A Fine Romance
Ella Fitzgerald; Nelson Riddle & His Orchestra Lyrics
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A fine romance, my friend this is
We should be like a couple of hot tomatoes
But you're as cold as yesterday's mashed potatoes
A fine romance, you won't nestle
A fine romance, you won't wrestle
I might as well play bridge
With my old maid aunt
This is a fine romance
A fine romance, my good fellow
You take romance, I'll take jello
You're calmer than the seals
In the arctic ocean
At least they flap their fins
To express emotion
A fine romance with no quarrels
With no insults and all morals
I've never mussed the crease
In your blue serge pants
I never get the chance
This is a fine romance
The lyrics of "A Fine Romance" sung by Ella Fitzgerald with several other famous jazz musicians are a witty and humorous take on a romance that lacks passion and excitement. The first stanza sets the tone of the song with the singer expressing the lack of affection in the romantic relationship. The metaphor "hot tomatoes" refers to the passion that should exist between the two people but instead, one of them is compared to cold mashed potatoes. The second stanza continues with the mockery of the unromantic partner who prefers jello over romance. The comparison to seals in the Arctic Ocean is a comment on the partner's lack of emotion, they are as calm as the seals that do not show much emotion.
The following two lines, "A fine romance with no quarrels, with no insults and all morals," is a clever twist on a conventional idea of a romantic relationship, where quarrels and insults are often seen as a sign of passion. The last two lines "I've never mussed the crease in your blue serge pants, I never get the chance, this is a fine romance" are the cherry on the top of the song's wit. The phrase "mussed the crease" is a reference to a stereotypical characteristic of a romantic encounter as portrayed in movies where the male protagonist would seductively mess up the crease of the female protagonist's skirt. The last line concludes the song by stating that even though it's a "fine romance," it's no romance at all.
Line by Line Meaning
A fine romance, with no kisses
Our romance lacks intimacy and passion
A fine romance, my friend this is
Despite the lack of physical affection, our relationship is still pleasant
We should be like a couple of hot tomatoes
We should be passionate and full of energy
But you're as cold as yesterday's mashed potatoes
But you are lacking in passion and emotion
A fine romance, you won't nestle
You avoid physical closeness with me
A fine romance, you won't wrestle
You are not willing to engage in passionate activity with me
I might as well play bridge
I might as well engage in a dull activity
With my old maid aunt
With someone who is not interested in romance
I haven't got a chance
I have no hope of having a passionate romance with you
This is a fine romance
Our relationship lacks passion and intimacy, but is pleasant in other ways
A fine romance, my good fellow
Our relationship is still good despite the lack of physical intimacy
You take romance, I'll take jello
You do not want passion, but I do
You're calmer than the seals
You are very calm and lack emotion
In the arctic ocean
In a cold and distant place
At least they flap their fins
At least the seals show some sign of emotion
To express emotion
To show their passion and excitement
A fine romance with no quarrels
Despite the lack of intimacy, we have a peaceful relationship
With no insults and all morals
We treat each other with respect and good behavior
I've never mussed the crease
I have never caused any trouble or difficulty
In your blue serge pants
In your formal attire
I never get the chance
I never have an opportunity to act out my passion
This is a fine romance
Although our relationship lacks passion, it is still a good one overall
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: JEROME KERN, DOROTHY FIELDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind