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.
Sue Me
Frank Loesser Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You promise me anything under the sun
Then you give me a kiss,
And your grabbing your hat
And your off to the races again
When I think of the time gone by
Adelaide, Adelaide!
And I think of the way I tried!
Adelaide!
I could honestly die.
Call a lawyer and sue me,
Sue me
What can you do me,
I love you.
Give a holler and hate me
Hate me
Go ahead, hate me!
I LOVE YOU
The best years of my life, I was a fool to give you
Alright, already, I'm just a no-goodnick!
Alright, already, it's true.
So new.
So sue me, sue me
What can you do me?
I love you
You gamble it here,
You gamble it there
You gamble on everything, all except me
And I'm sick of you keeping me up in the air
Till your back in the money again
When I think of the time gone by
Adelaide, Adelaide!
And I think of the way I tried!
Adelaide!
I could honestly die.
Serve a paper and sue me, sue me
What can you do me,
I love you.
Give a holler and hate me,
Hate me,
Go ahead, hate me!
When you wind up in jail
Don't come to me to bail you out!
Alright, already, so call a policeman!
Alright, already, it's true
So new
So sue me, sue me
What can you do me
I love you!
You're at it again,
You're running the game
I'm not gonna play second fiddle to that.
And I'm telling you now that we're through!
When I think of the time gone by
Adelaide, Adelaide!
And I think of the way I tried!
Adelaide!
I could honestly die.
Sue me, sue me
Shoot bullets through me
I love you!!
The song "Sue Me" is a duet between Nathan and Adelaide, two characters from the musical "Guys and Dolls." The song is a playful argument between the two characters who are in a tumultuous relationship. Nathan is a gambler and Adelaide is his long-suffering girlfriend who wants to get married and start a family.
In the first two verses, Adelaide expresses her frustration with Nathan's promises that lead to disappointment. She loves him but is tired of his gambler lifestyle. She sings "serve a paper and sue me" and "shoot bullets through me" to convey how much she loves Nathan despite his shortcomings. Nathan responds with the same enthusiasm and love. He admits he's a "no-goodnik" and "true" but argues that he loves Adelaide regardless.
The final verse reveals that Adelaide is at a breaking point and wants to end the relationship. Nathan refuses to take it seriously and continues to play the game until Adelaide declares they are through. The song ends with both characters proclaiming their love for each other.
Overall, "Sue Me" is a lighthearted take on a couple's argument that shows how deep down they truly love and depend on each other.
Line by Line Meaning
You promise me this, you promise me that
You keep making all these promises to me
You promise me anything under the sun
You make grandiose promises that can't be kept
Then you give me a kiss, And your grabbing your hat
After we have a romantic moment, you're ready to leave again
And your off to the races again
You're always on to the next thing or person
When I think of the time gone by
Reflecting on our past together and how much has been promised but not delivered
Adelaide, Adelaide!
Exclamation of frustration towards the person he's addressing
And I think of the way I tried!
Reflecting on his own efforts to maintain the relationship
I could honestly die.
The intense emotions he's feeling towards the situation
Call a lawyer and sue me, Sue me
Expression of how desperate he is for resolution in the relationship
What can you do me, I love you.
His love for the person is so strong that he's willing to go through the legal process to make things right
Give a holler and hate me
Expression of how much he's willing to endure to make things right
Hate me! Go ahead, hate me!
Willingness to bear the brunt of the other person's emotions
The best years of my life, I was a fool to give you.
Regret for all the wasted time that was invested in the relationship
Alright, already, I'm just a no-goodnick!
Admission that he's not the best person, but the other party is also not blameless
Alright, already, it's true. So new.
Acceptance of the truth and a realization that it's uncompromising
You gamble it here, You gamble it there, You gamble on everything, all except me
Feeling neglected and overlooked in the other person's life
And I'm sick of you keeping me up in the air
The mixed signals the other person is giving him are causing confusion
Till your back in the money again
Only being needed when the other person needs financial assistance
Serve a paper and sue me, Sue me
Consideration of the legal side of their relationship
Shoot bullets through me, I love you
Hyperbolic statement of how much he loves the other person and is willing to endure for them
When you wind up in jail, Don't come to me to bail you out!
Exasperation at being taken for granted and continually being used only for financial help
You're at it again, You're running the game
Feeling like the other person has a hold on the relationship and is constantly in control
I'm not gonna play second fiddle to that.
Asserting himself and declaring he won't be a mere pawn in their dynamic
And I'm telling you now that we're through!
Finally making a decision to move on from the toxic relationship
Contributed by Ryan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.