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)
They All Laughed
Fred Astaire Lyrics
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They all laughed when Edison recorded sound
They all laughed at Wilbur and his brother when they said that man could fly
They told Marconi wireless was a phony, it's the same old cry
They laughed at me wanting you, said I was reaching for the moon
But oh, you came through, now they'll have to change their tune
They all said we never could be happy, they laughed at us and how!
But ho, ho, ho! Who's got the last laugh now?
They all laughed at Rockefeller Center, now they're fighting to get in
They all laughed at Whitney and his cotton gin
They all laughed Fulton and his steamboat, Hershey and his chocolate bar
Ford and his Lizzie, kept the laughers busy, that's how people are
They laughed at me wanting you, said it would be, "Hello, Goodbye."
But oh, you came through, now they're eating humble pie
They all said we'd never get together, darling, let's take a bow
For ho, ho, ho! Who's got the last laugh?
Hee, hee, hee! Let's at the past laugh,
Ha, ha, ha! Who's got the last laugh now?
Fred Astaire's song "They All Laughed" is a lighthearted journey of defiance against people who refuse to believe in new ideas and innovations. The song begins with the legend of Christopher Columbus and how people laughed at him when he proclaimed that the world was round. The lyrics then progress to several other stories where new ideas and inventors were mocked for thinking outside of the box. But despite the skepticism they faced, these individuals persisted and eventually proved their doubters wrong.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more personal, with Astaire singing about his own experience of being laughed at when he expressed his desire to be with someone. But like the other inventors mentioned, Astaire's persistence paid off when his love interest reciprocated his affection.
The song's upbeat tempo and clever lyrics tie back to the idea that people will always doubt new ideas and ridicule those who dare to innovate. But in the end, the joke is on the skeptics, and those who refused to believe are left eating their words.
Overall, "They All Laughed" is an optimistic anthem that champions the power of determination and perseverance. It encourages listeners to keep chasing their dreams and to never let the naysayers get in the way.
Line by Line Meaning
They all laughed at Christopher Columbus when he said the world was round
When Christopher Columbus said that the world was round, people dismissed him and laughed at him.
They all laughed when Edison recorded sound
When Thomas Edison first recorded sound, people found it amusing and laughed at him.
They all laughed at Wilbur and his brother when they said that man could fly
When Wilbur Wright and his brother said that man could fly, people ridiculed them and laughed at their idea.
They told Marconi wireless was a phony, it's the same old cry
When Guglielmo Marconi developed wireless technology, people claimed that it was a fake, which is a common reaction to new inventions.
They laughed at me wanting you, said I was reaching for the moon
When I expressed my desire to have you, people thought it was impossible and laughed at me for trying to achieve something so difficult.
But oh, you came through, now they'll have to change their tune
But when you came into my life and reciprocated my feelings, people had to reconsider their initial mocking and change their beliefs.
They all said we never could be happy, they laughed at us and how!
People thought that we could never be happy together and ridiculed us for trying. It was a source of amusement for them.
But ho, ho, ho! Who's got the last laugh now?
Now that we are happy together, we can look back at those who once made fun of us and feel a sense of satisfaction in proving them wrong.
They all laughed at Rockefeller Center, now they're fighting to get in
When the Rockefeller Center was first built, people found it laughable. Now, it is a popular destination, and people are clamoring to get inside.
They all laughed at Whitney and his cotton gin
When Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, people laughed at his machine, which revolutionized textiles in America.
They all laughed Fulton and his steamboat, Hershey and his chocolate bar
When Robert Fulton created the steamboat, and Milton Hershey introduced his chocolate bar, people initially found them hilarious. However, both inventions were game-changers in transportation and candy history.
Ford and his Lizzie, kept the laughers busy, that's how people are
Henry Ford's Model T car, lovingly called 'Lizzie', kept people mocking him yet, he continued to innovate. That's how people behave, laughing at anything that is out of the ordinary, even thought it can be a good thing.
But oh, you came through, now they're eating humble pie
But when you finally reciprocated my feelings, those same people were forced to admit that they were wrong, and they owe us an apology.
They all said we'd never get together, darling, let's take a bow
People thought that we would never end up together, but now that we have, we can take a moment to celebrate our success and feel proud of ourselves.
For ho, ho, ho! Who's got the last laugh?
We finally succeeded in proving people wrong about our love, and we can relish the feeling of winning, even if it's just a small victory against the naysayers.
Hee, hee, hee! Let's at the past laugh,
Let's look back at the past and laugh at how people doubted our abilities and laughed at our ideas, but we still persevered and succeeded in the end.
Ha, ha, ha! Who's got the last laugh now?
We have the ultimate laugh now that we have accomplished what we set out to do, and the naysayers have been proven wrong.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE GERSHWIN, IRA GERSHWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Narragansett55
She could do it all. Act, sing, dance. Ginger Rogers was a national treasure.
@iforgiveyou4876
Ginger Rogers was like a rare gem. Throwing shafts of light and fiery rainbows in all directions from multiple facets. I think Ginger is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.
@patriciawilson9666
100%
@joleenpietrzyk4790
She sure was. What a beautiful lady.❤
@_yousan9436
Best pair.
@user-it1ig8fn1r
Wow! Can anything else come so close to perfection? Ginger and Fred!
@bruceinpb
This is my daily feel good YouTube… Thank you Ginger
@thefool2007
Studying music in cinema in college. Watching talent like this is an education unto itself.
@gregorymilosh3516
the sheer quantity and complexity of the dance steps in this tap number is exceptional
thank you Lord for Fred Astaire’s amazing choreographic skills
@lanecountybigfooters5716
And Hermes Pan!