In part because of his expressive phrasing and graceful interpretation, Astaire was chosen to introduce many now-classic songs, including standards by Cole Porter (example, "Night and Day"), his friend Irving Berlin ("Let's Face the Music and Dance"), Jerome Kern ("The Way You Look Tonight"), Johnny Mercer ("One for My Baby") and George and Ira Gershwin ("They Can't Take That Away from Me").
Fred Astaire is interred at Oakwood Memorial Park, Chatsworth, California, USA, the same cemetery where Ginger Rogers, is located. (http://encyclopaediaoftrivia.blogspot.com/2011/09/fred-astaire.html)
Fascinating Rhythm
Fred Astaire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That pit-apats through my brain;
So darn persistent,
The day isn't distant
When it'll drive me insane.
Comes in the morning
Without any warning,
I'll have to sneak up to it
Someday, and speak up to it.
I hope it listens when I say
Fascinating Rhythm,
You've got me on the go!
Fascinating Rhythm,
I'm all a-quiver.
What a mess you're making!
The neighbors want to know
Why I'm always shaking
Just like a flivver.
Each morning I get up with the sun
Start a-hopping,
Never stopping
O find at night no work has been done.
I know that
Once it didn't matter
But now you're doing wrong
When you start to patter
I'm so unhappy.
Won't you take a day off?
Decide to run along
Somewhere far away off
And make it snappy!
Oh, how I long to be the man I used to be!
Fascinating Rhythm,
Oh, won't you stop picking on me?
The song "Fascinating Rhythm" by Fred Astaire is a playful tune about the rhythm that is constantly running through the singer's mind. The lyrics express how the rhythm is so persistent that it is driving the singer insane. It comes without any warning, hangs around all day, and keeps the singer constantly moving, never stopping. The neighbors become curious as to why the singer is constantly shaking and hopping around like a flivver.
The singer tries to reason with the rhythm, asking it to take a day off and go far away. The singer longs to be the man he used to be, free from the constant need to move and dance. The song is a fun and lighthearted take on the power of music to move and control us.
Line by Line Meaning
Got a little rhythm, a rhythm, a rhythm
That pit-apats through my brain;
The singer is plagued with a persistent rhythm that keeps playing in his head.
So darn persistent,
The day isn't distant
When it'll drive me insane.
The rhythm is persistent to the point of driving the singer insane.
Comes in the morning
Without any warning,
And hangs around me all day.
The rhythm comes unexpectedly in the morning and lasts throughout the day.
I'll have to sneak up to it
Someday, and speak up to it.
I hope it listens when I say
The artist hopes to address the rhythm and make it stop.
Fascinating Rhythm,
You've got me on the go!
Fascinating Rhythm,
I'm all a-quiver.
The rhythm is fascinating but causing the artist to be restless.
What a mess you're making!
The neighbors want to know
Why I'm always shaking
Just like a flivver.
The singer's neighbors are suspicious of his constant shaking caused by the rhythm.
Each morning I get up with the sun
Start a-hopping,
Never stopping
O find at night no work has been done.
The rhythm distracts the singer from his work and causes him to waste his day.
I know that
Once it didn't matter
But now you're doing wrong
When you start to patter
I'm so unhappy.
The artist used to enjoy the rhythm, but now it's causing him distress.
Won't you take a day off?
Decide to run along
Somewhere far away off
And make it snappy!
The artist pleads with the rhythm to go away for a while.
Oh, how I long to be the man I used to be!
Fascinating Rhythm,
Oh, won't you stop picking on me?
The artist reminisces about his life before the rhythm and begs it to stop bothering him.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Patrice Moran
1926... Fascinating to hear Adel singing with her brother Fred when they were famous young stage performers in Lady be Good...six or seven years before she married and Fred went solo to become the legendary Hollywood musical film star. Sadly there are no filmed recordings of their numerous musical stage performances.
chika
Got a little rhythm, a rhythm, a rhythm
That pit-apats through my brain;
So darn persistent,
The day isn't distant
When it'll drive me insane.
Comes in the morning
Without any warning,
And hangs around me all day.
I'll have to sneak up to it
Someday, and speak up to it.
I hope it listens when I say
Fascinating Rhythm,
You've got me on the go!
Fascinating Rhythm,
I'm all a-quiver.
What a mess you're making!
The neighbors want to know
Why I'm always shaking
Just like a flivver.
Each morning I get up with the sun
Start a-hopping,
Never stopping
O find at night no work has been done.
I know that
Once it didn't matter
But now you're doing wrong
When you start to patter
I'm so unhappy.
Won't you take a day off?
Decide to run along
Somewhere far away off
And make it snappy!
Oh, how I long to be the man I used to be!
Fascinating Rhythm,
Oh, won't you stop picking on me?
Edit Lyrics
Fascinating Rhythm Lyrics as written by George Gershwin Ira Gershwin
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Javier Quevedo Saco
Great performance.
AulicExclusiva
That's George GERSHWIN playing the piano.