Biography
Libby Holman was born Elizabeth Lloyd Holzman on May 23, 1904, to a Jewish lawyer and stockbroker, Alfred Holzman (August 20, 1867 - June 14, 1947), and his wife, Rachel Florence Workum Holzman (October 17, 1873 - April 22, 1966), in Cincinnati, Ohio. Alfred and Rachel were married on March 17, 1900. Their other children were daughter Marion H. Holzman (January 25, 1901 - December 13, 1963) and son Alfred Paul Holzman (March 09, 1909 - April 19, 1992). In 1904, the wealthy family grew destitute after Libby's uncle Ross Holzman (April 19, 1874 - April 2, 1915) embezzled nearly $1 million of their stock brokerage business. At some point, Alfred changed the family name from Holzman to Holman. Libby graduated from Hughes High School on June 11, 1920, at the age of 16, then entered the University of Cincinnati, graduating on June 16, 1923, with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
In the summer of 1924 Libby left for New York City, where she initially took up residence at the Studio Club. Her first theater job in New York was in the road company of The Fool. Channing Pollock, the writer of The Fool, recognized Libby's talents immediately and advised her to pursue a theatrical career. She followed Pollock's advice and soon became a star. An early stage colleague who became a longtime close friend was future film star Clifton Webb, then a dancer. He bestowed upon her the nickname, "The Statue of Libby." Her Broadway theatre debut was in the play The Sapphire Ring in 1925 at the Selwyn Theatre, she was billed as Elizabeth Holman, it closed after 13 performances.
Love For Sale
Libby Holman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Appetizing young love for sale,
Love that's still fresh and unspoiled,
Love that's only slightly soiled.
Love for sale,
Who will buy?
Who would like to sample my supply?
For a trip to Paradise?
Love for sale,
Let the poets pipe of love,
In their childish way,
I know every type of love,
Better far than they.
If you want the thrill of love,
I've been through the mill of love,
Old love, new love,
Every love but true love.
Love for sale,
Appetizing young love for sale,
If you want to buy my wares,
Follow me and climb the stairs.
Love for sale,
Love...for sale.
The lyrics to Libby Holman's song Love for Sale speak of love being sold like a commodity, enticing buyers with the promise of fresh, unspoiled love. The song presents a stark picture of love reduced to a transactional exchange, where the buyer can sample and choose from various types of love. The singer of the song, who is also the seller of love, claims to know better than the poets who write about love in a childish way. The song suggests that the thrill of love is just a fleeting experience, and the singer has been through every type of love except for true love.
Line by Line Meaning
Love for sale,
Love is being sold
Appetizing young love for sale,
Fresh love is being sold
Love that's still fresh and unspoiled,
Love that is new and not ruined
Love that's only slightly soiled.
Love that is only a little bit tainted
Who will buy?
Who is interested in buying?
Who would like to sample my supply?
Who wants to try the love being sold?
Who's prepared to pay the price,
Who is willing to pay the cost
For a trip to Paradise?
For a chance at true love
Let the poets pipe of love,
Let poets write about love
In their childish way,
In a naive and simplistic manner
I know every type of love,
I am experienced in all forms of love
Better far than they.
Much better than the way they describe it.
If you want the thrill of love,
If you want the excitement of loving
I've been through the mill of love,
I am experienced in the ups and downs of love
Old love, new love,
Love of all kinds
Every love but true love.
Except for the kind of love that is genuine
If you want to buy my wares,
If you want to purchase the love I am selling
Follow me and climb the stairs.
Come with me and let's explore love together
Love...for sale.
I am selling love
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MsKoalababy
Wonderful and awesome and very old song - I LOVE it!!!!!!!! 👍👍👏👏👏😍😘🤩💖💕💜💞💙♥️💗💖💘💝❣️💛💚💟😇😅But I LOVE ALSO the version from Shirley Bassey and Boney M.! 👍👍👏👏👏
@charlespotter7548
Excellent ... Thank You...
@MsKoalababy
Yes - thank you soooo very much for up-/downloading! 👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏
@fromthesidelines
Recorded on February 2, 1931.
@fwboring802
Wow!