During World War II, he wrote 1942's "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition". Formerly a successful lyricist in collaboration with other composers, this was the first song for which Loesser composed the melody in addition to the lyric.
Loesser was awarded a Grammy Award in 1961 for Best Original Cast Show Album for How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.
He wrote the following Broadway musicals:
* Where's Charley? (1948) (starring Ray Bolger)
o "Once in Love With Amy"
* Guys and Dolls (1950)
o "A Bushel and a Peck"
o "Fugue for Tinhorns"
o "I'll Know"
o "If I Were A Bell", a favorite of Miles Davis, featured in recordings with John Coltrane
o "Luck Be a Lady Tonight"
* The Most Happy Fella (1956)
o "Standing on the Corner"
o "Big D"
o "Somebody Somewhere"
o "Joey, Joey"
* Greenwillow (1960)
* How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (1961)
o "I Believe In You"
o "The Brotherhood Of Man"
* Pleasures and Palaces (1965)
Some well-known songs he composed for movies and Tin Pan Alley:
* "Baby, It's Cold Outside" from Neptune's Daughter (1949). This was originally a song which Loesser and his wife Lynn (born Blankenbaker) performed at parties for the private entertainment of friends. They also recorded the song for Mercury Records. Under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to supply a full score for Neptune's Daughter, Loesser included this song which he had created in 1944, originally for their housewarming party.
* "Heart and Soul" (from the Paramount Short Subject A Song is Born) -- lyrics
* "I Don't Want to Walk Without You" (from the Paramount Pictures motion picture Sweater Girl)
* "Inch Worm" (from the motion picture Hans Christian Andersen)
* "(I'd Like to Get You on a) Slow Boat to China"
* "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year" (from the motion picture Christmas Holiday)
* "Thumbelina" (from Hans Christian Andersen)
* "Two Sleepy People" (music by Hoagy Carmichael, 1938)
* "What are You Doing New Year's Eve?"
* "Wonderful Copenhagen" (from Hans Christian Andersen), which is now the official song of the city of Copenhagen.
He was also the author of "The Ballad of Rodger Young".
2006 saw the release of the PBS documentary, Heart & Soul: The Life and Music of Frank Loesser.
Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat
Frank Loesser Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And by some chance I had brought my dice along
And there I stood, and I hollered, "Someone fade me"
But the passengers they knew right from wrong
For the people all said
"Sit down, sit down you're rockin' the boat"
The people all said
And the devil will drag you under
By the sharp lapel of your checkered coat
Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down
Sit down you're rocking the boat"
I sailed away on that little boat to heaven
And by some chance found a bottle in my fist
And there I stood nicely passin' 'round the whiskey
But the passengers were bound to resist
For the people all said
"Beware you're on a heavenly trip"
The people all said
"Beware, beware you'll scuttle the ship
And the devil will drag you under
By the fancy tie 'round your wicked throat
Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down
Sit down you're rockin' the boat"
And as I laughed at those passengers to heaven
A great big wave came and blew me overboard
And as I sank, and I hollered, "Someone save me"
That's the moment I woke up, thank the Lord
And I said to myself
"Sit down, sit down you're rocking the boat"
Said to myself
"Sit down, sit down you're rocking the boat
For the devil will drag you under
With a soul so heavy you'd never float
Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down
Sit down you're rockin' the boat"
Sit down you're rockin' the boat
Sit down, sit down you're rockin' the boat
Sit down, sit down
Please be seated
The lyrics of Frank Loesser’s “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” offer a metaphorical tale about the destructive power of temptation and the need for self-control. The song recounts the story of a man who boards a boat to heaven and, upon finding himself there with a set of dice in his pocket, can’t resist the urge to gamble. As he rolls the dice and tries to get others to join him, the other passengers on the boat warn him about the dangers of his behavior, urging him to sit down and not rock the boat. However, the man continues to indulge, and the song culminates in his being thrown overboard and waking up safe in bed, having realized the error of his ways.
At the heart of the song’s lyrics is a metaphor for life itself, with the boat representing the journey we all take towards our final destination, and temptation symbolizing the risks and dangers we face along the way. The passengers on the boat – who represent the collective wisdom and insight of everyone around us – urge us to be careful and not to rock the boat, lest we upset the balance and cause harm to ourselves and others. The man’s eventual fall overboard serves as a warning and a lesson about the consequences of giving in to temptation and losing control.
Frank Loesser's "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" has become one of the most recognizable and popular songs in the musical canon, and is often performed in musical theater and cabaret settings. The song was originally written for the 1950 Broadway musical "Guys and Dolls," and was first performed by the actor and singer Stubby Kaye. Over the years, the song has been covered by a variety of different artists, including the legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson and the rock band Styx.
Line by Line Meaning
I dreamed last night I got on the boat to heaven
I had a dream where I boarded a boat that was going to heaven
And by some chance I had brought my dice along
I happened to have brought my dice with me
And there I stood, and I hollered, "Someone fade me"
I yelled out for someone to play a game of dice with me
But the passengers they knew right from wrong
The other passengers on the boat were aware of what was right and wrong
For the people all said
"Sit down, sit down you're rockin' the boat"
Everyone told me to sit down because I was causing the boat to rock
And the devil will drag you under
By the sharp lapel of your checkered coat
Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down
Sit down you're rocking the boat"
If I continued to rock the boat, the devil would drag me down to the depths of the water by my coat and I needed to sit down
I sailed away on that little boat to heaven
And by some chance found a bottle in my fist
I sailed on that little boat and found a bottle of liquor by chance
And there I stood nicely passin' 'round the whiskey
But the passengers were bound to resist
I was politely sharing the whiskey, but the passengers were reluctant to drink
For the people all said
"Beware you're on a heavenly trip"
The passengers warned me to be careful since we were on a trip to heaven
The people all said
"Beware, beware you'll scuttle the ship
And the devil will drag you under
By the fancy tie 'round your wicked throat
Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down
Sit down you're rockin' the boat"
I was told to be careful since I might damage the boat and the devil would drag me under by my tie if I did not sit down and stop rocking the boat
And as I laughed at those passengers to heaven
A great big wave came and blew me overboard
And as I sank, and I hollered, "Someone save me"
That's the moment I woke up, thank the Lord
As I was laughing at the passengers, a huge wave hit me and I fell overboard. I called for someone to save me as I was sinking, but then I woke up from the dream
And I said to myself
"Sit down, sit down you're rocking the boat"
Said to myself
"Sit down, sit down you're rocking the boat
I told myself to sit down and stop rocking the boat
For the devil will drag you under
With a soul so heavy you'd never float
Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down
Sit down you're rockin' the boat"
If I didn't sit down, the devil would drag me down with a heavy soul and I would not be able to float
Sit down you're rockin' the boat
Sit down, sit down you're rockin' the boat
Sit down, sit down
Please be seated
Overall, the song is telling the message to sit down and not cause trouble or disorder
Contributed by Eliana G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@S.Arnold4646
We are singing this in our choir class and using this choreography! It’s gonna look so cute! Y’all did so good!
@aaronmhowe
Great soloist! Fun moves! Gorgeous choral sound! Well done!
@codyjames2897
This song is so catchy. I'm singing it with a big group for solo and ensemble and I'm a bass and I'm going to love singing this song!
@carameltimtam0083
man, 2018 was our prime. I hope we get into finale this year as well..
@eliegbert8121
Love it
@eliegbert8121
The girl with the glasses has high energy
@jthepickle7
I laugh that certain laugh... the one with that certain weep.
@redlobster968
Anyone here cause its always sunny
@aguspadilla4209
is this glee?
@scottw6704
It looks to me like an actual real-life show choir. Things like Glee and Pitch Perfect sure have helped the worlds of a cappella and accompanied choral singing, though.