Cynicism in early twentieth century music (1 Viewer)

[alphamale]

Artist: George Gershwin
Song: It Ain'T Necessarily So
(Porgy & Bess)


It ain't necessarily so
It ain't necessarily so
The t'ings dat yo' li'ble
To read in de Bible,
It ain't necessarily so.

Li'l David was small, but oh my !
Li'l David was small, but oh my !
He fought Big Goliath
Who lay down an' dieth !
Li'l David was small, but oh my !

Wadoo, zim bam boddle-oo,
Hoodle ah da wa da,
Scatty wah !
Oh yeah !...

Oh Jonah, he lived in de whale,
Oh Jonah, he lived in de whale,
Fo' he made his home in
Dat fish's abdomen.
Oh Jonah, he lived in de whale.

Li'l Moses was found in a stream.
Li'l Moses was found in a stream.
He floated on water
Till Ol' Pharaoh's daughter,
She fished him, she said, from dat stream.

Well, it ain't necessarily so
Well, it ain't necessarily so
Dey tells all you chillun
De debble's a villun,
But it ain't necessarily so !

To get into Hebben
Don' snap for a sebben !
Live clean ! Don' have no fault !
Oh, I takes dat gospel
Whenever it's pos'ble,
But wid a grain of salt.

Methus'lah lived nine hundred years,
Methus'lah lived nine hundred years,
But who calls dat livin'
When no gal will give in
To no man what's nine hundred years ?

I'm preachin' dis sermon to show,
It ain't nece-ain't nece
Ain't nece-ain't nece
Ain't necessarily ... so !

 

[alphamale]

HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD
Johnny Mercer

Hooray for Hollywood
That screwy, ballyhooey Hollywood!
Where any office boy
Or young mechanic
can be a panic
With just a good-looking pan (pan=face)
And any barmaid
Can be a star maid
If she dances with or without a fan (reference: Sally Rand*)
Hooray for Hollywood!
Where you're terrific
if you're even good!
Where anyone at all from Shirley Temple (child actress)
to Aimee Semple (Aimee Semple McPherson - evangelist)
is equally understood
Come on and try your luck
You could be Donald Duck
Hooray for Hollywood!

Hooray for Hollywood!
That phony, super Coney, Hollywood
They come from Chilicothes and Padukahs
with their bazookas (it could refer to so many things!)
To see their names up in lights
All armed with photos
From local rotos
With their hair in curlers
and legs in tights
Hooray for Hollywood!
You may be homely in your neighborhood.
Still, if you think that you can be an actor
See Mister Factor (Max Factor - makeup artist)
He'd make a monkey look good!
Within a half an hour
You'll look like Tyrone Power (hunky action star)
Hooray for Hollywood!

 

[alphamale]

Let's Have Another Cup Of Coffee

Irving Berlin
(written in 1932 during the depths of the Great Depression)

[VERSE:]
Why worry when skies are gray
Why should we complain
Let's laugh at the cloudy day
Let's sing in the rain
Songwriters say the storm quickly passes
That's their philosophy
They see the world through rose-colored glasses
Why shouldn't we?

[REFRAIN:]
Just around the corner
There's a rainbow in the sky
So let's have another cup o' coffee
And let's have another piece o' pie!

Trouble's just a bubble
And the clouds will soon roll by
So let's have another cup o' coffee
And let's have another piece o' pie

Let a smile be your umbrella
For it's just an April show'r
Even John D. Rockefeller
Is looking for the silver lining

Mister Herbert Hoover
Says that now's the time to buy
So let's have another cup o' coffee
And let's have another piece o' pie!

 

[alphamale]

MAKING WHOOPEE
(Gus Kahn)

Another bride, another groom
The countryside is all in bloom;
The flow'rs 'n trees is,
The birds and bees is
Making whoopie.

The choir sings, "Here comes the bride"
Another victim is at her side
He's lost his reason
'Cause it's the season
For making whoopee.

Down through the countless ages,
You'll find it ev'rywhere:
Somebody makes good wages,
Somebody wants her share.

Another year, or maybe less
What's this I hear? Or can't you guess?
She feels neglected,
And he's suspected
Of making whoopee.

She sits alone 'most ev'ry night
He doesn't come home, or even write
He says he's busy
But she says, "Is he
Making whoopee?"

He doesn't make much money
Five thousand dollars per;
Some judge who thinks he's funny
Says, "You pay six to her."

He says, "Now judge, suppose I fail?"
The judge says, "Bud, right into jail.
You'd better keep her
You'll find it cheaper
Than making whoopee."

Another bride
Another groom
Another sunny
Honeymoon;
Another season,
Another reason
For makin' whoopee.

A quiet service,
A lot of rice,
The groom is nervous
He answers twice.
It's really killing
That he's so willing
To make whoopee.

Picture a little lovenest
Down where the roses cling
Picture that same sweet lovenest
Think what a year can bring.

He's washing dishes
And baby clothes
He's so ambitious
He even sews;
But don't forget, boys
That's what you get, boys
For makin' whoopee.