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.
Two Sleepy People
Frank Loesser Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Holding hands and yawning,
Look how late it gets.
Two sleepy people by dawn's early light,
And too much in love to say goodnight.
Here we are, in a cozy chair;
Pickin' on a wishbone from the frigidaire.
And too much in love to break away.
Do you remember the nights we used to linger in the hall?
Your father didn't like me at all.
Do you remember the reason why we married in the fall?
To rent this little nest and get a bit of rest.
Well, here we are just about the same,
Foggy little fella, drowsy little dame.
Two sleepy people by dawn's early light,
And too much in love to say goodnight.
The song Two Sleepy People by Frank Loesser is about a couple that is exhausted and almost out of cigarettes but are still enjoying each other’s company. The line “and too much in love to say goodnight” suggests that they are reluctant to end the evening because they are so enamored with each other. The second verse mentions how they are sitting in a cozy chair and picking on a wishbone from the frigidaire, indicating that this is a comfortable and familiar setting for them. They both have nothing to say, but it is not awkward because they are content just being together.
The third verse introduces some context for their relationship by reminiscing about the early days. They used to linger in the hall, and the singer remembers how their father didn’t like them at all. This sentiment is countered by the fact that they got married that fall to “rent this little nest and get a bit of rest.” This line implies that they got married for practical reasons rather than just love, but it also suggests that they are still in love despite the mundane reasons for getting married.
Overall, the song captures the comfortable and content feeling of being in a long-lasting relationship. While the couple may not have as much to say to each other as they used to, they still enjoy each other’s company and are too much in love to say goodnight.
Line by Line Meaning
Here we are, out of cigarettes,
We are currently without cigarettes
Holding hands and yawning,
We are holding hands and are simultaneously yawning
Look how late it gets.
It is becoming very late in the evening
Two sleepy people by dawn's early light,
As dawn breaks, we are both overwhelmingly tired
And too much in love to say goodnight.
Despite being exhausted, we refuse to part ways because of our deep affection for one another
Here we are, in a cozy chair;
We are seated in a comfortable chair
Pickin' on a wishbone from the frigidaire.
We are absentmindedly messing with a wishbone from the fridge
Two sleepy people with nothing to say,
We are too tired to hold a conversation
And too much in love to break away.
However, our love binds us and keeps us from separating
Do you remember the nights we used to linger in the hall?
Do you recall the times when we would spend extended periods of time in the hallway?
Your father didn't like me at all.
Your father did not approve of me whatsoever
Do you remember the reason why we married in the fall?
Can you recall why we chose to wed during autumn?
To rent this little nest and get a bit of rest.
It was so that we could have a place to call our own and some much-needed downtime
Well, here we are just about the same,
Now, we find ourselves in a similar position as before
Foggy little fella, drowsy little dame.
Both of us are quite tired and dazed
Two sleepy people by dawn's early light,
As the sun rises, we remain in a drowsy state
And too much in love to say goodnight.
Nonetheless, our love endures and we refuse to part ways
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind