Lyrics that make you go Hmmm, pt. 3

In our ongoing perusals of song lyrics that reveal the past of our parents and grandparents to be not quite so wholesome as often assumed, we offer the following words from a song called “Good for You, Bad for Me.”

It was written for the musical comedy “Flying High” by the songwriting team of Ray Henderson (melody), Lew Brown (lyrics), and Buddy DeSylva (lyrics).

Good for you, bad for me
when you hold me tight on your knee.
Oh, it may be awfully good for you
but it’s so bad for me.

What you do, I’ll agree
is as thrilling as it can be.
And it may be awfully good for you,
but it’s so bad for me.

What a huckleberry yo.
Aren’t you tired of hearing no?
You keep saying you’ve got to,
but my momma said not to.

I’m a she, you’re a he,
But some things in life are not free.
So it won’t do you a bit of good,
and it’s so bad for me.

Here’s a 1930 recording of the song by Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians, featuring vocals by The Three Girl Friends (a.k.a. The Three Waring Girls).

“Good for You, Bad for Me” — Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians, feat. The Three Girl Friends

Lyrics that make you go Hmmm, pt. 2

Since the rise of rock ‘n’ roll and R&B in the 1950s, song lyrics that find the singer trying to coerce someone into bed have been not at all uncommon, but it was quite different in the first half of the 20th century, no? Weren’t those more innocent days?

Not necessarily. Check out these lyrics from You’ll Do It Someday (So Why Not Now?), a song, composed by one Al Wrubel, that the popular crooner Rudy Vallee made famous in 1929. They may not quite qualify as graphically sexual, but subtle they’re not:

You’ll do it someday, so why not now?
Oh, won’t you let me try to show you how?
Think what you’re missing.
Oh, it’s a shame.
You’ll miss the kissing and the rest of the game.

In open spaces, where men are men,
A chicken never waits till she’s a hen.
Don’t keep me waiting,
For I do vow,
You’ll do it someday, so why not now?

No shrinking violet was our Mr. Vallee — that’s a come-on to make Marvin Gaye proud!

The lyrics are perhaps not as surprising coming from Vallee, a singer who described himself late in life as having had … er, um … “a cock in my voice.” Vallee was indeed a sex symbol in his day, and it’s intriguing to ponder what was considered sexy in a singer in 1929 as opposed to today.

We’ve been playing the song on Cladrite Radio of late, but if you’ve missed it, you can hear it below. You can also see a clip of Vallee and the Yale Collegians performing the song here.

You’ll Do It Someday (So Why Not Now?) — Rudy Vallee and His Yale Collegians

Lyrics that make you go Hmmm, pt. 1

I love these lyrics, written in 1929 by Howard Dietz (Arthur Schwartz wrote the melody), for their wit, their evocation of the time during which they were composed, and for the slightly naughty aspect of at least one passage. It’s almost like a pre-code movie in song form.

I also was intrigued to note the usage of “fly,” with a meaning not so different from the one that term was afforded in the 1990s.

I guess I’ll have to change my plan
I should have realized there’d be another man
I overlooked that point completely
Until the big affair began.

Before I knew where I was at, I found myself upon the shelf and that was that;
I tried to reach the moon, but when I got there
All that I could get was the air.

My feet are back upon the ground
I lost the one girl that I’d found.

I guess I’ll have to change my plan
I should have realized there’d be another man;
Why did I buy those blue pajamas
Before that big affair began?

My boiling point is much too low
For me to try to be a fly Lothario;
I think I’ll crawl right back and into my shell,
Dwelling in my personal hell.

I’ll have to change my plan around
I’ve lost the one girl I’ve found.