Raymond Chandler, Revisited

The great hardboiled author Raymond Chandler is a big favorite of ours here at Cladrite Radio, and if you’re a fan, too, you’ll want to avail yourself of the stream of the Symphony Space’s recent panel discussion of Chandler and his debut 1939 novel, The Big Sleep.

It’s an intriguing, enlightening discussion that suggested some new ways for us to look at the great man’s work.

The participants were Jonathan Lethem, whose first novel, Gun, with Occasional Music, was, he openly admits, fully intended to be Chandler-esque; Judith Freeman, author of The Long Embrace: Raymond Chandler and The Woman He Loved (a volume we highly recommend); and Rich Cohen, author of Sweet and Low: A Family Story, and each brings interesting insights to the table.

20 Jan 10 | Tags: Jonathan Lethem, Judith Freeman, Philip Marlowe, Raymond Chandler, Rich Cohen
| Cladrite Culture

Are You Having Any Fun?
Hey fellow with a million smackers
And nervous indigestion
Rich fellow, eats milk and crackers,
I'll ask you one question,
You silly so and so,
With all your dough...

Are you having any fun?
What you getting out of livin'?
What good is what you've got
If you're not having any fun?

Are you having any laughs?
Are you getting any lovin'?
If other people do,
So can you, have a little fun.

After the honey's in the cone,
Little bees go out and play.
Even the old grey mare down home
Has got to have hay. Hey!

You better have some fun.
You ain't gonna live forever.
Before you're old and gray, feel okay.
Have your little fun, son!
Have your little fun!

Why do you work and slave and save?
Life is full of ifs and buts.
You know the squirrels save and save,
And what have they got? Nuts!

Better have a little fun.
You ain't gonna live forever.
Before you're old and grey, still okay,
Have your little fun, son!
Have your little fun!
Are you havin' any fun?

---Sammy Fain (music) and Jack Yellen (lyrics), 1939