Anything Goes
Debbie Shapiro Lyrics
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And we've often rewound the clock
Since the Puritans got a shock
When they landed on Plymouth Rock.
If today
Any shock they should try to stem
'Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock,
Plymouth Rock would land on them.
In olden days, a glimpse of stocking
Was looked on as something shocking.
But now, God knows,
Anything goes.
Good authors too 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 ev'ry night the set that's smart is in-
Truding in nudist parties in
Studios.
Anything goes.
When Missus Ned McLean (God bless her)
Can get Russian reds to "yes" her,
Then I suppose
Anything goes.
When Rockefeller still can hoard en-
Ough 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 day's night today,
And that gent today
You gave a cent today
Once had several chateaux.
When folks who still can ride in jitneys
Find out Vanderbilts and Whitneys
Lack baby clo'es,
Anything goes.
If Sam Goldwyn can with great conviction
Instruct Anna Sten in diction,
Then 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 that news you've got
And those pains you've got
(If any brains you've got)
From those little radios.
So Missus R., with all her trimmin's,
Can broadcast a bed from Simmons
'Cause Franklin knows
Anything goes.
"Anything Goes" is a song that was first introduced in the 1934 musical of the same name by Cole Porter. The song is a satirical commentary on the changing social norms and conventions of the time. The song begins with a reference to the Puritans and how their shock at landing on Plymouth Rock would be nothing compared to the shock they would feel if they were to witness the changing social norms of the present day. The lyrics suggest that anything goes in the world today and that what was once considered shocking or taboo, like showing a glimpse of a woman's stocking or using profanity in writing, is now widely accepted.
Porter goes on to parody various aspects of modern society, including fast cars, low bars, nudist parties, and the cult of celebrity. The lyrics also reference the changing economic landscape and the widening gap between the rich and the poor. The song ends with the observation that anything goes in the world today, and even the most outrageous behavior is no longer a cause for shock or censure.
Overall, "Anything Goes" is a witty and irreverent commentary on the changing social norms and values of the 1930s. Through its clever lyrics and catchy melody, the song captures the playful spirit and irreverent humor of its time.
Line by Line Meaning
Times have changed
The world is different now compared to in the past
And we've often rewound the clock
We often look back to the past
Since the Puritans got a shock
Since the Puritans were surprised
When they landed on Plymouth Rock.
When they arrived in America and landed on the Plymouth Rock
If today
If now
Any shock they should try to stem
If they tried to stop anything that was a shock
'Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock,
Instead of coming to America and being surprised
Plymouth Rock would land on them.
They would be the ones who are surprised today
In olden days, a glimpse of stocking
In the past, showing even a bit of a woman's leg was scandalous
Was looked on as something shocking.
It was considered very improper and wrong
But now, God knows,
Nowadays, who even knows
Anything goes.
Anything is permissible and acceptable nowadays
Good authors too who once knew better words
Even writers who had better vocabularies in the past
Now only use four-letter words
Now only use swear words
Writing prose.
Writing plain and simple sentences
Anything goes.
Anything is permissible and acceptable nowadays
If driving fast cars you like,
If you enjoy driving fast cars
If low bars you like,
If you like going to seedy bars
If old hymns you like,
If you prefer older hymns
If bare limbs you like,
If you like looking at people who are scantily dressed
If Mae West you like,
If you enjoy Mae West's style of entertainment
Or me undressed you like,
If you would like to see me naked
Why, nobody will oppose.
Nobody will prevent you from doing what you like
When ev'ry night the set that's smart is in-
When every night the fashionable people are going to
Truding in nudist parties in
Crashing nudist parties
Studios.
In movie studios
Anything goes.
Anything is permissible and acceptable nowadays
When Missus Ned McLean (God bless her)
When Mrs. Ned McLean
Can get Russian reds to "yes" her,
Can get Russians to agree with her
Then I suppose
Then I guess
Anything goes.
Anything is permissible and acceptable nowadays
When Rockefeller still can hoard en-
When Rockefeller is still wealthy enough to
Ough money to let Max Gordon
Have enough money to be able to allow Max Gordon
Produce his shows,
To produce his theatrical productions
Anything goes.
Anything is permissible and acceptable nowadays
The world has gone mad today
The world has become crazy nowadays
And good's bad today,
What is considered good today is actually bad
And black's white today,
What is considered black today is white
And day's night today,
What is considered daytime today is as dark as night
And that gent today
And someone who today
You gave a cent today
You gave money to earlier today
Once had several chateaux.
Had several mansions in the past
When folks who still can ride in jitneys
When there are still people who can ride jitneys
Find out Vanderbilts and Whitneys
Find out that even the wealthy Vanderbilt and Whitney families
Lack baby clo'es,
Don't have enough clothes for their babies
Anything goes.
Anything is permissible and acceptable nowadays
If Sam Goldwyn can with great conviction
If Sam Goldwyn can confidently
Instruct Anna Sten in diction,
Teach Anna Sten pronunciation
Then Anna shows
Then Anna displays
Anything goes.
Anything is permissible and acceptable nowadays
When you hear that Lady Mendl standing up
When you hear that Lady Mendl doing a cartwheel
Now turns a handspring landing up-
Now flips and lands on her feet
On her toes,
Balancing only on her toes
Anything goes.
Anything is permissible and acceptable nowadays
Just think of those shocks you've got
Just think about how many surprises and shocks you've had
And those knocks you've got
And how many times you've been hit
And those blues you've got
And how often you've been sad and blue
From that news you've got
From the news that you've heard
And those pains you've got
And how much pain you've experienced
(If any brains you've got)
(If you have any intelligence)
From those little radios.
From those small radios that you listen to
So Missus R., with all her trimmin's,
So Mrs. R, with all of her good qualities and improvements
Can broadcast a bed from Simmons
Can advertise a bed from Simmons
'Cause Franklin knows
Because Franklin Roosevelt knows
Anything goes.
Anything is permissible and acceptable nowadays
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind