Anything Goes
Cole Porter/Nighthawks/Vince Giordano/Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks Lyrics

Times have changed
The world has changed over time

And we've often rewound the clock
Sometimes we wish we could go back in time

Since the Puritans got a shock
Since the Puritans were surprised

When they landed on Plymouth Rock.
When they first arrived in America

If today
If today's society

Any shock they should try to stem
If we tried to stop any new or different ideas

'Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock,
Instead of America being new and surprising

Plymouth Rock would land on them.
The new and surprising things would land on us

In olden days, a glimpse of stocking
Back in the past, it was scandalous to see a little bit of a woman's leg

Was looked on as something shocking.
It was seen as inappropriate and improper

But now, God knows,
But nowadays

Anything goes.
Anything is accepted

Good authors too who once knew better words
Even respected writers who knew how to use sophisticated vocabulary

Now only use four-letter words
Now only use vulgar or obscene language

Writing prose.
In their writing

Anything goes.
Anything is acceptable, even if it's vulgar

If driving fast cars you like,
If you enjoy driving fast cars

If low bars you like,
If you enjoy going to bars that aren't high-class

If old hymns you like,
If you like old-fashioned religious songs

If bare limbs you like,
If you like seeing people in revealing clothing

If Mae West you like,
If you like Mae West, a prominent actress and sex symbol at the time

Or me undressed you like,
Or if you like seeing me without clothes on

Why, nobody will oppose.
No one will disagree or stop you

When ev'ry night the set that's smart is in-
When every night, the fashionable people

Truding in nudist parties in studio.
Start attending parties where people are naked in photography studios

Anything goes.
Anything people want to do is acceptable

When Missus Ned McLean (God bless her)
When Ned McLean's wife (who was very wealthy)

Can get Russian reds to 'yes' her,
Can convince Russian Communists to support her

Then I suppose
I guess that means

Anything goes.
Anything can happen

When Rockefeller still can hoard en-
When even the rich and powerful like Rockefeller

Ough money to let Max Gordon
Have enough money to fund Max Gordon

Produce his shows,
Produce theater shows

Anything goes.
Anything can happen

The world has gone mad today
The world is crazy nowadays

And good's bad today
Good things are seen as bad nowadays

And black's white today,
Things are flipped around; what used to be a given is no longer true

And day's night today,
The world is turned upside down

And that gent today
And that man today

You gave a cent today
You gave a little amount of money today

Once had several chateaux.
Used to own many large houses

When folks who still can ride in jitneys
When people who can still afford to take a jitney (a type of cheap taxi)

Find out Vanderbilts and Whitneys
Discover that even the wealthy Vanderbilts and Whitneys

Lack baby clo'es,
Don't have enough clothes for their babies

Anything goes.
Anything can happen; class lines are blurred

If Sam Goldwyn can with great conviction
If Sam Goldwyn (a famous movie producer at the time) can convincingly

Instruct Anna Sten in diction,
Help Anna Sten with her pronunciation

Then Anna shows
Then Anna demonstrates

Anything goes.
Anything can happen

When you hear that Lady Mendl standing up
When you hear that Lady Mendl (a socialite) is standing on her head

Now turns a handspring landing up-
Now does acrobatics by doing a handspring landing

On her toes,
On her toes like a ballerina

Anything goes.
Anything can happen

Just think of those shocks you've got
Just think about those things that surprised you in the past

And those knocks you've got
And those bad things that happened to you in the past

And those blues you've got
And those times when you were down and feeling unhappy

From that news you've got
From the news you've heard

And those pains you've got
And those times when you were in physical or emotional pain

(If any brains you've got)
(If you have any intelligence)

From those little radios.
From those small radio broadcasts

So Missus R., with all her trimmin's,
So Mrs. Roosevelt, with all her fancy clothes and extras

Can broadcast a bed from Simmons
Can talk about the quality of a bed from the famous mattress maker, Simmons

'Cause Franklin knows
Because her husband, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, is in charge

Anything goes.
Anything is possible or allowed