Berlin, who was Jewish, was one of the few Tin Pan Alley/Broadway songwriters who wrote both lyrics and music for his songs. Although he never learned to read music beyond a rudimentary level, he composed over 3,000 songs. Many of his songs, including "God Bless America", "White Christmas", "Alexander's Ragtime Band", and "There's No Business Like Show Business," left an indelible mark on American music and culture. He produced 17 film scores and 21 Broadway scores, in addition to his individual songs.
The Girl that I Marry
Irving Berlin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As soft and as pink as a nursery
The girl I call my own
Will wear satins and laces and smell of cologne
Her nails will be polished and, in her hair,
She'll wear a gardenia and I'll be there
`Stead of flittin', I'll be sittin'
A doll I can carry, the girl that I marry must be
Her nails will be polished and, in her hair,
She'll wear a gardenia and I'll be there
`Stead of flittin', I'll be sittin'
Next to her and she'll purr like a kitten
A doll I can carry, the girl that I marry must be
In these lyrics from Irving Berlin's "The Girl that I Marry," the singer describes the qualities he desires in a future wife. He wants her to be delicate and feminine - "soft and as pink as a nursery." He also wants her to be well-groomed and stylish, wearing "satins and laces" and smelling of cologne. The image he describes is one of a classic, old-fashioned lady, with polished nails and a gardenia in her hair. The singer desires a woman who is demure and content to be with him, so he can dote on her like a cherished doll.
On the surface, these lyrics might seem somewhat outdated and perhaps even sexist. However, when viewed in context - the song was written in 1946 for the musical "Annie Get Your Gun" - they can be seen as reflective of the values and expectations of that time period. Additionally, the lyrics can be interpreted as reflecting the singer's own insecurities and desires, rather than a reflection of how all women should be.
Overall, "The Girl that I Marry" is a sweet, romantic song that captures a certain ideal of what a perfect partner should be like. While some may find the lyrics old-fashioned or even problematic, they remain a classic example of American songwriting.
Line by Line Meaning
The girl that I marry will have to be
The woman I choose to marry needs to meet certain standards
As soft and as pink as a nursery
She should have a gentle, nurturing demeanor and appearance
The girl I call my own
The woman I love and am committed to
Will wear satins and laces and smell of cologne
She should dress elegantly and have a pleasant scent
Her nails will be polished and, in her hair,
She should take care of her appearance and grooming
She'll wear a gardenia and I'll be there
She should wear flowers that please me
`Stead of flittin', I'll be sittin'
I will be content and faithful
Next to her and she'll purr like a kitten
She will be affectionate and content in my presence
A doll I can carry, the girl that I marry must be
She should be attractive and delicate, able to be taken care of
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@louellagutierrez4907
Love you Art
@MrPappy1954
Hahaha 🤣 I’m really just a hack of an amateur but thank you 😊 I can’t read music 🎶 but I’ve learned to listen 👂 & practice what I hear over & over again until I finally get it (muscle memory). I joined our church ⛪️ choir in ‘09 not knowing a thing. Heard the terms bass, tenor, alto, soprano but didn’t know what they meant? So, have come a very long way since then. Singing brings me joy whether through church settings or just practicing on my own. All those mostly pop videos are just extensions of Covid & us having to learn how to record ourselves while listening to recorded soundtracks & send to our music director to compile for a video. He was learning on the fly also! I’ll bring the song book next week & give to Donna for you to look at for awhile. You’ll enjoy 😉 Who knows, maybe we can team up sometime in the future when you’re not in a canoe 🛶 exploring the world 🌎!
@markpotaczek
John, this is one that I used to sing as a boy due to the movie Annie Get Your Gun, which was a huge TV hit in the 60's. Then, as an adult, I played various chorus roles in a community theatre production of it. Such a great story and music, and your rendition is so tonally pleasing and appropriate for the time frame. LOVE your stuff - - keep it going!
@MrPappy1954
Thank you, Mark! I took voice lessons pre Covid & my teacher recommended this Standards Book of songs as they were very much in my key. We practiced about half a dozen of them before music school had to close due to Pandemic 😷 You’re welcome to borrow it if you’d like? Donna told me you’ve done community theatre ensembles. Wow 🤩 Keep it up as well!
@markpotaczek
@@MrPappy1954 I would love to take a look at your book as all of those songs are favorites and in good tenor keys. I told Donna this morning that it's a good thing for you we're not having our usual Christmas party this year as I'd be wanting to start working on that stuff now and I'd have a long play list for you to perform. Having said that, it would be great to collaborate on some stuff going forward as it always inspires me to work with others, especially when the quality of the (your) sound is so good. You're really hitting it!