This reference speaks to changing attitudes towards what is deemed appropriate or scandalous in terms of society's moral conduct.
The song also touches on the subject of language and how it has evolved, with once-called "good authors" now using "four-letter words" in their writing. The lyrics suggest that there are no longer limits to what can be written, sung, or said in today's world. The song's commentary on the current state of society highlights its chaos with references to the wealthy elites and their lavish lifestyles holding onto vast amounts of wealth, while the lower-income class can't even afford basic necessities for their children. Throughout, the song's lyrics paint a picture of a society in which anything goes, and nothing is taboo, morally or otherwise.
Line by Line Meaning
Times have changed
The world is different now compared to the past
And we've ofter rewound the clock
We have often revisited the past
Since the puritans got a shock
Since the puritans were surprised
When they landed on Plymouth rock
When they first arrived at Plymouth rock
If today any shock they might try to stem
If they tried to stop any shock today
'Stead of landing of Plymouth rock
Instead, Plymouth rock would land on them
Plymouth rock would land on them
They would be surprised by the world today
In olden days a glimpse of stocking
In the past, seeing a bit of a stocking was scandalous
Was looked on as something shocking
It was seen as inappropriate and surprising
But now God knows
Nowadays, who knows
Anything goes
Anything is permitted
Good authors to
Even talented writers
Who once knew better words
Who used to use appropriate language
Now only use four letter words
Now use profanity
Writing prose
When writing
Anything goes
Anything is permitted
If driving fast cars you like
If you enjoy driving fast
If low bars you like
If you like to drink at low-quality bars
If old hymns you like
If you like old-fashioned religious music
If bare limbs you like
If you like seeing people's exposed body parts
If Mae West you like
If you like Mae West, a popular actress at the time
Or me undressed you like
If you like seeing me naked
Why nobody will oppose
No one will object
When every night
When nightly
The set thats smart
The fashionable people
Is intruding on nudist parties
Are attending parties where people are naked
In studios
At movie studios
Anything goes
Anything is permitted
When Mrs. Ned McClean God bless her
When Mrs. Ned McClean, God bless her
Can get Russian reds to yes her
Can convince the Russians to agree with her
Than I suppose
Then I guess
Anything goes
Anything is permitted
When Rockafeller still can hoard
When Rockefeller can still accumulate wealth
Enough money to let Max Gordon
Enough money to allow Max Gordon
Produce his shows
To produce theater shows
Anything goes
Anything is permitted
The world has gone mad today
The world has become crazy these days
And good's bad today
Good things are bad now
And black's white today
The situation is completely different
And days night today
The times are strange
And that gent today
And that person today
You gave a cent today
To whom you recently gave money
Once owned several chateaux
Now owns many castles
When folks
When people
Who still can ride in Jitney's
Who can still ride in a jitney, a small bus
Find out Vanderbilts and Whitney's
Discover that the Vanderbilts and Whitneys
Lack baby clo'es
Don't have enough baby clothes
Anything goes
Anything is permitted
When Sam Goldwyn
When Sam Goldwyn, a movie producer
Can with great conviction
Can confidently
Instruct Anna Sten in diction
Teach Anna Sten how to speak clearly
Than Anna shows
Then Anna demonstrates what she learned
Anything goes
Anything is permitted
When you hear that
When you hear about
Lady Mendl standing up
Lady Mendl standing on her feet
Now turns a handspring landing up
Performing a gymnastics move called a handspring
On her toes
On her tiptoes
Anything goes
Anything is permitted
Just think of those shocks you've got
Just consider the things that have surprised you
And those knocks you've got
And the difficulties you've faced
And those blues you've got
And the sadness you've experienced
From those news you've got
From the news that you've heard
And those pains you've got
And the physical pains you've felt
(if any brains you've got)
(if you have any intelligence)
From those little radios
From those small radios
So Mrs. R.
So Mrs. R., a rich woman
With all her trimmin's
With all her fancy accessories
Can broadcast a bed from Simmon's
Can advertise a Simmons bed
Cause Franklin knows
Because Franklin Roosevelt knows
Anything goes
Anything is permitted
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind