Cole Porter's "Let's Do It"
RCranford
Porter songbook. Anyone know any? Also, Garrison Keillor made up some new
lyrics for "A Praire Home Companion." For example:
Bugs do it
Bats do it
Even lib'ral Democrats do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
Plants do it
Trees do it
Even guys who have bad knees do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Gorillas deep in the mists do it
Hanging by their palms
True feminists do it
Though they have qualms
The ape and gnu in the zoo do it
Someone told me even you do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
Does anyone know any other stanzas of Garrison's version?
TIA.
Rowland
=========================
Here's an abbreviation of the words in my Cole Porter Album.Do you have all these?
Birds do it, Bees...Fleas...Spain upper sets... Lith and Letts.....
Dutch.... Finns.... Siam.... Argentines.... Boston.... Sponges.....
Oysters....
Cape Cod clams.... Jellyfish.... Electric eels.... shad.... English soles....
Goldfish....
--
Millennium proverb: The geek shall inherit the earth.
Linc.
Remove REMOVE to reply.
Alfred
>I think there are several more stanzas to this than are in my store-bought Cole
>Porter songbook. Anyone know any? Also, Garrison Keillor made up some new
>lyrics for "A Praire Home Companion." For example:
>
>Bugs do it
>Bats do it
>Even lib'ral Democrats do it
>Let's do it, let's fall in love.
>
>Plants do it
>Trees do it
>Even guys who have bad knees do it
>Let's do it, let's fall in love
>
>Gorillas deep in the mists do it
>Hanging by their palms
>True feminists do it
>Though they have qualms
Should be
"they have their qualms"
>The ape and gnu in the zoo do it
>Someone told me even you do it
>Let's do it, let's fall in love.
<---found that funny and made me laugh
of course I'm not a good yardstick because
everything does even tho I'm trying very hard
I used to know this by heart before I
hopped on the insane train and pushed
myself harder than I thought I could
Phones do it
Drones do it
Even some very happy clones
do it
Let's do it
Let's fall in love
Dogs do it
Cats do it
Even some people who wear hats
do it
Let's do it
Let's fall in love
Men don't do it
Women don't do it
They're too busy making
money to do it
Let's do it
Let's fall in love
erin c/o altmusiclyrics
this is what i have been given to me by my pal johnnyo -
it's a great resource for the many versions of the lyrics...
anyone know any more... let me know!
erin
===
EVERYTHING BELOW THIS WAS TYPED BY JOHNNYO... :)
I started a few years ago making little notations in pencil
in my "Complete Lyrics of Cole Porter" as to who did which
verses and who did what with which words of which verse,
(Eartha sang this verse but changed this line, Ella left
out this chorus, and stuff like that)... so here goes the
[annotated] Coley version first...the punctuation is as it
is in the "Complete" book, so deal with it... (JohnnyO)
Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love (Cole Porter) from "Paris" (1928)
(Verse)
When the little bluebird,
Who has never said a word,
Starts to sing, "Spring, Spring."
When the little bluebell,
In the bottom of the dell,
Starts to ring, "Ding, ding,"
When the little blue clerk,
In the middle of his work,
Starts a tune to the moon up above,
It is nature, that's all,
Simply telling us to fall
In love.
[Refrain 1:]
And that's why Chinks do it, Japs do it,
Up in Lapland the Lapps do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
In Spain, the best upper sets do it,
Lithuanians and Letts do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
The Dutch in old Amsterdam do it,
Not to mention the Finns,
Folks in Siam do it,
Think of Siamese Twins.
Some Argentines, without means, do it,
People say, in Boston, beans do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
[Refrain 2:]
The nightingales, in the dark, do it,
Larks, K-razy for a lark, do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
Canaries, caged in the house, do it,
When they're out of season, grouse do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
The most sedate barnyard fowls do it,
Whan a chanticleer cries,
High-browed old owls do it,
They're supposed to be wise.
Penguins in flocks, on the rocks, do it,
Even little cuckoos in their clocks do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
[Refrain 3:]
Romantic sponges, they say, do it,
Oysters, down in Oyster Bay, do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
Cold Cape Cod clams, 'gainst their wish, do it,
Even lazy jellyfish do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
Electric eels, I might add, do it,
Though it shocks 'em, I know.
Why ask if shad do it?
Waiter, bring me shad roe.
In shallow shoals, English soles do it,
Goldfish, in the privacy of bowls, do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
[Refrain 3, alternate for English production of "Wake Up and Dream"
(1929):]
Young whelks and winkles, in pubs, do it,
Little sponges, in their tubs, do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
Cold salmon, quite 'gainst their wish, do it,
Even lazy jellyfish do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
The most select schools of cod do it,
Though it shocks 'em, I fear,
Sturgeon, thank God, do it,
Have some caviar, dear.
In shady shoals, English soles do it,
Goldfish, in the privacy of bowls, do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
[Refrain 4:]
The dragonflies, in the reeds, do it,
Sentimental centipedes do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
Mosquitoes, heaven forbid, do it,
So does every katydid, do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
The most refined lady bugs do it,
When a gentleman calls,
Moths in your rugs do it,
What's the use of moth balls?
Locusts in trees do it, bees do it,
Even overeducated fleas do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
[Refrain 5:]
The chimpanzees in the zoos do it,
Some courageous kangaroos do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
I'm sure giraffes, on the sly, do it,
Heavy hippopotami do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
Old sloths, who hang down from twigs, do it,
Though the effort is great.
Sweet guinea pigs do it,
Buy a couple and wait.
The world admits bears in pits do it,
Even pekineses in the Ritz do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
NOTE: The opening lines of refrain 1 were changed to the
familiar
"Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it," when
Porter
realized that many would find the words "Chinks" and "Japs" offensive.
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Here's the version from "The Lyrics of Noel Coward," a book
I would hate to
think about life without:
----
[Verse 1:]
Mr. Irving Berlin
Often emphasizes sin
In a charming way.
Mr. Coward we know
Wrote a song or two to show
Sex was here to stay
Richard Rodgers it's true
Took a more romantic view
Of this sly, biological urge.
But it really was Cole
Who contrived to make the whole
Thing merge.
[Refrain 1:]
He said that Belgians and Dutch do it,
Even Hildegarde and Hutch do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
Monkeys whenever you look do it,
Aly Khan and King Farouk do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
The most recherche cocottes do it
In a luxury flat,
Locks, Dunns, and Scots do it
At the drop of a hat,
Excited spinsters in spas do it,
Duchesses when opening bazaars do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
[Refrain 2:]
Our leading writers, in swarms, do it,
Somerset and all the Maughams do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
The Brontes felt that they must do it,
Mrs. Humphrey Ward could just do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
Anouilh and Sartre--God knows why--do it,
As a sort of a curse.
Eliot and Fry do it,
But they do it in verse.
Some mystics, as a routine, do it,
Even Evelyn Waugh and Graham Greene do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
[Verse 2:]
In the spring of the year,
Inhibitions disappear
And our hearts beat high.
We had better face facts:
Every gland that overacts
Has an alibi,
For each bird and each bee,
Each slap-happy sappy tree,
Each temptation that lures us along
Is just Nature elle-meme
Merely singing us the same
Old song.
[Refrain 3:]
Girls from the R. A. D. A. do it,
B. B. C. announcers may do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
The Ballet Jooss, to a man, do it,
Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
My kith and kin, more or less, do it,
Every uncle and aunt.
But, I confess to it,
I've one cousin who can't.
Critics as sour as quince do it,
Even Emile Littler and Prince do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
[Refrain 4:]
The House of Commons, en bloc, do it,
Civil servants by the clock do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
Deacons who've done it before do it,
Minor canons with a roar do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
Some rather rorty old rips do it
When they get a bit tight.
Government Whips do it
If it takes them all night.
Old mountain goats in ravines do it,
Probably we'll live to see machines do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Here is the way it appears on the recording of his show in
Las Vegas:
----
[Verse 1:]
Mr. Irving Berlin
Often emphasizes sin
In a charming way.
Mr. Coward we know
Wrote a song or two to show
Sex was here to stay
Richard Rodgers it's true
Took a more romantic view
Of this sly, biological urge.
But it really was Cole
Who contrived to make the whole
Thing merge.
[Refrain 1:]
He said that Belgians and Greeks do it
Nice young men who sell antiques do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Monkeys whenever you look do it,
Aly Khan and King Farouk do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
Louella Parsons can't quite do it,
For she's so highly strung.
Marlene might do it,
But she looks far too young.
Each man out there, shooting crap, does it,
Davy Crockett, in that dreadful cap, does it.
Let's do it, let's fall in love
[Refrain 2:]
All famous writers, in swarms, do it,
Somerset and all the Maughams do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
The Brontes felt that they must do it,
Ernest Hemingway could ju-u-ust do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
E. Allan Poe--ho, ho, ho--did it,
But he did it in verse.
H. Beecher Stowe did it,
But she had to rehearse.
Tennessee Williams, self-taught, does it,
Kinsey, with a deafening Report, does it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
[Verse 2:]
In the spring of the year,
Inhibitions disappear
And our hearts beat high.
We had better face facts:
Every gland that overacts
Has an alibi,
For each bird and each bee,
Each slap-happy sappy tree,
Each temptation that lures us along
Is just Nature elle-meme
Merely singing us the same
Old song.
[Refrain 3:]
In Texas some of the men do it
Others drill a hole and then do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
West Point cadets, forming fours, do it,
People say all those Gabors do it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
My kith and kin, more or less, do it,
Every uncle and aunt.
But, I confess to it,
I've one cousin that can't.
Teenagers, squeezed into jeans, do it,
Probably we'll live to see machines do it.
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
[Refrain 4:}
Each baby bat, after dark, does it.
In the desert, Wilbur Clark does it.
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
We're told that every hormone does it,
Victor Borge, all alone, does it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
[there is an audible splice here in the master tape,
where the bridge has been removed from this verse]
Each tiny clam you consume does it,
Even Liberace, we assume, does it,
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
----
And that's all I have handy. There are at least two other
versions of Noel's
performance version, with some alternate lyrics, on the
recordings of
"Together with Music" (his TV special with Mary Martin), and
the "Command
Performance" album (some kind of charity benefit from the
late '50s), but
they are both in 'Nooga, so it'll be more than a week till I
can get them.
In addition, I could swear that Bobby Short added some very
Noelesque lyrics
for his recording of it, but I don't seem to have it; I
thought it was on "Bobby
Short Loves Cole Porter" or "Bobby Short Is Mad About Noel
Coward," but it
isn't on either! That leaves you these lyrics from "Oh,
Coward," which seem
mostly dated enough to have been the work of Noel, but
there's no telling unless the book you have says something...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
from Oh Coward!
----
Miss America, under the flag, does it
The man from Glad with a little bag does it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
The Royal Ballet to a man do it
Tinkerbell and Peter Pan do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Each Miss Gabor time and again does it
They keep trying, God knows
Lawrence Welk with champagne does it
But the bubbles get up his nose
They say that every hormone does it
Mr. Portnoy all alone does it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Aretha Franklin with soul does it
Julia Child in a casserole does it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Miss Doris Day won't do it
She thinks it offends
Ferrante and Teicher don't do it
They're just very good friends
Snow White felt that she must do it
Seven Dwarfs could only ju-u-ust do it!
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
---
RCranford wrote:
>
> I think there are several more stanzas to this than are in my store-bought Cole
> Porter songbook. Anyone know any? Also, Garrison Keillor made up some new
> lyrics for "A Praire Home Companion." For example:
>
> Bugs do it
> Bats do it
> Even lib'ral Democrats do it
> Let's do it, let's fall in love.
>
> Plants do it
> Trees do it
> Even guys who have bad knees do it
> Let's do it, let's fall in love
>
> Gorillas deep in the mists do it
> Hanging by their palms
> True feminists do it
> Though they have qualms
>
> The ape and gnu in the zoo do it
> Someone told me even you do it
> Let's do it, let's fall in love.
>
Alfred
<altmusi...@home.com> wrote:
>I don't have Garrison's lyrics, but are you ready for this?
>this is what i have been given to me by my pal johnnyo -
>it's a great resource for the many versions of the lyrics...
>anyone know any more... let me know!
>
>erin
>
>===
>
>EVERYTHING BELOW THIS WAS TYPED BY JOHNNYO... :)
>
Damn good typing
Tiny Dancer
>I don't have Garrison's lyrics, but are you ready for this?
>this is what i have been given to me by my pal johnnyo -
>it's a great resource for the many versions of the lyrics...
>anyone know any more... let me know!
Thanks, Erin and JohnnyO, great stuff! And just to add to the pot,
the Sesame Street version from my site:
Doves do it
Hawks do it
Even puffins on the rocks do it
Let's do it
Let's lay an egg
Frogs do it
Toads do it
Alligators by the road do it
Let's do it
Let's lay an egg
We come from blue eggs and green eggs
Eggs that are speckled or tanned
Big eggs and small eggs
That's how we all began
Snails do it
Slugs do it
Even tiny twiddlebugs do it
Let's do it
Let's lay an egg
Snakes do it
Hens do it
Even jungle denizens do it
Let's do it
Let's lay an egg
We come from blue eggs and green eggs
Eggs that are speckled or tanned
Big eggs and small eggs
That's how we all began
Fish do it
Crows do it
Dinosaurs from long agos do it
Let's do it
Let's lay an egg
Cheers,
TD
Why does August try so hard
To hoist me on my own petard
from Tom Waits' "Purple Avenue"
Webmistress of Tiny Dancer's X-Files Episode Guide
http://www.insanity.com.au/td/
The Sesame Street Lyrics and Sounds Archive
http://i.am/tinyd