I Enjoy Being A Girl

Album: Flower Drum Song (1958)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "I Enjoy Being A Girl" is the one outstanding song from an otherwise forgettable musical, Flower Drum song. As might be expected with such a title, it was not written by a woman but by a man, two of them in fact: composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II.

    The original Broadway production of the musical was December 1, 1958 - after tryouts in Boston. There has also been a film and a stage revival, but the song has fared considerably better. Written in 2/4 time, one of the most popular covers is the downtempo recording by Doris Day on Columbia.
  • This has also been used in the 1990 film Look Who's Talking Too (by Jodi Benson); the 1993 film The Joy Luck Club; and the 2001 film My First Mister. It is also a favorite of drag artists. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2
  • Flower Drum Song, where this first appeared, is the story of a Chinese family in San Francisco. In the production, the song is performed by the character Linda Low, a showgirl romantically involved with the club's owner, whose family has ordered him a bride from China.

    Pat Suzuki played Linda Low in the original production; that same year Doris Day's version was released as a single. In the 1961 film version, the character was played by Nancy Kwan, but her singing voice was performed by B.J. Baker (kind of a train wreck, as it was pretty obvious it was not Kwan singing).
  • The singer here is clearly not a feminist: She's happy to use her beauty to entice men, and her dream is to find a man who enjoys a girl like her.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Female Singers Of The 90s

Female Singers Of The 90sMusic Quiz

The ladies who ruled the '90s in this quiz.

Rick Springfield

Rick SpringfieldSongwriter Interviews

Rick has a surprising dark side, a strong feminine side and, in a certain TV show, a naked backside. But he still hasn't found Jessie's Girl.

Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees

Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn YankeesSongwriter Interviews

Revisit the awesome glory of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees: cheesily-acted videos, catchy guitar licks, long hair, and lyrics that are just plain relatable.

Boz Scaggs

Boz ScaggsSongwriter Interviews

The "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle" singer makes a habit of playing with the best in the business.

Randy Newman

Randy NewmanSongwriting Legends

Newman makes it look easy these days, but in this 1974 interview, he reveals the paranoia and pressures that made him yearn for his old 9-5 job.

Sugarland

SugarlandSongwriter Interviews

Meet the "sassy basket" with the biggest voice in country music.