Her second husband was the dancer and choreographer, Bob Fosse.
A Little Brains A Little Talent
Gwen Verdon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But this fella is stubborn!
Lola: Ah, chief, you know I've got what it takes
Don't make me brag!
I took the zing out of the King of Siam
I took the starch out of the sails
Of the prince of Wales
There's no great art
On a silver platter
A little brains, a little talent
With an emphasis on the latter
I made mincemeat
Out of a sweet young farmer
I knocked the fight
out of a knight
When I pierced his armor
And I'll bet, I could upset every male
In a Yale regatta!
A little brains, a little talent
With an emphasis on the latter
You've gotta know just what to say and how to say it
You've gotta know what game to play
And how to play it
You gotta stack those decks with a coupl'a extra
Aces
And this queen has her aces
In all the right places
I've done much more
Than that old bore,
Delilah
I took the curl out of the hair
Of a millionare
There is no trick
getting some hick who is cool
Just a little warmer
A little talent, a little brains
With an emphasis on the former
Split up a home
Way up in Nome, Alaska
And wreck the life
Of every wife
Down in Madagascar
Ask me why weak men'll die for me
Strong men simply shatter
A little brains, a little talent
With an emphasis on the latter
You've gotta know just what to do
And how to do it
You've gotta know what tea to brew it
And how to brew it
You see the sign that said "George Washington once slept here"
Well though nobody spied him
Guess who was beside him?
Bring on that boy, he'll be a toy
To Lola
Just one more case she can erase
With that old boffolo
What's my plan?
Same as with every man
I'll use the standard platter
Plus a little this-a
And a little that-a
With an emphasis on the
On the latter!
In the song "A Little Brains" by Gwen Verdon, Lola is singing about her seduction techniques to Applegate, telling him that there isn't a man out there she can't get with just a little bit of brains and talent. She brags about how she has tamed the King of Siam and the Prince of Wales, and even knocked the fight out of a knight. She boasts about how she could upset every male in a Yale regatta and how she's split up a home way up in Nome, Alaska. She finishes by saying that her plan to get with a man is the same as always, using her "standard platter" and emphasizing her "little this-a" and "little that-a."
Through the confident and playful lyrics, Lola portrays herself as a professional seductress who knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. She exhibits a strong sense of empowerment throughout the song, suggesting that with a little bit of brains and talent, she can have any man she wants. The song is a fun and flirty take on seduction and power dynamics in relationships, with Lola portraying herself as the one in control.
Overall, "A Little Brains" is a catchy and entertaining song that showcases Gwen Verdon's vocal talent and her ability to bring a character to life through music. The lyrics are clever and witty, and Lola's confidence and charm make her an endearing character, despite her somewhat questionable morals.
Line by Line Meaning
There's not a homewrecker on my staff better than you, Lola
The boss believes Lola to be the best at breaking up marriages among his employees
Ah, chief, you know I've got what it takes, Don't make me brag!
Lola is confident in her ability and doesn't want to boast about it
I took the zing out of the King of Siam, I took the starch out of the sails, Of the prince of Wales
Lola has successfully seduced and tamed powerful men
There's no great art Getting the heart of a man On a silver platter
Lola finds it easy to win men over with her charm
A little brains, a little talent With an emphasis on the latter
Lola's success is due to her talent more than her intellect
I made mincemeat Out of a sweet young farmer I knocked the fight out of a knight When I pierced his armor
Lola has defeated men of all types and backgrounds
And I'll bet, I could upset every male In a Yale regatta!
Lola is confident in her ability to seduce any man, regardless of the setting or situation
You've gotta know just what to say and how to say it You've gotta know what game to play And how to play it
Seducing men requires a certain level of skill and strategy
You gotta stack those decks with a coupl'a extra Aces And this queen has her aces In all the right places
Lola has the right tools and attributes to be successful in seduction
I've done much more Than that old bore, Delilah I took the curl out of the hair Of a millionare
Lola has had even more success than famous seductress Delilah
There is no trick getting some hick who is cool Just a little warmer A little talent, a little brains With an emphasis on the former
Lola is able to seduce even charming, cool men with her talent
Split up a home Way up in Nome, Alaska And wreck the life Of every wife Down in Madagascar
Lola has broken up marriages in distant places
Ask me why weak men'll die for me Strong men simply shatter A little brains, a little talent With an emphasis on the latter
Lola's seduction can render weak men powerless and strong men helpless
You've gotta know just what to do And how to do it You've gotta know what tea to brew it And how to brew it
Seducing men requires a detailed plan of specific actions and strategies
Bring on that boy, he'll be a toy To Lola Just one more case she can erase With that old boffolo
Lola is confident in her ability to seduce any man who comes her way
What's my plan? Same as with every man I'll use the standard platter Plus a little this-a And a little that-a With an emphasis on the On the latter!
Lola's strategy is to use her usual seduction tactics, with an emphasis on her talent and charm
Contributed by Josiah L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@silky0439
This woman was my inspiration for dancing! I’m 64 and still at it! Thank you Gwen! Love and miss that amazing talent!❤❤❤
@moonbread2334
The way she moves her body is just incredible. She somehow makes the tiniest, subtlest movements feel so grand and meaningful.
@scotpens
This song would make a fabulous drag number.
@TheTeacher1020
The incomparable Miss Verdon! Talent, wit, art, playfulness, and an incredible dancer!
@beachchaos1863
“Ask me why! Weak men'll die for me, strong men simply shatter” is such a good line
@ladyj3474
"I took the starch out of the sails of the Prince of Wales". Classic, thank you
@patriciaalley1562
When I was a kid I dreamed of being a dancer because of Gwen Verdin and I ended up doing just that, once dancing in the chorus of a production of Damn Yankees, where this is from, with Dick Van Dyke as the devil, Donnie most as Joe Hardy and Ken Page as the baseball coach. The role of Lola was played by a wonderful Fossi dancer named Vicky Frederick. Do not know whatever happened to her but those who trained under Fossi were extraordinary performers.
@liesljones5987
Absolutely criminal that Gwen Verdon wasn't allowed to do the movie of SWEET CHARITY. A unique talent!
@chrisn7259
She was always great on stage, but Gwen was 44 when Sweet Charity was made. They would never have risked a multi-million dollar movie on her at that point. She didn't have the looks for movie stardom and away from Broadway, most moviegoers didn't know her.
@renan.csmaia
@@chrisn7259 But the movie was really a flop...