From the Musical “ANYTHING GOES,” 1934.
Words and Music by Cole Porter
Cover Art by Benjamin Harris.
Copyright ©19 Nov 1934.
Green Border is First Edition.
Red Border contains lyrics sung below.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment track:
Lyrics:
VERSE
Times have changed
And we’ve often rewound the clock
Since the Puritans got a shock
When they landed on Plymouth Rock.
If today
Any shock they should try to stem,
‘Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock,
Plymouth Rock would land on them.
REFRAIN:
In olden days a glimpse of stocking
Was looked on as something shocking,
But now, God knows,
Anything goes.
Good authors, too who once knew better words
Now only use four-letter words
Writing prose,
Anything goes.
The world has gone mad today
And good’s bad today,
And black’s white today,
And day’s night today.
When most guys today
That women prize today
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.
REPEAT REFRAIN
Sung here by Fred Feild: