Anything Goes

Words & Music:

Cole Porter

 

[Verses for this song abound!   This version from Cole Porter's own recording.]

 

INTRO:

Am         F           Am            E7        Am

Times have changed and we've often rewound the clock

Bb                 F7    Bb    E7                  Bm7      E7

Since the Puritans got a shock when they landed on Plymouth Rock.

A7                             Dm

If today any shock they should try to stem,

E7                   Am                      E          B7      E7

'Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock would land on them.

 

   A                                    F#m                    A7

In olden days a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking.

     Bm7    A    Bm6    Dm6    A    D6  A    E

Now, heaven knows------------, anything goes!

Good authors, too, who once knew better words

    Bm7  A   Bm6         Dm6   A       D6    A   E     A  Bm  Ab7

Now only use four-letter words writing prose, anything goes!

 

BRIDGE:

                   C#                   Ab7

The world has gone mad today and good's bad today,

            C#                    Ab7

And black's white today and day's night today,

          C#m                   C#m7

When most guys today that women prize today

         Bbdim7    E7

Are just silly gigolos!

 

So, though I'm not a great romancer, I know that you're bound to answer

When I propose, anything goes!

When grandmama ,whose age is eighty, in night clubs is getting matey

With gigolos, anything goes!

When mothers pack and leave poor father because

They decide they'd rather be tennis pros, 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 Mrs. Ned McClean, God bless her,

Can get Russian reds to "Yes" her, then I suppose, anything goes!

 

When Rockefeller 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 owned 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 Stein in diction, then Anna shows, anything goes!

 

When you hear that Lady Mendel, standing up,

Now turns a handspring landing upon 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 Simmons, 'cause Franklin knows, anything goes!