Album: After Eight (1983)

Charted: 4

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• If you're blue and you don't know where to go to
  Why don't you go where fashion sits
  Puttin' on the Ritz
  
  Different types of wear all day coat pants
  With stripes and cut away coats for perfect fits
  Puttin' on the Ritz
  
  Dressed up like a million dollar trooper
  Trying hard to look like Gary Cooper
  Super-duper
  
  Come lets mix where Rockerfellers
  Walk with sticks or umbrellas in their mits
  Puttin' on the Ritz
  
  Have you seen the well to do
  Up and down Park Avenue
  On that famous thorough fare
  With their noses in the air
  High hats and narrow collars
  White spats and lots of dollars
  Spending every dime
  For a wonderful time
  
  If you're blue and you don't know where to go to
  Why don't you go where fashion sits
  Puttin' on the Ritz
  
  Different types of wear all day coat pants
  With stripes and cut away coats for perfect fits
  Puttin' on the Ritz
  
  Dressed up like a million dollar trooper
  Trying hard to look like Gary Cooper
  Super-duper
  
  Come lets mix where Rockerfellers
  Walk with sticks or umbrellas in their mits
  Puttin' on the Ritz
  
  Dressed up like a million dollar trooper
  Trying hard to look like Gary Cooper
  Super-duper
  
  If you're blue and you don't know where to go to
  Why don't you go where fashion sits
  Puttin' on the Ritz
  Puttin' on the Ritz
  Puttin' on the Ritz
  Puttin' on the Ritz
  
  Down, down
  Up, down
  Get your kicks
  Got the Ritz
  Dine and wine but not till nine
  The time is right for us tonight
  We can move
  Move to the rhythm
  We can
  Move
  Dance to the rhythm
  I want you to move
  
  
  Original lyrics:
  
  Have you seen the well-to-do
  Up on Lenox Avenue
  On that famous thoroughfare
  With their noses in the air
  High hats and colored collars
  White spats and fifteen dollars
  Spending every dime
  For a wonderful time
  
  If you're blue and you don't know where to go to
  Why don't you go where Harlem sits
  Puttin' on the ritz
  
  Spangled gowns upon a bevy of high browns
  From down the levee, all misfits
  Puttin' on the ritz
  
  That's where each and every Lulubelle goes
  Every Thursday evening with her swell beaus
  Rubbing elbows
  
  Come with me and we'll attend their jubilee
  And see them spend their last two bits
  Puttin' on the ritz Writer/s: Irving Berlin
  Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 30

• Chase from FloridaI always loved this song, and still do. But you really need to listen to the original version of it, sang by Harry Richmond. There is a video floating around somewhere of Harry Richmond performing this song on stage and it was phenomenal! The video quality wasn't that good since it was recorded in early 1930s, but the performance will have you in awe!
• Tony from CaArrow collars, not "narrow collars"
• Jimbooie from Brunswick, GeorgiaI can't take my eyes off the dancers. I know it was almost forty years ago, but I'm still in love with the pretty one whose face shows up at the beginning, middle & end. I'll marry her now, sight un-seen, no questions asked.
• Chris Bell from Nova Scotia, CanadaWhat about the sitcom Top of the Heap version sung by Kenny Yarbrough? It is so jazzy, but the singer I found by that name seems to be someone else.
• J.c. Coleman from Bellingham, Wa, WaPuttin' on the Ritz was #1 on Cashbox, and #4 on Billboard, making Irving Berlin the oldest songster to have a top ten song at 95 years old.
• Reyos from Windsor, On@ Mary, Phoenix, AZ
  Outfit asside, Taco looks just like Frankenfurter from RHPS in this video.
• Esskayess from Dallas, TxIrving Berlin was still alive, but in his nineties, when this cover came out. I always wondered if he was amused, appalled, intrigued or outraged. Of course, the inflow of cash royalties must have felt good.
• Roland from Vienna, AustriaIf you really want to know everthing about Taco, just join his
  WEBSITE-http://www.taco.eu.tt
  FACEBOOK-http://www.facebook.com/taco.ockerse
  MYSPACE-http://www.myspace.com/ockerse
  YOUTUBE-http://www.youtube.com/user/RocoMANAGEMENT
  
  Roland Colerus - Taco's manager
• George from Tampa, FlThe song hit the Billboard "Hot 100" chart on 7/23/83 and peaked in September, 1983 at #4.
• Charlie from Nyc, Nythe line is park ave not lenox ave. i just listened to it on the video on songfact.
  Charlie Muller Bronx NY.
• Mary from Phoenix, AzI don't know why, but in the video he reminds me of Tim Curry.
• Brad from Barry, TxI believe this was my first favorite song. I was three years old and heard it on the radio and fell in love with it. Today, I still like it, but not as much as back then.
• Andrew from Los Angeles, CaThere are other Irving Berlin songs sampled into this song at the end.
  
  Right after he's done singing, you can hear:
  
  Always (yes, the same Always that Patsy Cline did)
  Alexander's Ragtime Band
  There's No Business Like Show Business
  
  then the "Gotta Dance" is from Singin' In the Rain (Broadway Rhythm Medley), but Irving Berlin did not right that.
  
• Madalyn from Greensburg, Pai love playing this song when i'm getting dolled up to go some where...and i'm glad taco in finding sucsess in broadway cause he is sooo talented
• Madison from Norway, MeI'm pretty sure the middle part "Gotta Dance..." is from a Gene Kelly movie (I think Singin' in the Rain) but there is a dream/fantasy sequence in one of Kelly's films where he's a dancer going to different agents looking for work...
• Beth from Pittsburgh, PaI love everything about this song..that hint of nostalgia, that Gary Cooper line. those hand claps..that voice..those footsteps, walking away, ever so slowly..out the door...they just don't make songs like this ..every day.
• Josh from TorontoI don't like Taco...
  But it's a great song and oh my god the version in Young Frankenstein was my highlight of the month...and what're you talking abotu 3 good films, Jeff?
• Brad from Knoxville, Tnif your blue, and you dont know were to go, why dont you go were fashion sits . . .PUTTIN ON THE RITS!!!!!!
• Lynn from The Village, OkThe original Irving Berlin song actually is refers to the rich visiting Harlem. The original lyrics include the lines:
  
  Have you seen the well-to-do
  Up on Lenox Avenue
  On that famous thoroughfare
  With their noses in the air
  High hats and colored collars
  White spats and fifteen dollars
  Spending every dime
  For a wonderful time.
  
  Lennox Ave is one of the main thoroughfares in Harlem.
• Logan from Troy, MtI love when Wilder and Boyle sing this, it's so funny;
  
  Puttin on the RIIITZZZ!
• Ralph from Newton, MaSong was also featured In the film "Young Frankenstein", one of the three good films by Mel Brooks, in which it was performed by Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle. Film archivists should note that it was shortly after this film that the careers of both Brooks and Wilder went downhill.
  
  Good observation except that Brooks made more good movies after YF than before. It was actually only the third movie he wrote and directed and "The Producers" (his first) was actually a pretty lame movie.
  
  Though Blazing Saddles (before Young Frankenstien) is probably the funniest movie ever, he still made Silent Movie, High Anxiety, History of the World Pt. 1, To Be or Not to Be and Spaceballs after.
• Nathan from Defiance, OhI'm pretty sure Taco slipped in another Berlin song "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" into this song. It sounds weird but listen closely to the middle-end part. Taco also did the soundtrack to a Tom Selleck movie back in the 80's.
• Jess from New York, NyTaco.... what a genius! This song has gotten me through the best and worsts of times. Pure brilliance! I reccomend it to anybody who has the chance of listening to this hit. My that taco had an artistic way of filming his clips. The suit and white face were very ahead of his time! BRING BACK TACO!!!!!
• Dee from Indianapolis, InI was a freshman in H.S. when this was a hit. I always found it to be a little odd for the style of music, but liked it never the same. It was extremly crisp in it's sound quality, which you don't find often.
• Colby from Kansas, KsFalco remixed the song first, but Taco translated Falco's version from German to English
• Kyle from Stl, Moyou have to admit tho the movies Brooks did make were very hillarious before he stopped thought id mention that even tho its off topic
• Ted from Poway, CaI have a friend named Taco... just thought everyone should know
• Kent from Latrobe, PaTaco... The name sounds more Mexican or Spanish than German if you ask me...
• Harmless from Barrington, Ri80s artist Falco also did a version of this song with a more pop and synth sound to it while still having a very jazzy rhythm to it.
• Jeff from Haltom City, TxSong was also featured In the film "Young Frankenstein", one of the three good films by Mel Brooks, in which it was performed by Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle. Film archivists should note that it was shortly after this film that the careers of both Brooks and Wilder went downhill.

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