Ella Fitzgerald - Anything Goes Lyrics






Times have changed
And we've often rewound the clock
Since the Puritans got the shock
When they landed on Plymouth Rock
If today
any shock they might try to stem
'Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock
Plymouth Rock would land on them

In olden days a glimpse of stocking
Was looked on as something shocking
Now heaven knows
Anything Goes

Good authors too
Who once knew better words
Now only use four letter words
Writing prose
Anything Goes

If driving fast cars you like
If low bars you like
If old hymns you like
If bare limbs you like
If Mae West you like
Or me undressed you like
Why nobody will oppose

When every night
The set that's smart
Is intruding on nudist parties
In studios
Anything Goes

When Missus Ned McLean, God bless her
Can get Russian Reds to yes her
Then I suppose
Anything Goes

When Rockafeller still can hoard
Enough money to let Max Gordon
Produce his shows
Anything Goes

The world has gone mad today
And good's bad today
And black's white today
And day's night today
And that gent today
You gave a cent today
Once had several Chateaus

When folks
Who still can ride in Jitneys
Find out Vanderbilts and Whitneys
Lack baby clothes
Anything Goes

When Sam Goldwyn
Can with great conviction
Instruct Anna Sten in diction
Than Anna shows
Anything Goes

When you hear that
Lady Mendl standing up
Now does a handspring landing up
On her toes
Anything Goes

Just think of those shocks you've got
And those knocks you've got
And those blues you've got
From those news you've got
And those pains you've got
(If any brains you've got)
From those little radios

So Mrs. R
With all her trimmin's
Can broadcast a bed from Simmon's
Cause Franklin knows
Anything Goes





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Ella Fitzgerald Anything Goes Comments
  1. A.... W....

    Indiana Jones...

  2. G.... ....

    Many thanks. Imagine growing up in Ireland in the mid 1960's. The stultifying ghastliness of the music on state radio and television, invariably harking back to some bullshit golden age of Irish culture. The reactionary nationalism. Imagine that, and imagine a kid sitting in his bedroom hearing this thing of beauty from what seemed like another world. Even as a young boy those lyrics and that voice mesmerized me. I can only thank my parents from the bottom of my heart for showing me something sublime.

  3. D.... ....

    Awesome!

  4. L.... H....

    2019 I am so glad that I was raised on this amazing music it just gets better with age. <3

  5. a.... a....

    I came from When She Woke of Hillary Jordan mats! Salutes!

  6. V.... V....

    She didn’t dare to drop the Rockafella line tho 😂

  7. c.... m....

    Maravilha Ella Fitzgerald eCole Porter 1934 👍😃

  8. C.... L....

    Ella fitzgerald e simplesmente sensacional falei. 😂

  9. C.... 5....

    Times have changed
    And we've often rewound the clock
    Since the Puritans got a shock
    When they landed on Plymouth Rock.
    If today
    Any shock they should try to stem
    'Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock,
    Plymouth Rock would land on them.
    In olden days, a glimpse of stocking
    Was looked on as something shocking.
    But now, God knows,
    Anything goes.
    Good authors too who once knew better words
    Now only use four-letter words
    Writing prose.
    Anything goes.
    If driving fast cars you like,
    If low bars you like,
    If old hymns you like,
    If bare limbs you like,
    If Mae West you like,
    Or me undressed you like,
    Why, nobody will oppose.
    When ev'ry night the set that's smart is in-
    Truding in nudist parties in
    Studios.
    Anything goes.
    When Missus Ned McLean (God bless her)
    Can get Russian reds to "yes" her,
    Then I suppose
    Anything goes.
    When Rockefeller still can hoard en-
    Ough money to let Max Gordon
    Produce his shows,
    Anything goes.
    The world has gone mad today
    And good's bad today,
    And black's white today,
    And day's night today,
    And that gent today
    You gave a cent today
    Once had several chateaux.
    When folks who still can ride in jitneys
    Find out Vanderbilts and Whitneys
    Lack baby clo'es,
    Anything goes.
    If Sam Goldwyn can with great conviction
    Instruct Anna Sten in diction,
    Then Anna shows
    Anything goes.
    When you hear that Lady Mendl standing up
    Now turns a handspring landing up-
    On her toes,
    Anything goes.
    Just think of those shocks you've got
    And those knocks you've got
    And those blues you've got
    From that news you've got
    And those pains you've got
    (If any brains you've got)
    From those little radios.
    So Missus R., with all her trimmin's,
    Can broadcast a bed from Simmons
    'Cause Franklin knows
    Anything goes.

    C.... 5....

    Heaven knows

    C.... 5....

    Cloud 5 thank toy

  10. a.... 4....

    one of my all time FAVS

  11. d.... a....

    happy those who lived that wonderfull time.. thanks davidhertzberg1

  12. A.... M....

    Thank you David ☺

  13. S.... H....

    My husband and I had the huge honor of hearing Ella Fitzgerald perform in the early 1970's at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas. We were in a large, yet intimate tiered Bar and we were sitting near the back. A waiter came and said Ms Fitzgerald would like us to move down front to a small round table for 2. My husband and I were in our mid twenties and perhaps she thought we might be honeymooners. But we had the wonderful experience of a lifetime to see and hear beautiful Ella sing for two hours. What a classy lady whose voice was incredible even in her later years.

  14. C.... S....

    Ya like jazz

  15. c.... ....

    Not as good as the original

  16. j.... k....

    ella doing cole porter....S'WONDERFUL

  17. b.... ....

    >"I will be deleting this video today"
    >Uploaded 7 years ago.

    b.... ....

    builttoscalevideos hahahaha

  18. J.... F....

    Wow! What a voice!

  19. J.... ....

    I love how clear her voice is.... every word pronounced beautifully.....love her..

    J.... ....

    You're right. It's usually belted out, like it should be, but Ella does give us a fair chance at understanding every word.

    J.... ....

    @paulert23 you just had to flaunt your stupidity, didn't you?

  20. f.... h....

    She was a talented artist, who can never be replaced.

    f.... h....

    Great. But Frank does it best!

  21. b.... ....

    baseball funnies (unoffical baseball handbook) brought me here. definitely my favorite rendition of this song

  22. F.... ....

    The diss-free version of anything goes.... Still pretty good though.

    F.... ....

    Good’s bads today

  23. o.... ....

    love the music, but the lyrics are funny

  24. N.... ....

    The original song is definitely one of my, if not my favorite song, and I must say this is an amazing cover of an equally amazing song. Ella's voice and pitch are absolutely spot on, and the added vocals fit perfectly. All in all the song is a wonderful cover and I will definitely recommend it to fellow fans of the original

  25. M.... ....

    Did Ella write any if her own music? Most of her famous songs are covers as far as I can tell.

    M.... ....

    +DannyIIIvb It was common in the era for singers to cover "standards" rather than writing their own music.

    M.... ....

    +DannyIIIvb Majority of the jazz vocalists and jazz musicians does not really compose or write their own music, the good lyricist and composer usually do the job. It is the task of these talented jazz legends either known for writing music or not, to improvise the jazz standards or if they have the talent, make their own great jazz standards. Not saying that there are very few people who compose their own songs, there are many talented ones..Bill Evans is one of my favorite (for lyrics, Johnny Mercer's always in my heart, Cole Porter too, and his composed songs.)


    Jazz music is for the open minded, one song has hundreds of version played by different people...but philosophically, million+ versions are played because “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” ― Heraclitus , if you get what I mean. Let's say I like Autumn Leaves, I like Chet Baker's, Bill Evans', Adderly's..you name it. They define who the artists are as a musician and as a person, psychologically, everyone knows that with talent, one can put himself and his potential all in his work, also applies to music.

    M.... ....

    Which is why they are better.  When people started recording their songs, you often got poor singing or poor musicianship.  There are not many that can do it all really well.  Just a few. We have just gotten used to that.

    M.... ....

    Besides Porter was a master song writer as Ella was a master vocalist and the combo is amazing.

  26. j.... ....

    college humour brought me here.

  27. M.... S....

    This needs to be in Fallout 5

    M.... S....

    another song that needs to be in it is a little bird told me

    M.... S....

    It is with cole singing it?? :P

    M.... S....

    its in 4 but cole porter is singing it

    M.... S....

    Fallout West Virginia my guy

    M.... S....

    The cole porter version is way better anyway...

  28. B.... ....

    Cheers to producer Buddy Bregman!

  29. S.... L....

    first heard the song from ITV'S Miss Maple... fell in love from it ever after

  30. A.... G....

    [POL>ENG] Wisława Szymborska (Nobel 1996)

    Ella w niebie

    Modliła się do Boga,
    modliła gorąco,
    żeby z niej zrobił
    białą szczęśliwą dziewczynę.
    A jeśli już za późno na takie przemiany,
    to chociaż, Panie Boże, spójrz ile ja ważę
    i odejmij mi z tego przynajmniej połowę.
    Ale łaskawy Bóg powiedział Nie.
    Położył tylko rękę na jej sercu,
    zajrzał do gardła, pogłaskał po głowie.
    A kiedy będzie już po wszystkim - dodał -
    sprawisz mi radość przybywając do mnie,
    pociecho moja czarna, rozśpiewana kłodo.

    ***************************************

    Ella In Heaven

    She prayed to God
    and she prayed ardently
    to turn her
    into a white and happy girl.
    But if it’s too late for such a make-over,
    please, oh Lord, look at how much I weigh
    and take away at least a half of it.
    But kind God said No.
    He just laid His hand on her heart,
    peeped down the throat, patted on her head.
    And when it’s all over – He added –
    You’ll make me happy by coming to me,
    my black joy, you singing log.

  31. R.... A....

    Ah-ha the version I remember...

  32. P.... F....

    so so elegant ...  and the orchestra !!!  superb... 

  33. p.... g....

    yummy. such a mag voice.

  34. a.... ....

    Beautiful singing. But I always preferred the up tempo version myself. 

  35. T.... V....

    "Any Shar Pei should try to stem"

    T.... V....

    Mondegreen!

  36. g.... ....

    it's so beautiful

  37. g.... ....

    holy god

  38. J.... B....

    What a beautiful voice. Love this voice.

    J.... B....

    Love this woman's magical rich velvet voice!

    J.... B....

    Jan Baker 88ii

  39. m.... ....

    WONDERFUL.    Queen Ella singing another fabulous Cole Porter song.  Thank you for posting. 

  40. B.... G....

    ces quoi cette croix que je vois c est pour dire que ces une femme

  41. B.... R....

    Real lyrics, not the doggerel or rap-crap of today

  42. R.... B....

    Yea, I've only recently begun LISTENING to Ella . She is a Master. What she does seems effortless, as though no work was ever involved. And it's WONDERFUL. Also, the wide variety of bands she has played with (The Duke, Satchmo, small trios, ) ; she just seems to be having FUN. Maybe that's the secret right there.

  43. C.... H....

    Great song, recorded 1956, Cole Porter wrote the music in 1934

  44. S.... H....

    In the 1980s I saw Ms. Fitzgerald in the Blue Room of the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans. She was amazing. She flawlessly sang a huge range of music. Unfortunately, she was annoyed with some guy in the front table who kept hounding her to sing Tisket-a-tasket, one of her old standards. She told him she would not sing it but he kept calling for it. It was hot in the room and she asked for the management to turn down the thermostat. When they didn't, she ended the show in a huff. I was so sad.

  45. k.... ....

    Could anyone please tell me where I can find sheet music for this arrangement? D:

  46. c.... l....

    Ella is one of my favourites singers of all times, beautiful feminine voice, she give us soo much expression and passion. A truly art form

  47. t.... l....

    this is best ver of anything goes

  48. S.... ....

    I would've loved to see her live. Her instrument is just...ahhhh NO WORDS!

  49. f.... ....

    Perfect voice.

  50. C.... ....

    I love this song. The words and music are just fantastic and Ella brings a new dimension to them.
    Thank you for sharing.

  51. M.... L....

    Wonderful.

  52. o.... ....

    Thank you so very much!!

  53. C.... A....

    i get here thanks to knd...

  54. d.... ....

    "She's so refined... I think I'll kill myself'" ??

    Thanks for writing, I agree with your observation about the outer limits. You've heard the other Cole Porter work of genius, "You're the Top"?? best, david (from my main channel)

  55. r.... ....

    Doesn't get much better than this; Fitzgerald and Porter. I'm reminded of a movie line (can't remember which) that goes something like, it's so refined I could kill myself.

    Really, this is writing and performing at the very outer limits of skill and quality.

  56. S.... W....

    Two people clearly had a mouse spasm when trying to hit the "like" button...

  57. D.... ....

    i agree :)

  58. A.... C....

    Well yeah... It's Ella Fitzgerald.. ._.

  59. c.... ....

    wow what a song. shocked it's a 1934, sang by a black woman, nothng and everthing changes, funny old world but I think this song reinforces the world needs people with substance and the style to put it into something we can listen to. anything goes lol

  60. E.... ....

    The world HAS gone mad

  61. j.... ....

    Glee?
    Fuck...
    Im here because fallout,no matter,dont fuck with that gorgeous song.

  62. D.... L....

    this is a beaty by Ella,she is the best.

  63. r.... ....

    NOTE: ANYTHING Ella does Goes! SUPER Fantastic! A voice Beyond belief! Gone but But forever WITH US. Thanks for the Gift Ella. And thanks for this Post!!

  64. D.... B....

    awesome! love it. found this song by watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom song performed at the beginning.

  65. b.... ....

    I am here because of Monty Python...No, seriously!

  66. j.... ....

    i like the way she sings the verses in a blues style and then swings in to chorus

  67. s.... ....

    @cyorkupinit

    I know, I fail :(

    I looked up bunch of her stuff tho so I'm less a failure now

  68. m.... ....

    @snakehands How is that even possible? She is regarded as one of the greatest singers of all time

  69. 6.... ....

    Glee got me here too. Glee's version is pretty awesome.

  70. B.... ....

    @selphiexfairy I simply commented on these particular lyrics, not the original, because we're not listening to the original lyrics that are not in this version, lol I'm familiar with Elsie de Wolfe, Irving Berlin's "Harlem On My Mind" & Cole's "That Black & White Baby of Mine" & the differences between these & the original lyrics, but all of that is irrelevant to my original comment, but, thanks anyways.

  71. S.... ....

    @Bucketbothead007 I know you didn't say that... I said so. Maybe I was wrong, since I was assuming you've never heard the original lyrics.... which make LOTS of references that a modern audience would not understand at all. For example, I doubt most people would have understood the lines "When you hear that Lady Mendl standing up, now turns a handspring landing up on her toes, anything goes." My point was that *of course* they "seem like they still apply today" since it was done on purpose.

  72. B.... ....

    @selphiexfairy Whether these lyrics aren't the original & whether they were written in 30's or the 50's doesn't really matter, that's only a 20 yr difference anyway & they're still 50+ years from now. My point was their relevance to today. I never said the original lyrics don't make sense to me.

  73. S.... ....

    @Bucketbothead007 the reason the lyrics still apply is because these aren't the original lyrics LOL. try to find the one with cole porter singing the song himself, you'll see it has a lot of lyrics that don't make sense to you because they're all references to scandals that happened during the depression. but yeah, the lyrics were changed to be more generic and so they don't date.

  74. d.... ....

    @Jyemenai I just put the lyrics in the video so you can sing with it. Thanks for writing! david

  75. M.... G....

    wonder... from cole porter....
    the best writer of musicals

  76. m.... ....

    I'm too used to the Patti Lupone version I forget how risque the lyrics are until Ella so clearly enunciates every word!

  77. R.... G....

    you silly gigalos.

  78. D.... ....

    What I would do to see the swing era be the era of music again. This pop crap where the stars show themselves off is just sickening. And the "rap' isn't any better, how a lot of the rap songs say to rebel and break the law. Once again, makes me sick.

  79. D.... ....

    @USODALOL yeah shes really good if you want another song with her try her cover of "puttin on the ritz" its the best version of the song in my opinion

  80. S.... ....

    She'd be a great Reno :)

  81. j.... ....

    Anything Goes - Lew Stone & His Band, 1935
    240252

    Not to take anything away from Cole Porters' Band.

    But this 1935 Lew Stone Band sounds more like a up beat version of todays sound...

  82. J.... R....

    WHO has clicked 'don't like' !!!??! whoever you are...you have no class

  83. C.... B....

    this might be my favorite thing on youtube.

    thank you so much. I love cole porter and ella. this. just. euphoria.

    awesome. thank you.

  84. b.... n....

    cole portr died in 1964

  85. s.... ....

    I've heard the name Ella Fitzgerald but this is the first song I've actually heard her sing; I like it - clear voice, easy delivery, pitch perfect. Awesome.

  86. N.... ....

    Great song, great singer. Awesome. I actually think this song applies better today that when it was written.

  87. d.... ....

    @Bucketbothead007 Glad you enjoy it... its timeless, people will be listening to Ella centuries from now. david

  88. B.... ....

    Great song, these lyrics seem like they still apply today, could've been written yesterday, & her delivery is supreme as usual, she was the best imo, simply fantastic!

  89. J.... M....

    What a lovely song! Fantastic!