Poem of the day
May. 4th, 2007 03:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pallas_athenaToday's poem is actually a song lyric by Cole Porter. I've had it on the brain this week, and I think it's time to share.
When the little bluebird
Who has never said a word
Starts to sing "Spring, spring,"
When the little bluebell
At 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.
And that's why birds do it, bees do it
Even educated fleas 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 even beans do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love!
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!
Mosquitos, heaven forbid, do it
So does every katydid do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Dragonflies in the reeds do it
Sentimental centipedes do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
The most refined ladybugs do it
When a gentleman calls
Moths in your rugs do it
What's the use of moth balls?
The locusts up in the trees do it
Even over-educated fleas do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love!
The chimpanzees in the zoo 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
Sloths who hang down from the 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 Pekingeses in the Ritz do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love!
Porter's original plan for this song was to devote each verse to a branch of the animal kindom. However, the first verse, which was going to be purely about people, originally began:
Chinks do it, Japs do it,
Up in Lapland little Lapps do it...
Understandably, performers today prefer to use the less-awful version given here.
Special bonus link to Noël Coward's rewrite of the same song, which is hilarious in a whole different way.
When the little bluebird
Who has never said a word
Starts to sing "Spring, spring,"
When the little bluebell
At 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.
And that's why birds do it, bees do it
Even educated fleas 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 even beans do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love!
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!
Mosquitos, heaven forbid, do it
So does every katydid do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Dragonflies in the reeds do it
Sentimental centipedes do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
The most refined ladybugs do it
When a gentleman calls
Moths in your rugs do it
What's the use of moth balls?
The locusts up in the trees do it
Even over-educated fleas do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love!
The chimpanzees in the zoo 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
Sloths who hang down from the 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 Pekingeses in the Ritz do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love!
Porter's original plan for this song was to devote each verse to a branch of the animal kindom. However, the first verse, which was going to be purely about people, originally began:
Chinks do it, Japs do it,
Up in Lapland little Lapps do it...
Understandably, performers today prefer to use the less-awful version given here.
Special bonus link to Noël Coward's rewrite of the same song, which is hilarious in a whole different way.
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no subject
on 2007-05-04 11:43 pm (UTC)Cool! I hadn't seen Noel Coward's rewrite before - very funny :-)
no subject
on 2007-05-05 06:57 pm (UTC)