O'Connor was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England, to Irish parents and subsequently raised and trained in Sydney, Australia. She trained at the Royal Ballet School in London and worked full-time at the Australian Opera Ballet. She became an Australian Citizen in 2007 giving her dual citizenship.
O'Connor's film work includes the featured role of Nini Legs in the Air in Baz Luhrmann's film Moulin Rouge!, and as Ethel Merman in the Cole Porter biopic De-Lovely. She also featured on the De-Lovely soundtrack, singing Anything Goes.
In 2003 O'Connor made her Broadway debut as Velma Kelly in Chicago. Her West End theatre performances include Mabel in Mack & Mabel for which she received an Olivier nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. O'Connor was a member of the original 1986 revival cast of Me and My Girl at the Adelphi Theatre.
O'Connor's other UK theatre credits include A Chorus Line, Hold on Tight it's 60's Night, Chicago, Damn Yankees, West Side Story and as Ellie May in Showboat for the Royal Shakespeare Company and Opera North.
In 1998, O'Connor returned to Australia as Velma Kelly in Chicago for which she won a Green Room Award and the Mo Award for Female Musical Theatre Performer of the Year. Other Australian productions include the one woman play Bombshells written especially for Caroline O'Connor by playwright Joanna Murray-Smith, West Side Story, Man of La Mancha, Oklahoma! and concert productions of Funny Girl and Mack & Mabel. She has since filmed Bombshells for ABC Television. Her portrayal of Edith Piaf in Pam Gems's play Piaf gained her three Australian theatre awards.
Bombshells toured to sell-out performances at the Edinburgh Festival (where she won the coveted Fringe First Award), London's West End at the Arts Theatre (for which she received her second Laurence Olivier Award nomination), and at the World Stage Festival in Toronto, Canada. O'Connor starred as Judy Garland in the 2005 world premiere of Peter Quilter's play End of the Rainbow at the Sydney Opera House. Following its Sydney and Melbourne seasons, Caroline recorded the CD A Tribute to Judy Garland, and reprised her Helpmann Award winning role in Sydney at the Theatre Royal in 2006.
She starred in the premiere production of the musical The Hatpin, which opened in Sydney on 27 February 2008 to critical acclaim. In June 2008, she played the title role —a role specifically written for O'Connor— in the premiere of David Williamson's 2008 play Scarlett O'Hara at the Crimson Parrot at the Melbourne Theatre Company.
O'Connor has recorded four solo CDs (What I Did For Love, A Tribute To Piaf, From Stage to Screen, A Tribute to Garland), and has featured on numerous cast recordings and compilations.
In March 2009, O'Connor reprised her role as Velma Kelly in the 2009 Australian production of Chicago where she starred alongside Sharon Millerchip and Craig McLachlan.
In May 2010, she appeared as Mrs Cooper in the TV series, Lowdown.
Anything You Can Do
Caroline O'Connor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can do anything better than you.
No you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Anything you can be, I can be greater.
Sooner or later I'm greater than you.
No, you're not.
Yes, I am.
No, you're not.
Yes, I am.
No, you're not!.
Yes, I am, Yes, I am!
I can shoot a partridge, with a single cartridge.
I can get a sparrow, with a bow and arrow.
I can live on bread and cheese.
And only on that?
Yes.
So can a rat!
Any note you can reach, I can go higher.
I can sing anything higher than you.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I CAN!
Anything you can buy, I can buy cheaper.
I can buy anything cheaper than you.
Fifty cents?
Forty cents!
Thirty cents?
Twenty cents!
No, you can't!
Yes, I can,
Yes, I can!
Anything you can say, I can say softer.
I can say anything softer than you.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
YES, I CAN!
I can drink my liquor faster than a flicker.
I can drink it quicker and get even sicker!
I can open any safe.
Without bein' caught?
Yes.
That's what I thought you crook!
Any note you can hold, I can hold longer.
I can hold any note longer than you.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can
No, you can't.
Yes, I can
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
Yes, I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I CA-A-A-A-N!
Yes, you ca-a-a-an!
Anything you can wear, I can wear better.
In what you wear I'd look better than you.
In my coat?
In your vest!
In my shoes?
In your hat!
No, you can't!
Yes, I can.
Yes, I can!
Anything you can say, I can say faster.
I can say anything faster than you.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No,you can't.
Yes I can!
I can jump a hurdle.
I can wear a girdle.
I can knit a sweater.
I can fill it better!
I can do most anything!
Can you bake a pie?
No.
Neither can I.
Anything you can sing, I can sing sweeter.
I can sing anything sweeter than you.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't, can't, can't.
Yes, I can, can, can.
Yes, I can!
No, you can't!
"Anything You Can Do" is a classic vaudeville-style duet between two characters, typically a man and a woman, who engage in a playful, competitive back-and-forth exchange. The song's lyrics are built around the central theme of one-upmanship, with each character trying to outdo the other by claiming to be better at a variety of activities and skills.
The song is notable for its catchy melody and playful lyrics, which have made it a popular choice for musical theater productions, as well as a frequently covered standard in the pop and jazz worlds. The song was written by Irving Berlin for the 1946 musical "Annie Get Your Gun," which tells the story of sharpshooter Annie Oakley.
The song's lyrics are notable for their use of repetition, as each character repeats their lines multiple times in an effort to prove their superiority. The chorus, in particular, features a call-and-response structure, with each character confidently asserting that they can do anything better than the other.
From a broader perspective, the song can be seen as a celebration of healthy competition between two equals. The characters' competition is playful rather than malicious, and ultimately serves to highlight their shared strengths and talents.
Line by Line Meaning
Anything you can do, I can do better.
I am better than you in everything that you can do.
I can do anything better than you.
I am capable of performing better than you in any task.
No you can't.
You cannot do it better than me.
Yes, I can.
I am confident that I can do it better than you.
Anything you can be, I can be greater.
I can do everything that you can do, or even better.
Sooner or later I'm greater than you.
I will become greater than you in everything you can be.
I can shoot a partridge, with a single cartridge.
I can hit a bird with precision using only one shot.
I can get a sparrow, with a bow and arrow.
I can catch a small bird with a weapon that requires more skill than just one shot.
I can live on bread and cheese.
I am capable of surviving on simple and basic food.
And only on that?
Is that all you can eat?
Yes.
Yes, that is correct.
So can a rat!
Even a rat can live on bread and cheese.
Any note you can reach, I can go higher.
I can sing higher notes than you.
I can sing anything higher than you.
I can reach higher notes than you in any song.
No, you can't.
You cannot reach the same notes as I do.
Yes, I can.
I am confident that I can reach higher notes than you.
Anything you can buy, I can buy cheaper.
I can purchase anything that you can buy, but at a cheaper price.
I can buy anything cheaper than you.
I can get any item at a lower cost than you can.
Fifty cents?
Can you buy it cheaper than fifty cents?
Forty cents!
Yes, I can buy it for forty cents.
Thirty cents?
Even less than thirty cents, I can buy it cheaper.
Twenty cents!
Yes, I can buy it cheaper for only twenty cents.
No, you can't!
You cannot purchase it cheaper than me.
Anything you can say, I can say softer.
I can speak in a softer tone than you.
I can say anything softer than you.
My voice can be gentler than yours in saying anything.
No, you can't.
You cannot say it as softly as I can.
Yes, I can.
I am capable of speaking in a softer voice.
I can drink my liquor faster than a flicker.
I can drink alcohol more quickly than anyone else.
I can drink it quicker and get even sicker!
I can be faster in getting drunk, and it can make me even sicker.
I can open any safe.
I have the ability to open any safe.
Without bein' caught?
Can you open it without getting caught?
Yes.
Yes, I can open it without getting caught.
That's what I thought you crook!
I suspected you were not trustworthy.
Any note you can hold, I can hold longer.
I can maintain a note longer than you can.
I can hold any note longer than you.
I can reach a note with a sustained pitch longer than you can.
Yes, I can
I am confident of being able to maintain the note longer than you.
Yes, I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I CA-A-A-A-N!
I can do it and hold the note for a long time.
Anything you can wear, I can wear better.
I look better than you in any clothes you wear.
In what you wear I'd look better than you.
Even if we wore the same thing, I would still look better than you.
No, you can't!
You cannot look better than me in the same clothes.
Yes, I can.
I think I would look better than you in the same clothes.
Anything you can say, I can say faster.
I can speak faster than you.
I can say anything faster than you.
I can speak any words more quickly than you.
No, you can't.
You cannot speak faster than me.
Yes, I can.
I am capable of speaking more quickly than you.
I can jump a hurdle.
I can jump over obstacles.
I can wear a girdle.
I can wear a tight-fitting undergarment.
I can knit a sweater.
I have the ability to make a knitted garment.
I can fill it better!
I am skilled in making the sweater fit perfectly.
I can do most anything!
I am capable of doing many things.
Can you bake a pie?
Can you make a pie?
No.
I cannot do that.
Neither can I.
I am not able to make a pie as well.
Anything you can sing, I can sing sweeter.
I can sing any song but with a sweeter-sounding voice.
I can sing anything sweeter than you.
I can sing any song better than you with a more pleasant voice.
No, you can't.
You cannot sing sweeter than me.
Yes, I can.
I am capable of singing more beautifully than you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J. G. Lewis
Really a very entertaining version....! I love this version.
Dorene Chase
CAROLINE IS THE VERY BEST....LOVE THIS PERFORMANCE
MIGUEL DE LA CRUZ
Casi siempre las canciones que se escuchan en las películas, al igual que la música, son las mejores versiones. Ésta me encanta. Es la mejor
PsilliPig
I think O'Conner outperforms Lupone, Merman and every other version I've heard. I know she is playing the part of Merman in film, but she is so clear and fun to listen to, and her voice is so on target, it's great. Personally I'm not into all that smushy girl personality and slurring of words that seems to be the hot thing on Broadway anymore. The lyrics as sung by O'Conner are crisp and tight, like the jazz of the era, and really send one back in time.
John Wilson
Love her since I first heard that voice. Great Aussie voice. XXXX
Prionel
It's the best arrangement of "Anything Goes" and Caroline O'Connor is simply spectacular!! But...why no video???
YouGandered101
I'm gonna see her in Anything Goes next year!! :)
Kira Renee
This is very good but sad movie 😌
MickCoola
WOOOOOOOooOOOOOOOooOOW
David Bucknell
how come on that image Caroline O'connor is not listed???