Saturday, May 4, 2013

The late great Ella Fitzgerald at her very best

BEWITCHED, BOTHERED and BEWILDERED

Lyrics by Lorenz Hart

From PAL JOEY by Rodgers and Hart

Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered


After one whole quart of brandy
Like a daisy, I'm awake
With no Bromo-Seltzer handy
I don't even shake

Men are not a new sensation
I've done pretty well I think
But this half-pint imitation
Put me on the blink


I'm wild again, beguiled again
A simpering, whimpering child again
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - am I

Couldn't sleep and wouldn't sleep
When love came and told me, I shouldn't sleep
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - am I

Lost my heart, but what of it
He is cold I agree
He can laugh, but I love it
Although the laugh's on me

I'll sing to him, each spring to him
And long, for the day when I'll cling to him
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - am I

He's a fool and don't I know it
But a fool can have his charms
I'm in love and don't I show it
Like a babe in arms

Love's the same old sad sensation
Lately I've not slept a wink
Since this half-pint imitation
Put me on the blink

I've sinned a lot, I'm mean a lot
But still I'm like sweet seventeen a lot
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - am I

I'll sing to him, each spring to him
And worship the trousers that cling to him
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - am I

When he talks, he is seeking
Words to get off his chest
Horizontally speaking, he's at his very best

Vexed again, perplexed again
Thank God, I can be oversexed again
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - am I

Wise at last, my eyes at last, 
Are cutting you down to your size at last
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - no more

Burned a lot, but learned a lot
And now you are broke, so you earned a lot
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - no more

Couldn't eat, was dyspeptic
Life was so hard to bear
Now my heart's antiseptic
Since you moved out of there

Romance, finis. 
Your chance, finis.
Those ants that invaded my pants, finis.
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - no more

~ Lorenz Hart (1895-1943)

8 comments:

  1. A-Tisket, A-Tasket was always one of my favorites.

    Also Love for Sale.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The incomparable Ella! One of my first LP albums was "Ella at Duke's Place."

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've been fascinated by this song -- among many others -- since I heard it in a film I can't identify today (NOT Pal Joey) back in the 1940's. There are many good versions available on YouTube including two great ones by Frank Sinatra, but Ella's is far and away the best.

    Classical music if my first and best love, but popular stuff from the 1930's and 40's -- and virtually all Musical Comedy from Lehar's, Romberg's and Victor Herbert's Operetta's through Jerome Kern, George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, Frank Loesser, Vincent Youmans, Yip Harburg, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Kandor and Ebb through Stephen Sondheim -- continue to fascinate and enchant.

    I love Jazz too, but cannot abide Rock 'n Roll in any of its hideous permutations. As far as I'm concerned, popular music took a GREAT BIG WRONG TURN c. 1955, and has never redirected itself in way I, personally am able to find appealing. I LOVE Sondheim, but find Andrew Lloyd Webber, despite one or two pretty good songs, irritating and depressing -- like most of the stuff that has impacted "The Scene" since the mid-1960's.

    At any rate, I love this bit of Ella -- and so much more in this genre it would take several lifetimes to appreciate all of it fully.

    REALLY good stuff is never "dated." Only fools allow themselves to think that way.

    As the poet says:

    "A thing of beauty is a joy forever."

    ReplyDelete
  4. Free Thinke said:
    "A thing of beauty is a joy forever."


    Then In that case, what I'd like to know is why do you like Ms. Shaw so much?

    ReplyDelete
  5. ____________ NOTICE ____________

    GET THIS and GET IT STRAIGHT:

    ALL irrelevant comments, and gratuitous personal insults and stupid remarks will be removed without a trace. Idiocy and ill will are not welcome here. PERIOD!

    So, either be GOOD, or be GONE.


    ~ The Blog Manager and Sole Arbiter of what Is and IS NOT suitable commentary.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thersites, you have always been a good friend, but on THIS particular issue you and will have to agree to disagree and let it go at that.

    How I run this blog is strictly MY business.

    These imbeciles who come in here to pee and poop all over the place are most CERTAINLY NOT doing the cause of "conservatism" one iota of good.

    I never have allowed myself to be identified exclusively with any particular faction, and with any luck I never will. My name is FreeThinke for a reason.

    I hope you understand, even though you obviously disagree with my approach, that I am trying in my own small way to change the tone and raise the standards of what is considered acceptable commentary. I have no control over anyone but myself, but I'm determined not to be swept away in the tidal wave of contempt, derision, bilious rhetoric and lack of self control that pervades the blogosphere.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I argue with Ms Shaw at her place all the time -- but I do it politely.

    We have become friendly almost in spite of ourselves. ;-) In truth we have much in common that above and beyond politics.

    If you want to defend Christianity, for Heaven's sake do it in a CHRISTIAN manner.

    Haven't you ever heard "A soft answer turneth away wrath?"

    You all can be as nasty as you want to Miss Shaw it anyone else -- you just can't do it HERE.

    We'll ever get anywhere in this country if we can;t even TALK to each without snarling and growling while baring our fangs.

    It's ridiculous -- also CHILDISH.

    But can't any of you guys get it through your skulls that when I post a number sung by ELLA FITZGERALD, I want us to talk about ELLA and the NUMBER.

    That's an elementary concept in blogging. If you write an article about tigers, I wouldn't dream of taking about tortoises or jelly fish.

    Of course I don't give a damn what anyone thinks of me. I've never been out win any popularity contests.

    ReplyDelete

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