Anything Goes
Craig Rubano 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 song "Anything Goes" by Craig Rubano is a commentary on the changing social norms and values of society. The first stanza draws a comparison between the Puritan era when a sight of bare flesh was unthinkable and today's society when nudity is no longer taboo. The lyrics then go on to suggest that society is becoming more and more permissive with low bars and old hymns being given equal value to Mae West and undressed bodies. The song highlights how the lines between right and wrong are becoming increasingly blurred.
The second stanza of the song refers to the declining standards in literature, with authors opting for four-letter words rather than better vocabulary. In the third stanza, Rubano talks about how even the wealthy, like Rockafeller, can hoard money and produce shows that defy societal norms. The fourth stanza highlights how the upper-class society has changed, with even those who ride in Jitneys becoming aware of the luxury enjoyed by the Vanderbilts and Whitney's.
The final stanza is a call to accept the changes and shocks of society. It suggests that even Mrs. R, with all her trimmings, can broadcast a bed from Simmons today because Franklin knows that anything goes. Overall, the song highlights the transformation of social norms and encourages people to accept these changes no matter how shocking they may appear to be.
Line by Line Meaning
Times have changed
The current situation is different from what it used to be
And we've ofter rewound the clock
We've often tried to recreate the past
Since the puritans got a shock
Since the puritans were surprised
When they landed on Plymouth rock
When they arrived in the USA
If today any shock they might try to stem
If anyone today tries to resist being shocked
'Stead of landing of Plymouth rock
Instead of arriving in the USA
Plymouth rock would land on them
They would be shocked instead
In olden days a glimpse of stocking
In the past, seeing some stockings was scandalous
Was looked on as something shocking
It was considered offensive
But now God knows
But now who knows
Anything goes
Anything is allowed
Good authors to
Talented writers who
Who once knew better words
Used to have a more extensive vocabulary
Now only use four letter words
Now only use vulgar words
Writing prose
When writing their work
Anything goes
Anything is allowed
If driving fast cars you like
If you enjoy driving fast cars
If low bars you like
If you enjoy dive bars
If old hymns you like
If you like traditional hymns
If bare limbs you like
If you like nudity
If Mae West you like
If you like that particular actress
Or me undressed you like
Or you like me without clothes
Why nobody will oppose
No one will object
When every night
Every night
The set thats smart
The elite people
Is intruding on nudist parties
Attending naked parties
In studios
In recording studios
Anything goes
Anything is allowed
When Mrs. Ned McClean God bless her
When Mrs. Ned McClean, may God bless her,
Can get Russian reds to yes her
Can get communist supporters to agree with her
Than I suppose
Then I guess
Anything goes
Anything is allowed
When Rockafeller still can hoard
When Rockefeller is still able to keep large amounts of money
Enough money to let Max Gordon
Enough money to allow Max Gordon
Produce his shows
To produce his theater productions
Anything goes
Anything is allowed
The world has gone mad today
The world has become crazy today
And good's bad today
What is regarded as good today, is actually bad
And black's white today
What is regarded as black is actually white
And days night today
What is regarded as day is actually night
And that gent today
And that gentleman today
You gave a cent today
You gave a penny today
Once owned several chateaux
Used to own several chateaux
When folks
When people who
Who still can ride in Jitney's
Who can still ride in cheap taxis
Find out Vanderbilts and Whitney's
Discover that the Vanderbilts and Whitney's
Lack baby clo'es
Lack baby clothes
Anything goes
Anything is allowed
When Sam Goldwyn
When the filmmaker Sam Goldwyn
Can with great conviction
Can convincingly
Instruct Anna Sten in diction
Teach Anna Sten how to speak
Than Anna shows
Then Anna speaks
Anything goes
Anything is allowed
When you hear that
When you learn that
Lady Mendl standing up
Lady Mendl standing up
Now turns a handspring landing up
Now does a handspring and lands on her feet
On her toes
On the tips of her toes
Anything goes
Anything is allowed
Just think of those shocks you've got
Just think about all those surprises you've experienced
And those knocks you've got
And all those blows you've received
And those blues you've got
And all those feelings of sadness you've experienced
From those news you've got
From all that negative news you've heard
And those pains you've got
And all those physical and emotional pains you've experienced
(if any brains you've got)
(if you have any brains left)
From those little radios
From those little radio sets
So Mrs. R.
So Mrs. Roosevelt
With all her trimmin's
With all her accessories
Can broadcast a bed from Simmon's
Can broadcast an advertisement for a bed from Simmon's
Cause Franklin knows
Because Franklin Roosevelt knows
Anything goes
Anything is allowed
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind