Anything Goes
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga Lyrics

In olden days a glimpse of stocking
A revealing fashion choice like showing stocking would have been considered salacious in the past

Was looked on as something shocking
It was once considered scandalous to show too much skin, even a little bit of leg

Now heaven knows, anything goes
Today, attitudes towards fashion and modesty have changed drastically and almost anything is acceptable

Good authors too who once knew better words
Famous and respected writers from the past would have been more careful with their choice of words

Now only use four letter words writing prose
Many contemporary writers have given up complexity in their writing and resort only to base language

The world has gone mad today
The current state of the society is in chaos

And good's bad today
The accepted definition of what is good versus bad has shifted

And day's night today
The conventional order of the day and night has been disrupted

And black's white today
The clear lines of black and white that defined issues and morality in the past have now been blurred

And most guys today that women prize today
Nowadays, women tend to value men who are superficial and lack depth

Are just silly gigolos
These men are nothing more than paid male escorts

And though I'm not a great romancer
Tony Bennett's character is not a smooth-talking lover

I know that you're 'bound to answer
Even though he's not a great lover, he expects his partner to respond positively to his advances

When we propose, anything goes (goes) goes
The couple is willing to go along with anything and break free from convention if it means being together

And though we're not such great romancers
Both Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga's characters admit they're not naturally gifted lovers

We know that you're 'bound to answer
Despite their shortcomings, they are confident that their partners will reciprocate their feelings

When we propose, anything goes
Once again, the couple is willing to take unconventional steps and do whatever it takes towards love

Anything goes
The chorus serves as a reminder that norms have changed and almost anything is acceptable in the contemporary world

Anything goes
Another resounding chorus repetition that cements that the song lyrics are encouraging a break from conventionalism

Anything goes
A final reminder that attitudes and standards have evolved, and freedom to choose one's path is more important now than ever before