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Makin' Whoopee! Lyrics

Another bride, another June
Another sunny honeymoon
Another season, another reason
For makin' whoopee

A lot of shoes, a lot of rice
The groom is nervous; he answers twice
It's really killin'
That he's so willin' to make whoopee

Picture a little love nest
Down where the roses cling
Picture the same sweet love nest
Think what a year can bring

He's washin' dishes and baby clothes
He's so ambitious he even sews
But don't forget, folks
That's what you get, folks, for makin' whoopee

Another year or maybe less
What's this I hear? Well, you can't confess
She feels neglected, and he's suspected
Of makin' whoopee

She sits alone 'most every night
He doesn't phone her; he doesn't write
He says he's busy, but she says, "Is he?"
He's makin' whoopee

He doesn't make much money
Only five thousand per
Some judge who thinks he's funny
Says, "You'll pay six to her"

He says, "Now, Judge, suppose I fail?"
The judge says, "Budge right into jail"
You'd better keep her; I think it's cheaper
Than makin' whoopee

You'd better keep her
I know it's cheaper
Than makin' whoopee
Song Info
Submitted by
songmeanings On Feb 06, 2012
1 Meaning

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Cover art for Makin' Whoopee! lyrics by Ella Fitzgerald

"Makin' Whoopee!" is a golden silly song - the title means having sex - which was surprisingly riske' for 1928, and it still causes shy people to blush because the feel is just so darn jiggiddy.

Quote Wiki: "Makin' Whoopee!" is a jazz/blues song, first popularized by Eddie Cantor in the 1928 musical Whoopee!. Gus Kahn wrote the lyrics and Walter Donaldson composed the music for the song as well as for the entire musical. -end quote -

I found it in an old pile of sheet music and I gave it a whirl on my new Ewi ["Electronic Wind Instrument"] with a clarinet sound and by golly, it is really fun to play. Everybody smiles when they hear it, and it tends to run through one's head all day, on a good day at least - and if it isn't a good day this song can change that!!

From 1928 until today, 2014, it has not lost a bit of it's charm. Many people have recorded it, Nora Jones might have been the latest to do so, in 2011. Ella, Frank, and other "swingers" made use ot the sexual reference on their "album for Swingers" word plays. More recently names such as Elvis Costello+ Diana Krall, Elton John, oh - who is Rachael McFarlane? - she did it in 2012 [tough luck, Nora].

And wasn't there something about John Lennon getting sued for using the music [sans lyrics] as one of his own?

The chord changes are classic, logical, and standard - and I am sure they have been used by many artists in their own way.

Ooooo, Makin' Whoopie [with you?], yaaaa.

 
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