Anything Goes

"Anything Goes" is a popular song written by Cole Porter for his musical Anything Goes (1934). Some of the Depression-era lyrics^[1] have become quite dated. For example, one couplet refers to Sam Goldwyn's notorious box-office failure Nana, which featured a star, Anna Sten, whose English was incomprehensible except to Goldwyn, who came from the same part of Europe^[2]. Another couplet refers to then-notorious socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean. Most modern versions omit these lyrics^[3].

Notable recordings

• Frank Sinatra: Songs For Swingin' Lovers (1956)
• Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook (1956) and the 1972 Atlantic release "Ella Loves Cole".
• Stan Getz and Gerry Mulligan: Getz Meets Mulligan in Hi-Fi (1957)
• Tony Bennett (with Count Basie and his Orchestra): Basie Swings Bennett Sings (1958)

• Recorded as a top 1967 Billboard single hit by Harpers Bizarre, (#43 pop, #6 easy listening.), it became namesake for the group's album Anything Goes

In popular culture

• The song achieved a minor revival when it was used in the Monty Python's Flying Circus "Courtroom sketch". The Pythons also introduced a completely different song called "Anything Goes" by "the other Cole Porter". ("Anything goes in, anything goes out, fish, bananas, old pyjamas, mutton, beef and trout ...").
• In the opening scene of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) visits a Shanghai club where Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw) sings "Anything Goes" in Mandarin. The first part of the Mandarin lyrics is:

Yi wang si-i wa ye kan dao

Xin li bian yao la jing bao jin tian zhi Dao

Anything goes. ^[4]

• In Brian Friel's play Dancing at Lughnasa, "Anything Goes" plays on the radio in Act 2 and is then sung by Gerry Evans while dancing about in the back yard and lane. "In old times a glimpse of stocking, was looked on as something shocking... Now, Anything goes..." The song summarizes the theme of the play — times changing and the new world having an influence.
• In the Family Guy episode "Brian: Portrait of a Dog", Lois sings the first lines of the song.
• "Anything Goes" is used prominently in the 1972 film Sleuth, with main character Andrew Wyke (Laurence Olivier) complaining that they "don't write songs like that anymore".
• Betsy Randle sang "Anything Goes" on a Boy Meets World episode, "As Time Goes By".
• In the Torchwood DVD extras, John Barrowman reprises the song "Anything Goes" live on the set of Episode 12: Captain Jack Harkness, adding Torchwood-specific references.
• Louise Gold performed a parody version of the song on Sesame Street titled "Anyone's Nose"
• The song is also featured in the second episode of the Fourth Series of Jeeves and Wooster at the Fancy Dress party.
• In the post-apocalyptic video game, Fallout 3, the song is featured on Galaxy News Radio, a fictional radio station.
• In St. Elsewhere, Dr. Fiscus' aunt sings "Anything Goes" to a sick boy.
• The Harpers Bizarre recording of the song is heard in the opening montage of the 1970 film "The Boys in the Band".
• Performed by Australian broadway star Caroline O'Connor in the musical movie De-Lovely, a biography of Cole Porter's life starring Kevin Kline.

External links

• Cole Porter singing Anything Goes

References

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