Michael Bublé’s introduction to the music of the swing era came to him through his grandfather, who filled his grandson’s ears with the sounds of The Mills Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and others. As Bublé eagerly absorbed the recordings, he began to realize that he wanted to be a singer and that this style of music, virtually foreign to his own generation, was what he wanted to perform.
With his grandfather’s assistance, Bublé soon learned a whole catalog of tunes and gained experience and exposure by singing as a guest with several local bands. While still in his teen years, he won the Canadian Youth Talent Search, released several independent albums, and performed in a musical review titled Swing that traveled across the U.S. It wasn’t long before Bublé was introduced to Grammy-winning producer David Foster during a famous Canadian wedding of Brian Mulroney’s daughter Caroline Mulroney. He later signed his first major recording contract with Reprise Records after that encounter.
The two Canadians began work on a debut album that would incorporate Bublé’s aptitude for pop standards into songs that spanned several decades. His self-titled debut disc was released in early 2003, and featured jazzy takes on old standards like “Fever” and “The Way You Look Tonight” as well as newer classics like “Moondance” and “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart”.
He finished off 2003 with an EP of holiday material, Let It Snow, and began 2004 with the live CD/DVD set Come Fly With Me. In 2005, It’s Time was a number one hit in Canada, Japan, Italy, and Australia, and made the top ten of both the UK and US. Later that year he released the live album Caught in the Act. More recently, Michael received a 2010 Grammy Award for 'Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album' for 'Michael Bublé Meets Madison Square Garden.
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
Michael Bublé Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Things have come to a pretty pass
Our romance is growing flat,
For you like this and the other
While I go for this and that,
Goodness knows what the end will be
Oh I don't know where I′m at
Something must be done:
You say either and I say either,
You say neither and I say neither
Either, either Neither, neither
Let's call the whole thing off.
You like potato and I like potahto
You like tomato and I like tomahto
Potato, potahto, Tomato, tomahto.
Let's call the whole thing off
But oh, if we call the whole thing off
Then we must part
And oh, if we ever part, then that might break my heart
So if you like pyjamas and I like pyjahmas,
I′ll wear pyjamas and give up pyajahmas
For we know we need each other so we
Better call the whole thing off
Let′s call the whole thing off.
You say laughter and I say larfter
You say after and I say arfter
Laughter, larfter after arfter
Let's call the whole thing off,
You like vanilla and I like vanella
You saspiralla, and I saspirella
Vanilla vanella chocolate strawberry
Let′s call the whole thing off
But oh if we call the whole thing of then we must part
And oh, if we ever part, then that might break my heart
So if you go for oysters and I go for ersters
I'll order oysters and cancel the ersters
For we know we need each other so we
Better call the calling off off,
Let′s call the whole thing off.
I say father, and you say pater,
I saw mother and you say mater
Pater, mater Uncle, auntie let's call the whole thing off.
I like bananas and you like banahnahs
I say Havana and I get Havahnah
Bananas, banahnahs Havana, Havahnah
Go your way, I′ll go mine
So if I go for scallops and you go for lobsters,
So all right no contest we'll order lobseter
For we know we need each other so we
Better call the calling off off,
Let's call the whole thing off.
The song Let's Call The Whole Thing Off by Michael Bublé portrays a couple who have reached a point where they can no longer agree on anything. The relationship has lost its spark, and they are drifting apart. The opening lines of the song, "Things have come to a pretty pass, our romance is growing flat," set the tone for the rest of the lyrics. The couple is at a crossroads, and they need to make a decision on what to do. The singer questions the future of their relationship and talks about the necessity of doing something about it.
The chorus of the song is about the different ways they pronounce words. They argue over the way they pronounce "either" and "neither," "potato" and "potahto," "tomato" and "tomahto," "laughter" and "larfter," "vanilla" and "vanella," "oysters" and "ersters," "father" and "pater," "mother" and "mater," "bananas" and "banahnahs," and "Havana" and "Havahnah." The argument over pronunciation shows how even the smallest differences can lead to larger issues in a relationship.
The resolution of the song comes in the final lines, where the singer acknowledges that even though they have their differences, they need each other. "For we know we need each other so we better call the whole thing off, let's call the whole thing off." The song is about the compromises people make to maintain a relationship and finding a way to make it work.
Line by Line Meaning
Things have come to a pretty pass
Our relationship is in a precarious state
Our romance is growing flat
Our love is losing its spark
For you like this and the other
You have your preferences, I have mine
While I go for this and that
We have different tastes
Goodness knows what the end will be
We don't know how this will turn out
Oh I don't know where I'm at
I'm confused, I don't know where we stand
It looks as if we two will never be one
It seems like we will never see eye to eye
Something must be done
We need to figure this out
You say either and I say either
You pronounce it one way, I pronounce it another
You say neither and I say neither
Our dialects are different
Either, either Neither, neither
We pronounce these words differently
Let's call the whole thing off
Maybe we should just end things
You like potato and I like potahto
We have different ways of saying words
You like tomato and I like tomahto
We have different accents
Potato, potahto, Tomato, tomahto
We pronounce these words differently
But oh, if we call the whole thing off
Breaking up would be painful
Then we must part
Ending the relationship is the only option
And oh, if we ever part, then that might break my heart
I don't want to lose you
So if you like pyjamas and I like pyjahmas
We have different ways of spelling words too
I'll wear pyjamas and give up pyajahmas
I will try to compromise for you
For we know we need each other so we
We realize our love is worth it
You say laughter and I say larfter
Once again, our dialects are different
You say after and I say arfter
More differences in our ways of speaking
Laughter, larfter after arfter
These are just more examples of our differences
You like vanilla and I like vanella
We have different tastes in food too
You saspiralla, and I saspirella
More examples of our different ways of speaking
Vanilla, vanella, chocolate, strawberry
We have different preferences overall
So if you go for oysters and I go for ersters
Once again, different food preferences
I'll order oysters and cancel the ersters
I'm willing to compromise for you
Pater, mater Uncle, auntie
Our way of addressing family members is different too
Let's call the whole thing off
Despite our differences, we should try to make this work
I like bananas and you like banahnahs
Even the smallest things are different for us
I say Havana and I get Havahnah
Our pronunciations of place names are different too
Bananas, banahnahs, Havana, Havahnah
Just more examples of our differences
Go your way, I'll go mine
In the end, it might not work out
So if I go for scallops and you go for lobsters
Once again, different food preferences
So all right no contest we'll order lobster
I'm okay with conceding to your preferences
For we know we need each other so we
We have to make these compromises
Better call the calling off off
Let's not break up, let's try to make this work
Let's call the whole thing off
Even with all of our differences, let's try to find a way to stay together
Writer(s): Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
Contributed by Dylan S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Katy
on Home
Una maravilla, hace soñar.