From the Musical, “SILK STOCKINGS,” 1955)
Words and Music by Cole Porter.
Copyright ©10 Apr 1956.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
LYRICS:
REFRAIN 1:
Today to get the public to attend a picture show
It’s not enough to advertise a famous star they know.
If you want to get the crowd to come around
You’ve got to have glorious Technicolor,
Breathtaking CinemaScope and
Stereophonic Sound.
If folks today could witness Valentino in “The Sheik,”
They never would appreciate the lover boy’s technique.
If you want to hear applauding hands resound*,
You’ve got to have glorious Technicolor,
Breathtaking CinemaScope and
Stereophonic Sound.
The customers don’t like to see the groom embrace the bride;
Unless her lips are scarlet and her is five feet wide,
You’ve got to have glorious technicolor,
Breathtaking CinemaScope or
Cinerama,
Vista Vision,
SupersSope or
Todd-AO and
Stereophonic Sound,
And Stereophonic Sound.
REFRAIN 2:
You all remember Lassie, that beloved canine star.
To see her wag her tail the crowds would come from near and far.
But at present she’d be just another hound
Unless she had glorious Technicolor,
Breathtaking CinemaScope and
Stereophonic Sound.
I lately did a picture at the bottom of the sea.
I rassled with an octopus and licked an anchovee.
But the public wouldn’t care if I had drowned
Unless I had glorious Technicolor,
Breathtaking CinemaScope and
Stereophonic Sound.
If Ava Gardner played Godiva riding on a mare,
The people wouldn’t pay a cent and they wouldn’t even care
Unless she had glorious Technicolor,
Breathtaking CinemaScope or
Cine-Color or
Warner-Color or
Pathé-Color or
Eastman-Color or
Koda-Color or
Any color and
Stereophonic Sound and
Stereophonic as an extra tonic,
Stereophonic Sound.
*Pronounce “zound”
**Pronounce “Tod-day-o”