The things they got away with....

[cigarjoe]

 

Very suggestive lyrics if you think about it, lol.

Lydia, The Tattooed Lady
Michael Feinstein

Lydia, oh! Lydia, say have you met Lydia
Oh! Lydia, the tattooed lady
She has eyes that folks adore so
And a torso even more so
Lydia, oh! Lydia, that "Encyclopedia"
Oh! Lydia, the Queen of tattoo
On her back is the Battle of Waterloo
Beside it the Wreck of the Hesperus too
And proudly above the waves
The Red, White and Blue
You can learn a lot from Lydia
She can give you a view of the world
In tattoo if you step up and tell her where
For a dime you can see Kankakee or Paree
Or Washington crossing the Delaware
Oh! Lydia, oh! Lydia, say have you met Lydia
Oh! Lydia, the tattooed lady
When her muscles start relaxin'
Up the hill comes Andrew Jackson
Lydia, oh! Lydia, that "Encyclopedia"
Oh! Lydia, the champ of them all
For two bits she will do a Mazurka in Jazz
With a view of Niag'ra that no artist has
And on a clear day you can see Alcatraz
You can learn a lot from Lydia.
La la la La la la La la la La la la
Come along and see Buff'lo Bill with his lasso
Just a little classic by Mendel Picasso
Here is Captain Spaulding exploring the Amazon
And Godiva, but with her pajamas on
La la la La la la La la la La la la
Here is Grover Whalen unveilin' the Trylon
Over on the west coast we have Treasure Islan'
Here's Nijinsky a doin' the Rhumba
Here's her Social Security numba
La la la La la la La la la La la la
Lydia, oh! Lydia, say have you met Lydia
Oh! Lydia, the champ of them all
She once swept an Admiral clear off his feet
The ships on her hips made his heart skip a beat
And now the old boy's in command of the fleet

You can learn a lot from Lydia

[slaytonf]

From "The Maladjused Jester" (The Court Jester, 1955):

 I bought a little gun and I learned to shoot

I bought a little a horn and I learned to toot

Now I can shoot and toot ain't that cute? 

[Dargo]

 

[txfilmfan]

5 minutes ago, Dargo said:

 

Maybe Soundies could get away with a bit more?  I don't think they were under the auspices of the Breen office were they?

[SansFin]

It is my understanding that the censors would not allow the song until the addition of the last stanza which denoted her as an "honest" married woman rather than a side-show prostitute.

 

[Dargo]

31 minutes ago, txfilmfan said:

Maybe Soundies could get away with a bit more?  I don't think they were under the auspices of the Breen office were they?

That's a good question, Tex. Unfortunately, the Wiki page for "Soundies" says nothing about the possible censoring of any of their content.

[Dargo]

8 minutes ago, SansFin said:

It is my understanding that the censors would not allow the song until the addition of the last stanza which denoted her as an "honest" married woman rather than a side-show prostitute.

 

And then some 30 years later, and perhaps a little less animated but still a very memorable performance of this little ditty by Groucho, you have...

 

[lydecker]

The incomparable Virginia Weidler . . . 

 

[Bethluvsfilms]

19 minutes ago, lydecker said:

The incomparable Virginia Weidler . . . 

 

I always loved this scene. 

Mike and Liz were totally in a "****" state of mind watching her act, and I just know that Dinah was enjoying putting them on.

In some ways I think Virginia Weidler stole the show in here, not an easy feat considering the talented cast she was working along side with. Of course Roland Young's Uncle Willie was quite the scene stealer as well.

[JamesJazGuitar]

Since Groucho Marx and You Bet Your Life is being discussed I felt I would post his interview with Gloria and Skip Ficking,  creators of the Honey West character.

Just a few days ago Gloria was told she only had a few days to live but the surgical procedure was successful and hopefully she will be release this week.   

 

[EricJ]

For all the people who said Margaret Dumont "never got" Groucho's jokes, she appeared quite tickled at his jokes onscreen, except when she had to act High Dudgeon at his insults, of course.  (Watch the way she breaks up at Groucho's bad puns in his Animal Crackers "safari" speech.)

But Groucho confessed she never did quite get the pre-code "risqué'" jokes he'd sneak in:
"Oh, Rufus!"
"All I can offer you is a Rufus over your head..."

 - Duck Soup

[Aritosthenes]

12 hours ago, cigarjoe said:

 

Very suggestive lyrics if you think about it, lol.

Lydia, The Tattooed Lady
Michael Feinstein

Lydia, oh! Lydia, say have you met Lydia
Oh! Lydia, the tattooed lady
She has eyes that folks adore so
And a torso even more so
Lydia, oh! Lydia, that "Encyclopedia"
Oh! Lydia, the Queen of tattoo
On her back is the Battle of Waterloo
Beside it the Wreck of the Hesperus too
And proudly above the waves
The Red, White and Blue
You can learn a lot from Lydia
She can give you a view of the world
In tattoo if you step up and tell her where
For a dime you can see Kankakee or Paree
Or Washington crossing the Delaware
Oh! Lydia, oh! Lydia, say have you met Lydia
Oh! Lydia, the tattooed lady
When her muscles start relaxin'
Up the hill comes Andrew Jackson
Lydia, oh! Lydia, that "Encyclopedia"
Oh! Lydia, the champ of them all
For two bits she will do a Mazurka in Jazz
With a view of Niag'ra that no artist has
And on a clear day you can see Alcatraz
You can learn a lot from Lydia.
La la la La la la La la la La la la
Come along and see Buff'lo Bill with his lasso
Just a little classic by Mendel Picasso
Here is Captain Spaulding exploring the Amazon
And Godiva, but with her pajamas on
La la la La la la La la la La la la
Here is Grover Whalen unveilin' the Trylon
Over on the west coast we have Treasure Islan'
Here's Nijinsky a doin' the Rhumba
Here's her Social Security numba
La la la La la la La la la La la la
Lydia, oh! Lydia, say have you met Lydia
Oh! Lydia, the champ of them all
She once swept an Admiral clear off his feet
The ships on her hips made his heart skip a beat
And now the old boy's in command of the fleet

You can learn a lot from Lydia

Maybe Not Best, but the New Tradition Sang It Well. Sans Musical Accompaniment.

[Swithin]

You want double entendre? Here's Florence Desmond singing one of the great songs of World War II; followed by Bessie Smith singing "Kitchen Man." 

Don’t run away, mister,
Oh stay and play, mister.
Don’t worry if you hear the siren go.
Though I’m not a lady of the highest virtue,
I wouldn’t dream of letting anything hurt you.
And so before you go,
I think you ought to know

I got a cozy flat,
There’s a place for your hat.
I’ll wear a pink chiffon negligee gown.
And do I know my stuff?
But if that’s not enough,
I’ve got the deepest shelter in town.

I’ve got a room for two,
A radio that’s new,
An alarm clock that won’t let you down.
And I’ve got central heat,
But to make it complete,
I’ve got the deepest shelter in town.

Ev’ry modern comfort
I can just guarantee.
If you hear the siren call,
Then it’s probably me.

And sweetie, to revert,
I’ll keep you on the alert.
I won’t even be wearing a frown.
So you can hang around here
Until the “all clear,”
In the deepest shelter in town.

Now, honey, I don’t sing
Of an Anderson thing,
Climbing in one, you look like a clown.
But if you came here to see
Why Sir John would agree
I’ve got the deepest shelter in town.

Now Mr. Morrison
Says he’s getting things done,
And he’s a man of the greatest renown.
But before it gets wrecked,
I hope he’ll come and inspect
The deepest shelter in town.

Now, I was one of the first
To clear my attic of junk.
But when it comes to shelters,
Now-a-days, it’s all bunk.

So, honey, don’t get scared,
It’s there to be shared!
And you’ll feel like a king with a crown.
So please don’t be mean,
Better men than you have been
In the deepest shelter in town.

 

Madam Buff's was quite deluxe
Servants by the score
Footmen at each door
Butlers and maids galore

But one day Sam, her kitchen man
Gave in his notice, he's through
She cried, "Oh Sam, don't go
It'll grieve me if you do"

I love his cabbage gravy, his hash
Crazy 'bout his succotash
I can't do without my kitchen man

Wild about his turnip top
Like the way he warms my chop
I can't do without my kitchen man

Anybody else can leave
And I would only laugh
But he means too much to me
And you ain't heard the half

Oh, his jelly roll is so nice and hot
Never fails to touch the spot
I can't do without my kitchen man

His frankfurters are oh so sweet
How I like his sausage meat
I can't do without my kitchen man

Oh, how that boy can open clam
No one else is can touch my ham
I can't do without my kitchen man

When I eat his doughnuts
All I leave is the hole
Any time he wants to
Why, he can use my sugar bowl

Oh, his baloney's really worth a try
Never fails to satisfy
I can't do without my kitchen man

 

 

 

[Aritosthenes]

12 hours ago, slaytonf said:

From "The Maladjused Jester" (The Court Jester, 1955):

 I bought a little gun and I learned to shoot

I bought a little a horn and I learned to toot

Now I can shoot and toot ain't that cute? 

 Ogden Nash and Eminem would be PROUD.

[EricJ]

11 hours ago, Dargo said:

Who's Yehudi?

"Guess who??"

[Fausterlitz]

1 hour ago, Swithin said:

followed by Bessie Smith singing "Kitchen Man." 

Yes, Andy Razaf was definitely a past master of highly suggestive lyrics, not only in this song and "Honeysuckle Rose," but perhaps especially in "My Handy Man":

Now whoever said a good man was hard to find
Positively, absolutely sure was blind
'Cause I just found the best man that ever was
And here's just a few of the things that he does, ow
He shakes my ashes,
Greases my griddle,
Churns my butter,
And he strokes my fiddle, aw
My man, is such a handy man
Now he threads my needle,
And he creams my wheat,
Heats my heater,
And he chops my meat, he's a mess,
My man, is such a handy man
Now I don't care if you believe it or not,
He's a mighty nice man to have around,
'Cause when my furnace gets too hot, mm
He's right there to turn my damper down,
For everything, that man of mine's got a scheme
And honey it's amazing the way he handles my machine
My man, is such a handyman (oh that man is a mess ow)
He flaps my flapjacks,
Cleans off the table,
Feeds the horses in my stable,
My man, is such a handyman
And do you know, sometimes he's up, way before dawn,
Busy cleaning the rough edges off my lawn,
My man, is such a handyman
Now, he never has a single word to say,
While he's working hard (poor soul),
And I'd give anything if you could see the way,
He handles my front yard, aw
Now my ice never gets a chance to melt away,
'Cause he sees that I get a nice fresh piece everyday,
My man, is such a handyman

------------------------------------

P. S. the first line of "Kitchen Man" is "Madame Bucks was quite deluxe" (i.e. she was well-to-do); the ninth line is "I love his cabbage, crave his hash"

[Dargo]

1 hour ago, EricJ said:

"Guess who??"

Yes, ironic isn't it Eric, that that thread I started a while back and where I posed the question "Don Ameche or George Brent?" in this 1941 W-B Hollywood Steps Out cartoon, also freatured Jerry Colonna and his catchphrase here.

You probably know the origin of this catchphrase, don't you. However for those who might not:

In the 1930s on Bob Hope’s radio show there was a musical guest named Yehudi Menuhin. His name proved so catchy, along with sidekick Jerry Colonna’s joking phrase, “Who’s Yehudi?” that it entered the common vernacular, coming to refer to anyone, or anything, mysterious.

[Tikisoo]

Thanks Dargo, I did NOT know the origins of Who's Yahudi was because of Menuhin

"Lydia" is my #1 fave song to sing with ukulele and I'm always surprised no one recognizes it.  Who's Michael Feinstein? Shirley, not the song's author although I see a few changes from the version I know.

The last verse must be sang with a hula sway for emphasis & always gets a big laugh from those not expecting it. My version has this as the last line:

She once swept an Admiral clear off his feet
The ships on her hips made his heart skip a beat
And now the old boy's in command of the fleet

'Cuz he went & married Lydia

 

[Sepiatone]

And what about that bit concerning Johnny Carson and Mrs. Arnold Palmer on Carson's "Who Do You Trust" game show in the late '50's?

Sepiatone

[Mr. Gorman]

Shucks, I can write lyrics too!

There once was a girl named Lydia

Who had a bad case of chlamydia

She found the guy whodunnit

And said "Aw shucks, dadgummit!"

Then she blew his kok off with a shotgun.

👍

 

[sewhite2000]

On 8/24/2021 at 5:22 AM, TikiSoo said:

 Who's Michael Feinstein? Shirley, not the song's author although I see a few changes from the version I know.

I think Feinstein is a cmposer who's been an occasional TCM guest host when the primetime themes have revolved around film songs and scores. I don't know why he'd be credited as the writer of a 90-year-old song.

I jhave a version of "My Handy Man" in my iTunes collection credited to James P. Johnson, though he's "only" the pianist on the track. I believe the vocalist was Ethel Waters, but vocalists weren't always considered the stars in those days.

[lavenderblue19]

Lydia the Tatooed Lady was written by EY Harburg for lyrics  and Harold Arlen. for the music. The same 2 who wrote Somewhere Over the Rainbow and the original songs  for the Wizard of Oz.

Michael Feinstein is a very talented pianist and singer, He recorded Lydia the Tatooed Lady on one of his albums.    Michael Feinstein founded the Great American Songbook Foundation. Michael Feinstein worked with Ira Gershwin. The Library of Congress appointed Michael Feinstein  to the National Recording Preservation Board. 

The song Lydia The Tatooed Lady was sung by Groucho in At the Circus and was one of Groucho's signature songs. Virginia Weidler sang ( the first verse) in The Philadelphia Story.

[Sepiatone]

Personally, I didn't find the lyrics to be that "racy" or "suggestive".  But then, maybe my mind is in a different gutter.   

Sepiatone

[JamesJazGuitar]

14 minutes ago, lavenderblue19 said:

Lydia the Tatooed Lady was written by EY Harburg for lyrics  and Harold Arlen. for the music. The same 2 who wrote Somewhere Over the Rainbow and the original songs  for the Wizard of Oz.

Michael Feinstein is a very talented pianist and singer, He recorded Lydia the Tatooed Lady on one of his albums.    Michael Feinstein founded the Great American Songbook Foundation. Michael Feinstein worked with Ira Gershwin. The Library of Congress appointed Michael Feinstein  to the National Recording Preservation Board. 

The song Lydia The Tatooed Lady was sung by Groucho in At the Circus and was one of Groucho's signature songs. Virginia Weidler sang ( the first verse) in The Philadelphia Story.

I meet Mr. Feinstein once and I have a lot of respect for him.   He helps keeps the music from my favorite period in American history "alive" using multiple means like his work with the Library of Congress,  as you note,  other historical efforts and of  course his interpretation of this music.    Thanks  for making others aware of this. 

 

[lavenderblue19]

1 minute ago, jamesjazzguitar said:

I meet Mr. Feinstein once and I have a lot of respect for him.   He helps keeps the music from my favorite period in American history "alive" using multiple means like his work with the Library of Congress,  as you note,  other historical efforts and of  course his interpretation of this music.    Thanks  for making others aware of this. 

 

You're Welcome James and thanks. We are in agreement on this, I also have a lot of respect for Michael Feinstein. That's great about you meeting him. I would imagine that you as a musician meeting Michael Feinstein would be very exciting.