Ethel Agnes Zimmerman was born in the third floor bedroom of her grandmother's house at 359 4th Avenue in Astoria, Queens. Growing up near Famous Players-Lasky's Astoria Studios, young Ethel often watched the silent movie stars drive by in their massive cars, and she dreamed of joining their ranks one day. Her powerful voice won attention when her family worshipped at Holy Redeemer Episcopal Church, and she began making local concert appearances. She also frequently attended vaudeville performances at The Palace Theater in Manhattan, watching great stars like Fanny Brice and Sophie Tucker.
Ethel's parents Edward (an accountant) and Agnes (a school teacher) understood Ethel's love of singing, but they did not see show business as a reliable career choice for a woman. They insisted that she get a solid education with thorough training in secretarial skills, so she would have something to fall back on if her dreams of stardom didn't pan out. After Ethel graduating William Cullen Bryant High School, she earned a respectable $28 a week as a stenographer for the owner of a local factory. She picked up extra money by singing at private parties and in night clubs. Ethel was so efficient that her indulgent boss (who only came in two days a week) overlooked her taking nap breaks at the office after late night performances. When Ethel's gigs multiplied, her parents accepted the inevitable and allowed her to give up the day job and sing full-time.
It's De-Lovely
Ethel Merman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So if you want to go walking, dear,
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely.
I understand the reason why
You're sentimental, 'cause so am I,
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely.
You can tell at a glance
What a swell night this is for romance,
Murmuring low,
"Let yourself go!"
So please be sweet, my chickadee,
And when I kiss you, just say to me,
"It's delightful, it's delicious,
It's delectable, it's delirious,
It's dilemma, it's delimit, it's deluxe,
It's de-lovely".
I feel a sudden urge to sing
The kind of ditty that invokes the spring.
I'll control my desire to curse
While you crucify the verse.
This verse I started seems to me
The Tin-Pantithesis of a melody,
So spare us all the pain,
Just skip the darn thing and sing the refrain...
Mi, mi, mi, mi,
Re, re, re, re,
Do, sol, mi, do, la, si.
The night is young, the skies are clear
So if you want to go walking, dear,
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely.
I understand the reason why
You're sentimental, 'cause so am I,
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely.
You can tell at a glance
What a swell night this is for romance,
You can hear dear Mother Nature
Murmuring low,
"Let yourself go!"
So please be sweet, my chickadee,
And when I kiss you, just say to me,
"It's delightful, it's delicious,
It's...It's de-lovely".
The opening lines of Ethel Merman's song "It's De-Lovely" set the stage for a night of romantic adventure, as the singer invites their sweetheart for a walk under the stars. The playful repetition of "delightful, delicious, de-lovely" paints a picture of a carefree and joyful romance, one that both partners feel sentimental about. The lyrics also invoke the idea of Mother Nature as a matchmaker, encouraging the lovers to "let yourself go" and enjoy the moment. The final verse playfully self-deprecates, poking fun at the songwriter's own inability to craft a good melody, before returning once again to the joyful refrain.
Beyond its charming lyrics, "It's De-Lovely" is also notable for its historical context. The song was originally composed by Cole Porter for the musical "Red, Hot and Blue," which premiered on Broadway in 1936. Ethel Merman, who was known for her powerful and charismatic singing voice, famously starred in many of Porter's musicals, and "It's De-Lovely" was one of her signature numbers.
Line by Line Meaning
The night is young, the skies are clear
The evening is still young and the sky is clear which creates a perfect ambiance for a romantic stroll.
So if you want to go walking, dear
If you would like to take a leisurely walk, my beloved
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely.
The experience would be enchanting, wonderful, and euphoric
I understand the reason why
I am aware of and comprehend the reason for your sentimentality
'Cause so am I
I feel the same way you do
You can tell at a glance
It is evident in a mere moment
What a swell night this is for romance
It is a splendid night for a romantic outing
You can hear dear Mother Nature
You can hear nature itself
Murmuring low, "Let yourself go!"
It is whispering softly that you should let go and enjoy the moment
So please be sweet, my chickadee
Please be kind and sweet, my love
And when I kiss you, just say to me,
When I kiss you, merely say to me
"It's delightful, it's delicious,
It's enchanting, it's tasty
It's delectable, it's delirious,
It's delicious, it's intoxicating
It's dilemma, it's delimit,
It's a problem, it has boundaries
It's deluxe, it's de-lovely".
It's luxurious, it's delightful
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@danaepienica4249
The night is young, the skies are clear
So if you want to go walking, dear
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely
I understand the reason why
You're sentimental, 'cause so am I
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely
You can tell at a glance
What a swell night this is for romance
You can hear dear Mother Nature
Murmuring low
"Let yourself go!"
So please be sweet, my chickadee
And when I kiss you, just say to me
"It's delightful, it's delicious
It's delectable, it's delirious
It's dilemma, it's delimit, it's deluxe
It's de-lovely"
I feel a sudden urge to sing
The kind of ditty that invokes the spring
I'll control my desire to curse
While you crucify the verse
This verse I started seems to me
The Tin-Pantithesis of a melody
So spare us all the pain
Just skip the darn thing and sing the refrain
Mi, mi, mi, mi
Re, re, re, re
Do, sol, mi, do, la, si
The night is young, the skies are clear
So if you want to go walking, dear
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely
I understand the reason why
You're sentimental, 'cause so am I
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely
You can tell at a glance
What a swell night this is for romance
You can hear dear Mother Nature
Murmuring low
"Let yourself go!"
So please be sweet, my chickadee
And when I kiss you, just say to me
"It's delightful, it's delicious
It's, it's de-lovely"
@foxgodrecords2752
The CORRECT lyrics for this version of the song are:
It’s De-Lovely (1936)
I feel a sudden urge to sing
the kind of ditty that invokes the spring
So control your desire to curse while I crucify the verse
This verse I started seems to me
the tin-pan-tithesis of melody
So to spare you all the pain,
I’ll skip the darn thing and sing the refrain.
Mi-mi-mi-mi
Re-re-re-re
Do-so-mi-do-la-si
Take it away!
Oh, the night is young, the skies are clear
And if you want to go walking dear
It’s delightful, it’s delicious, it’s delovely
I understand the reason why
You’re sentimental ’cause so am I
It’s delightful, it’s delicious, it’s delovely
You can tell at a glance what a swell night this is for romance
You can hear dear Mother Nature
Murmuring low, “Let yourself go”
So please be sweet my chickadee
And when I kiss you, just say to me
“It’s delightful, it’s delicious, it’s delectable
It’s delirious, it’s dilemma, it’s delimit
It’s deluxe, it’s delovely”
Time marches on and soon its plain
You’ve won my heart and I’ve lost my brain.
It’s delightful, it’s delicious, it’s delovely.
Life seems so sweet that we decide it’s in the bag to get unified.
It’s delightful, it’s delicious, it’s delovely.
See the crowd in the church.
See that proud parson plopped on his perch.
Hear that sweet beat of the organ sealing our doom:
Here goes the groom! BOOM! How they cheer and how they smile
As we go galloping down the aisle.
It’s divine, dear. It’s diveen, dear. It’s de–vundebar. It’s de–victory. It’s de–vallop. It’s de–vinner. It’s de–voiks.
It’s delovely.
@pamela930
I read somewhere recently that Cole Porter loved to have Ethel Merman sing his songs. He loved her voice and range. It's been a long time since I've heard her singing in her youth, but that was definitely her. Thanks for sharing!
@BTURNER1961
Have to paraphrase this famous quote about Ethel because I can't find it offhand. 'When you are writing for a Merman show, you had better make it good, because everyone's going to hear it' It has a double meaning. Everyone in the theater will hear every note and word, and so will everyone else, because a musical with her name on the Marquee is an automatic hit. She was literally the surest ticket to a smash and a national tour on Broadway .
@saphia7
Can't listen to this woman sing such a beautiful song. ..
@GaylordBuzzard
A great example of Porter's lyric wit is the phrase, "You can hear dear Mother Nature murmuring Low." Most lyric writers would probably left out the "dear", leaving a perfectly acceptable "You can hear Mother Nature murmuring low." But the "dear" gives it an internal rhyme that makes it much more clever and charming.
@chattyroz2934
"You won my heart and I lost my brain", "Galloping down the aisle". Who would, or could, possibly have written it - and to a catchy tune. A genius if every there was one.
@macroman52
don't forget "tinpantithesis of melody"
@jacobcamdyn6563
a trick : watch movies at flixzone. Been using them for watching lots of of movies these days.
@tyjude7594
@Jacob Camdyn Yup, I have been using flixzone} for months myself :)
@voltape
The greatest of all USA composers. I'm proud he was a Peruvian. (I'm too a Peruvian, but from Lima, Peru!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
@rachelwood9691
Cole Porter’s music really is timeless.