The pair wrote nine musicals together and collaborated on a musical film, State Fair. As producers, they also brought Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun to the stage, leaving an indelible mark on American musical theater and a legacy of successes that has never been equaled.
Our greatest living Broadway composer, Steven Sondheim, spent summers with Oscar Hammerstein during his formative adoplescent years. The legacy lives on.
Kansas City
Rodgers And Hammerstein Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By Sattidy I larned a thing or two
For up to then I didn't have an idy
Of whut the modren world was comin' to!
I counted twenty gas buggies goin' by theirsel's
Almost ev'ry time I tuk a walk.
'Nen I put my ear to a Bell Telephone and a strange womern started in to talk!
(Whut next! Yeak whut!)
Ev'rythin's up to date in Kansas City
They've gone about as fur as they c'n go!
They went and built a skyscraper seven stories high,
About as high as a buildin' orta grow.
Ev'rythin's like a dream in Kansas City,
It's better than a magic lantern show!
Y' c'n turn the radiator on whenever you want some heat.
With ev'ry kind o' comfort ev'ry house is all complete.
You c'n walk to privies in the rain and never wet your feet!
They've gone about as fur as they c'n go,
(Yes sir!)
They've gone about as fur as they c'n go!
Ev'rythin's up to date in Kansas City
They've gone about as fur as they c'n go!
They got a big theayter they call a burlesque.
Fer fifty cents you c'n see a dandy show.
One of the gals was fat and pink and pretty,
As round above as she was round below.
I could swear that she was padded from her shoulder to her heel,
But latter in the second act when she began to peel
She proved that ev'rythin' she had was absolutely real!
She went about as fur as she could go,
(Yes sir!)
She went about as fur as she could go!
The lyrics to Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Kansas City" portray the excitement and wonder of a small-town individual who has arrived in the bustling city of Kansas on a Friday. By Saturday, they have already learned so much about the "modern world" that they previously had no idea about. They are amazed at the number of gas buggies (cars) passing by and the novelty of the Bell telephone, where they overheard a "strange woman" talking. The singer reflects on the advancements and innovations of the city, including the seven-story skyscraper deemed "about as high as a building ought to grow." They comment on how everything seems almost too good to be true, comparing the city to a magical lantern show. The lyricist adds a touch of amusement by noting that even the comfort level of the homes is superior and that one can walk to the privies without getting one's feet wet. The city has gone as far as it can, with their advancements being truly impressive.
Further, the lyrics continue with the singer discussing the entertainment options in Kansas City. They mention the burlesque theater, which they can attend for just fifty cents, and even note one of the performers as being "fat and pink and pretty." They initially suggest that the performer must have been "padded," only to be surprised in the second act where she "proved that everything she had was absolutely real!" The singer comments on how this performer went "about as far as she could go," but the real message is regarding the city itself, which has gone "about as far as they can go" in terms of advancement and innovation.
Line by Line Meaning
I got to Kansas City on a Frid'y
I arrived in Kansas City on a Friday.
By Sattidy I larned a thing or two
By Saturday, I had learned a few things.
For up to then I didn't have an idy
Until then, I didn't have any idea.
Of whut the modren world was comin' to!
What the modern world was becoming!
I counted twenty gas buggies goin' by theirsel's
I saw twenty gasoline-powered cars driving by themselves.
Almost ev'ry time I tuk a walk.
Almost every time I took a walk.
'Nen I put my ear to a Bell Telephone and a strange womern started in to talk!
Then I put my ear to a Bell Telephone and a strange woman started talking to me!
(Whut next! Yeak whut!)
What's next? Yeah, what!
Whut next?
What's next?
Ev'rythin's up to date in Kansas City
Everything is modern in Kansas City.
They've gone about as fur as they c'n go!
They've gone as far as they can go!
They went and built a skyscraper seven stories high,
They built a seven-story skyscraper.
About as high as a buildin' orta grow.
As high as a building should grow.
Ev'rythin's like a dream in Kansas City,
Everything is like a dream in Kansas City.
It's better than a magic lantern show!
It's better than a magic lantern show!
Y' c'n turn the radiator on whenever you want some heat.
You can turn on the radiator whenever you want heat.
With ev'ry kind o' comfort ev'ry house is all complete.
Every house is complete with every kind of comfort.
You c'n walk to privies in the rain and never wet your feet!
You can walk to the outhouses in the rain and not get your feet wet!
They've gone about as fur as they c'n go,
They've gone as far as they can go,
(Yes sir!)
(Yes, sir!)
They've gone about as fur as they c'n go!
They've gone as far as they can go!
They got a big theayter they call a burlesque.
They have a big theater that they call a burlesque.
Fer fifty cents you c'n see a dandy show.
For fifty cents, you can see a great show.
One of the gals was fat and pink and pretty,
One of the girls was chubby, pink, and pretty.
As round above as she was round below.
As round on top as she was on the bottom.
I could swear that she was padded from her shoulder to her heel,
I thought she was wearing padding from her shoulder to her heel.
But latter in the second act when she began to peel
But later in the second act, when she started taking her clothes off.
She proved that ev'rythin' she had was absolutely real!
She proved that everything she had was completely real!
She went about as fur as she could go,
She went as far as she could go,
(Yes sir!)
(Yes, sir!)
She went about as fur as she could go!
She went as far as she could go!
Contributed by Cameron G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@solohoh
Lyrics:
I got to Kansas City on a Frid'y
By Saturdy I learnt a thing or two
For up to then I didn't have an idy
Of whut the modren world was comin' to!
I counted twenty gas buggies goin' by theirsel's
Almost ev'ry time I tuk a walk.
'I put my ear to a Bell Telephone and a strange womin
started in to talk!
Whut's next!?
Ev'rythin's up to date in Kansas City
They've gone about as fur as they c'n go!
They went and built a skyscraper seven stories high,
About as high as a buildin' oughta grow.
Ev'rythin's like a dream in Kansas City,
It's better than a magic lantern show!
Y' c'n turn the radiator on whenever you want some heat.
With ev'ry kind o' comfort ev'ry house is all complete.
You c'n walk to privies in the rain and never wet your feet!
They've gone about as fur as they c'n go,
They've gone about as fur as they c'n go!
Ev'rythin's up to date in Kansas City
They've gone about as fur as they c'n go!
They got a big theayter they call a burleeque.
Fer fifty cents you c'n see a dandy show.
One of the gals was fat and pink and pretty,
As round above as she was round below.
I could swear that she was padded from her shoulder to her
heel,
But when she began to dancing she began to make me feel
That ev'rythin' she had was absolutely real!
She went about as fur as she could go,
Yes sir!
She went about as fur as she could go!
@bkrav1847
What a terrific performer Gene Nelson was! He deserved more recognition than he got.
@heathercunningham3040
Totally agree
@tamolyn5141
He was the best; Astaire's elegance and grace combined with Kelly's athleticism and ballet training, and he was better than either one of them.
@lorilabieniec3139
He was fabulous
@laurahoward5426
A movie star....what more do you want?๐
@TheLifeTerm
He did direct many TV shows, and a couple of movies. It's not well known, but he was my uncle, by marriage, and we were very close. He was a great man, and a greater role model. Rest in peace, G!โค
@tomboyer5608
Just magnificently performed and filmed. A mini-masterpiece, and the best scene in the movie. Gene Nelson was fantastic.
@nukemanmd
Oklahoma was the genesis of the modern American Broadway musical. It had a musical score that was an instrumental part of the story. A truly innovative show.
@kellymcphaul2793
He is an insane gymnast and dancer. I didnโt realize his gymnastic abilities for a long time.
@swrennie
One of the many stand-alone performances from possibly the best translation of a Broadway play to celluloid - and a national treasure in both media. Thanks!