I Enjoy Being a Girl
Doris Day Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm a girl, and by me that's only great!
I am proud that my silhouette is curvy,
That I walk with a sweet and girlish gait
With my hips kind of swivelly and swervy.

I adore being dressed in something frilly
When my date comes to get me at my place.
Out I go with my Joe or John or Billy,
Like a filly who is ready for the race!

When I have a brand new hairdo
With my eyelashes all in curl,
I float as the clouds on air do,
I enjoy being a girl!

When men say I'm cute and funny
And my teeth aren't teeth, but pearl,
I just lap it up like honey
I enjoy being a girl!

I flip when a fellow sends me flowers,
I drool over dresses made of lace,
I talk on the telephone for hours
With a pound and a half of cream upon my face!

I'm strictly a female female
And my future I hope will be
In the home of a brave and free male
Who'll enjoy being a guy having a girl like me.

When men say I'm sweet as candy
As around in a dance we whirl,
It goes to my head like brandy,
I enjoy being a girl!

When someone with eyes that smoulder
Says he loves ev'ry silken curl
That falls on my iv'ry shoulder,
I enjoy being a girl!

When I hear the compliment'ry whistle
That greets my bikini by the sea,
I turn and I glower and I bristle,
But I happy to know the whistle's meant for me!

I'm strictly a female female
And my future I hope will be
In the home of a brave and free male
Who'll enjoy being a guy having a girl like me.

When I have a brand new hairdo
With my eyelashes all in curl
I float as the clouds on air do
I enjoy being a girl
When men say I'm cute and funny
And my teeth aren't teeth but pearl
I just lap it up like honey
I enjoy being a girl

I flip when a fella sends me flowers
I drool over dresses made of lace
I talk on the telephone for hours
With a pound and a half of cream upon my face

I'm strictly a female female
And my future I hope will be




In the home of a brave and free male
Who'll enjoy being a guy having a girl like me.

Overall Meaning

Doris Day's song "I Enjoy Being a Girl" celebrates the joys of femininity and being a woman. In the first verse, she takes pride in her curvaceous figure that she showcases with a "sweet and girlish gait." She also loves getting dolled up in frilly dresses and having a man take her out for the night, feeling like a prize-winning filly ready to race. Day's enjoyment of being a woman is further expressed when she discusses the thrill of receiving compliments from men, whether it's being called cute and funny or having someone admire her silky curls and pearly teeth. She loves the attention she receives from men, and it's a source of pleasure for her.


Day's lyrics also demonstrate the cultural expectations of women during the era in which the song was written. The line "I'm strictly a female female, and my future I hope will be in the home of a brave and free male" suggests that women's roles were limited to that of a homemaker, and Day's character is content with that traditional lifestyle. It's interesting to note that the song was written for the 1958 musical "Flower Drum Song" by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, a production that explored the lives of Chinese immigrants in San Francisco, but this song was added to cater to the Western audience.


Despite the societal expectations placed on women during the time of the song's creation, "I Enjoy Being a Girl" is still an empowering anthem for femininity. It's a celebration of the joys of being a woman and feeling attractive, confident, and desired.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm a girl, and by me that's only great!
I take pride in being a girl, and I believe it's wonderful to be one!


I am proud that my silhouette is curvy,
I'm happy about my figure that has curves in all the right places.


That I walk with a sweet and girlish gait
I have a unique way of walking with a feminine charm and grace, and I love it!


With my hips kind of swivelly and swervy.
My hip movements are fluid and sensual, and I feel confident about it.


I adore being dressed in something frilly
I love wearing dresses or clothes with delicate details like laces or bows.


When my date comes to get me at my place.
I feel ecstatic when my date arrives to take me out for a meal or a date.


Out I go with my Joe or John or Billy,
I leave my home with my date, who could be named Joe, John, or Billy, feeling excited!


Like a filly who is ready for the race!
I feel ready and eager, like a young female horse who's about to race.


When I have a brand new hairdo
I feel fantastic when I go to the hair salon and get a new and stylish haircut.


With my eyelashes all in curl,
I love curling my eyelashes to add more definition and appeal to my eyes.


I float as the clouds on air do,
I feel ecstatic, light, and happy, like floating in the clouds.


I enjoy being a girl!
Being a girl is fantastic, and I enjoy every bit of it!


When men say I'm cute and funny
I feel flattered when men compliment me about how cute or funny I am.


And my teeth aren't teeth, but pearl,
I feel good when my teeth look white and shiny and resemble pearls.


I just lap it up like honey
I soak up these compliments and enjoy them like honey.


I flip when a fellow sends me flowers,
I become very excited and ecstatic when a man sends me flowers as a gesture of affection.


I drool over dresses made of lace,
I love dresses that have delicate and intricate lace details, and I find them drool-worthy!


I talk on the telephone for hours
I love chatting with my friends on the phone, and we can go on for hours!


With a pound and a half of cream upon my face!
I don't mind pampering myself with a facial cream that makes my skin soft and supple.


I'm strictly a female female
I embrace my femininity and identify purely as a female.


And my future I hope will be
I aspire to have a future that aligns with my values and goals.


In the home of a brave and free male
I hope to have a loving partner who is courageous and values freedom.


Who'll enjoy being a guy having a girl like me.
I want my partner to take pleasure in his masculinity and find happiness in being with me as his female partner.


When someone with eyes that smoulder
I feel enticed when someone with a captivating gaze shows interest in me.


Says he loves ev'ry silken curl
I feel appreciated when someone admires my hair, especially its soft texture and the curls in it.


That falls on my iv'ry shoulder,
I feel beautiful when my curly hair falls on my pale shoulder, resembling ivory.


When I hear the compliment'ry whistle
I feel flattered when someone gives me a compliment by whistling, indicating attraction or admiration.


That greets my bikini by the sea,
I receive appreciative whistles when I wear a bikini at the beach, which makes me feel confident and attractive.


I turn and I glower and I bristle,
Although I may act annoyed or angry when men whistle at me, it secretly flatters me.


But I happy to know the whistle's meant for me!
I feel happy and excited when I realize that the whistle was for me and confirms my attractiveness!




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II, RICHARD RODGERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@myriamreads7492

I'm a girl, and by me that's only great!
I am proud that my silhouette is curvy,
That I walk with a sweet and girlish gait
With my hips kind of swivelly and swervy.
I adore being dressed in something frilly
When my date comes to get me at my place.
Out I go with my Joe or John or Billy,
Like a filly who is ready for the race!
When I have a brand new hairdo
With my eyelashes all in curl,
I float as the clouds on air do,
I enjoy being a girl!
When men say I'm cute and funny
And my teeth aren't teeth, but pearl,
I just lap it up like honey
I enjoy being a girl!
I flip when a fellow sends me flowers,
I drool over dresses made of lace,
I talk on the telephone for hours
With a pound and a half of cream upon my face!
I'm strictly a female female
And my future I hope will be
In the home of a brave and free male
Who'll enjoy being a guy having a girl... like... me.
When men say I'm sweet as candy
As around in a dance we whirl,
It goes to my head like brandy,
I enjoy being a girl!
When someone with eyes that smoulder
Says he loves ev'ry silken curl
That falls on my iv'ry shoulder,
I enjoy being a girl!
I'm a girl, and by me that's only great!
I am proud that my silhouette is curvy,
That I walk with a sweet and girlish gait
With my hips kind of swivelly and swervy.
I adore being dressed in something frilly
When my date comes to get me at my place.
Out I go with my Joe or John or Billy,
Like a filly who is ready for the race!
When I have a brand new hairdo
With my eyelashes all in curl,
I float as the clouds on air do,
I enjoy being a girl!
When men say I'm cute and funny
And my teeth aren't teeth, but pearl,
I just lap it up like honey
I enjoy being a girl!
I flip when a fellow sends me flowers,
I drool over dresses made of lace,
I talk on the telephone for hours
With a pound and a half of cream upon my face!
I'm strictly a female female
And my future I hope will be
In the home of a brave and free male
Who'll enjoy being a guy having a girl... like... me.
When men say I'm sweet as candy
As around in a dance we whirl,
It goes to my head like brandy,
I enjoy being a girl!
When someone with eyes that smoulder
Says he loves ev'ry silken curl
That falls on my iv'ry shoulder,
I enjoy being a girl!
When I hear the compliment'ry whistle
That greets my bikini by the sea,
I turn and I glower and I bristle,
But I happy to know the whistle's meant for me!
I'm strictly a female female
And my future I hope will be
In the home of a brave and free male
Who'll enjoy being a guy having a girl... like... me.
I'm strictly a female female
And my future I hope will be
In the home of a brave and free male
Who'll enjoy being a guy having a girl... like... me.



All comments from YouTube:

@44lorlor

Ok I've listened to 10 versions of this song and NO ONE compares to this Lovely Lady. Sorry Ladies, but Doris nails it! Thanks!

@vivianrouson5071

Takes me back. I love this song!

@karlhungus5554

RIP, Ms. Day
April 3, 1922 - May 13, 2019 (aged 97)

@chalkbunt81

My first warning sign; liking this song. Ah, me.

@Sonincognito

Perfect rendition by a perfect singer.  What a loss when you died.

@ExtravaganTV

Mad Men.

@brandinoiii4293

OMG same. :)

@xX.ne0

rest in peace doris ❤️

@inspirationfitness5522

Love this so much

@matinatheartofrolling4606

This always make me think of the baby from "Look who's talking now"

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