Anything You Can Do
Judy Garland Lyrics


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Anything you can do, I can do better.
I can do anything better than you.

No you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can, Yes, I can!

Anything you can be, I can be greater.
Sooner or later I'm greater than you.

No, you're not.
Yes, I am.
No, you're not.
Yes, I am.
No, you're not!.
Yes, I am, Yes, I am!

I can shoot a partridge, with a single cartridge.
I can get a sparrow, with a bow and arrow.
I can live on bread and cheese.
And only on that?
Yes.
So can a rat!

Any note you can reach, I can go higher.
I can sing anything higher than you.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I CAN!

Anything you can buy, I can buy cheaper.
I can buy anything cheaper than you.

Fifty cents?
Forty cents!
Thirty cents?
Twenty cents!
No, you can't!
Yes, I can,
Yes, I can!

Anything you can say, I can say softer.
I can say anything softer than you.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
YES, I CAN!

I can drink my liquor faster than a flicker.
I can drink it quicker and get even sicker!
I can open any safe.
Without bein' caught?
Yes.
That's what I thought you crook!

Any note you can hold, I can hold longer.
I can hold any note longer than you.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can
No, you can't.
Yes, I can
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
Yes, I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I CA-A-A-A-N!
Yes, you ca-a-a-an!

Anything you can wear, I can wear better.
In what you wear I'd look better than you.

In my coat?
In your vest!
In my shoes?
In your hat!
No, you can't!
Yes, I can.
Yes, I can!

Anything you can say, I can say faster.
I can say anything faster than you.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No,you can't.
Yes I can!

I can jump a hurdle.
I can wear a girdle.
I can knit a sweater.
I can fill it better!
I can do most anything!
Can you bake a pie?
No.
Neither can I.

Anything you can sing, I can sing sweeter.
I can sing anything sweeter than you.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't, can't, can't.
Yes, I can, can, can.





Yes, I can!
No, you can't!

Overall Meaning

Judy Garland's Anything You Can Do is a playful duet between two characters, with each trying to outdo the other. The song revolves around each person thinking that they are better than the other in every aspect of life. From shooting a partridge to buying anything cheaper, from holding any note longer to singing anything sweeter, the competitive spirit is ingrained in the characters. The humor is in the one-upmanship of the pair as they try and outdo each other.


The song, with its famous lyrics 'Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better', has been adapted into several films, television shows, and stage productions. The song was part of the Broadway musical Annie Get Your Gun, which premiered in 1946. The show was a huge success, with the song becoming the theme for the show.


The song's humor comes from the characters' inability to stop themselves from trying to outdo each other. The two characters are arguing about the most innocuous of things, but their competitive spirits always come to the surface. The song's lyrics are tongue-in-cheek, with the two characters going back and forth, trying to prove their superiority in every imaginable way. The song's fast-paced melody adds to the comic value of the lyrics, making it a perfect song for musical comedies.


Line by Line Meaning

Anything you can do, I can do better.
I can do anything better than you.


No you can't.
Yes, I can.


Yes, I can.
No, you can't.


No, you can't.
Yes, I can.


Yes, I can.
No, you can't.


No, you can't.
Yes, I can, Yes, I can!


Anything you can be, I can be greater.
Sooner or later I'm greater than you.


No, you're not.
Yes, I am.


Yes, I am.
No, you're not.


No, you're not!.
Yes, I am, Yes, I am!


I can shoot a partridge, with a single cartridge.
I can get a sparrow, with a bow and arrow.


I can live on bread and cheese.
And only on that? Yes. So can a rat!


Any note you can reach, I can go higher.
I can sing anything higher than you.


Fifty cents?
Forty cents!


Thirty cents?
Twenty cents! No, you can't! Yes, I can, Yes, I can!


Anything you can say, I can say softer.
I can say anything softer than you.


I can drink my liquor faster than a flicker.
I can drink it quicker and get even sicker!


I can open any safe.
Without bein' caught? Yes. That's what I thought you crook!


Any note you can hold, I can hold longer.
I can hold any note longer than you.


Yes, you ca-a-a-an!
Yes, I can!


Anything you can wear, I can wear better.
In what you wear I'd look better than you.


No, you can't!
Yes, I can. Yes, I can!


Anything you can say, I can say faster.
I can say anything faster than you.


I can jump a hurdle.
I can wear a girdle. I can knit a sweater. I can fill it better! I can do most anything! Can you bake a pie? No. Neither can I.


Anything you can sing, I can sing sweeter.
I can sing anything sweeter than you.


No, you can't, can't, can't.
Yes, I can, can, can.


Yes, I can!
No, you can't!




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: IRVING BERLIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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