Album: Anything Goes (1934)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "You're The Top" is another of Cole Porter's list songs. It was introduced by Ethel Merman and William Gaxton in the 1934 musical Anything Goes.

    According to Robert Kimball in The Complete Lyrics of Cole Porter, the result was that "Porter and the newspapers were inundated with imitations and parodies". P.G. Wodehouse wrote some of the lyrics for the English production.

    Actually, list song is a bit of an understatement; the song mentions Johann Strauss, William Shakespeare, Mahatma Gandhi, Napoleon, Mae West and Greta Garbo, to name but six in no particular order, and that's just some of the people.

    Probably the most obscure allusion occurs in the last verse - which is not always sung; a Drumstick lipstick was manufactured by the French cosmetics firm Charbert.
  • "You're The Top" has long become a standard, and has been widely recorded, principally as a duet, for obvious reasons, including by Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal in the 1972 comedy What's Up, Doc?. The best selling version was by jazz musician Paul Whiteman, whose orchestral version (also a duet) was released on the Victor label in 1934; it made the Top 5 in the US. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2

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.