These ARE the original lyrics. There are no "unensored" ones. use your wikipedia finger. It is just hard to remember that even the notion of a (completely) tattooed lady was once risque in and of itself.
So one of the forums I go too have a rumor going around that this one user was hacked by a person named Lydia. I now see endless topics with jokes about 'Lydia'. I can not stop thinking about the song.
I did an English proect on Groucho in the seventh grade and after I had presented, my English teacher looked this song up and played the Muppets version. I was trying to hide under my desk when it played.
Wonderful theme song for Groucho, written by Harold Arlen and E Y Harburg - the same guys who wrote Over The Rainbow and all the other songs for The Wizard Of Oz.
I understand that this is the 'cleaned-up' version - the lyrics revised to get past the Hays Commission censors.
@WildeNotesMusic It's still quite racy though, even by today's standards. I'm sure most people know what is meant by "When her muscles start relaxin' up the hill comes Andrew Jackson" ;o)
@TheTubePortal Interesting. I never thought of that line as any more double entendre than most of the others, e.g., "For a dime you can see Kankakee or Paree or Washington crossing the Delaware." I never thought of "Andrew Jackson" as a particular anatomical reference, since "Andrew Jackson" is a tattoo on Lydia, not on a guy. But Groucho was known to be quite bawdy when he could get by with it. He even slipped a few not-so-subtle innuendoes past the censors on "You Bet Your Life."
@WildeNotesMusic The song is loaded with double entendre since most of the tattoos are in hidden places of her anatomy. If you haven't had the opportunity you should look for the lyrics of the original uncensored version I think you'll find that a lot of the song suddenly makes sense :o)
@TheTubePortal I know there's double entendre, but it's still quite subtle compared to what Groucho would often do. I think the movie came out during the "Hays Commission" era, which was the height of American cinema censorship. Anyway, the sexual allusions are subtle enough that I can sing the song for just about any audience, including church groups and senior citizens, with no one seeming the least bit offended.
I'd love to find the original lyrics but wouldn't know how to find them easily
@WildeNotesMusic Yeah, I guess one has to be expecting it in order to detect it. Most church people are usually repressed so they wouldn't be looking for double entendre, at least the naughty kind anyway. I'll try to find a link with the original lyrics for you.
@TheTubePortal Oh, I always expect it from Groucho. But I don't 'get' the sexual innuendo in a line like "On her back is the Battle of Waterloo" or (even less so) "beside it the wreck of the Hesperus too, and proudly above waves the Red, White, and Blue."
If you can find me a link to the original lyrics, that would be great. Thanks.
@CharlieChaplinsAngel I was thinking the exact same thing! I think he mentioned in his autobiography or his collection of letters that they started dying his hair. It is oh so obvious here.
@JillianLovesFilm yeah I read both, I think it was his autobiography that he complained that when he went to the studio he'd have to have his hair dyed like, 4 times a week or something. I still love him regradless lol
@JillianLovesFilm That makes sense. Nearing fifty, I guess graying hair was a growing problem. The other brothers wore wigs, so that was not a problem for them.
These ARE the original lyrics. There are no "unensored" ones. use your wikipedia finger. It is just hard to remember that even the notion of a (completely) tattooed lady was once risque in and of itself.
Alchymyst11 1 day ago
"Not a bad movie"??? That is the most fleeting commentary you could have put for your description or opinion on the movie.
LIZZYRULES 1 week ago
So one of the forums I go too have a rumor going around that this one user was hacked by a person named Lydia. I now see endless topics with jokes about 'Lydia'. I can not stop thinking about the song.
It's amazing.
TheFlyingSeal 3 weeks ago
I did an English proect on Groucho in the seventh grade and after I had presented, my English teacher looked this song up and played the Muppets version. I was trying to hide under my desk when it played.
PrincessAlyssHearts 3 months ago
My best friend's name is Lydia, and one of our teachers would sing this every time he called her name to take attendance.
DataTasha4Ever 3 months ago
Comment removed
SabbyGuy09 6 months ago
"And a torso even more so." Lol
gingerfu91 8 months ago
Genius.
jimip76 1 year ago
Not a bad movie. It came out in 1939. Groucho was 49. Chico and Harpo were in their mid 50's, You can see Chico starting to get heavy.
shortshu 1 year ago
@shortshu
But Harpo still looked like a kid ^^
DarkNagell 3 months ago
Wonderful theme song for Groucho, written by Harold Arlen and E Y Harburg - the same guys who wrote Over The Rainbow and all the other songs for The Wizard Of Oz.
I understand that this is the 'cleaned-up' version - the lyrics revised to get past the Hays Commission censors.
WildeNotesMusic 1 year ago
@WildeNotesMusic haha that's believable :)
CharlieChaplinsAngel 1 year ago
@WildeNotesMusic It's still quite racy though, even by today's standards. I'm sure most people know what is meant by "When her muscles start relaxin' up the hill comes Andrew Jackson" ;o)
TheTubePortal 3 months ago
@TheTubePortal Interesting. I never thought of that line as any more double entendre than most of the others, e.g., "For a dime you can see Kankakee or Paree or Washington crossing the Delaware." I never thought of "Andrew Jackson" as a particular anatomical reference, since "Andrew Jackson" is a tattoo on Lydia, not on a guy. But Groucho was known to be quite bawdy when he could get by with it. He even slipped a few not-so-subtle innuendoes past the censors on "You Bet Your Life."
WildeNotesMusic 3 months ago
@WildeNotesMusic The song is loaded with double entendre since most of the tattoos are in hidden places of her anatomy. If you haven't had the opportunity you should look for the lyrics of the original uncensored version I think you'll find that a lot of the song suddenly makes sense :o)
TheTubePortal 3 months ago
@TheTubePortal I know there's double entendre, but it's still quite subtle compared to what Groucho would often do. I think the movie came out during the "Hays Commission" era, which was the height of American cinema censorship. Anyway, the sexual allusions are subtle enough that I can sing the song for just about any audience, including church groups and senior citizens, with no one seeming the least bit offended.
I'd love to find the original lyrics but wouldn't know how to find them easily
WildeNotesMusic 3 months ago
@WildeNotesMusic Yeah, I guess one has to be expecting it in order to detect it. Most church people are usually repressed so they wouldn't be looking for double entendre, at least the naughty kind anyway. I'll try to find a link with the original lyrics for you.
TheTubePortal 3 months ago
@TheTubePortal Oh, I always expect it from Groucho. But I don't 'get' the sexual innuendo in a line like "On her back is the Battle of Waterloo" or (even less so) "beside it the wreck of the Hesperus too, and proudly above waves the Red, White, and Blue."
If you can find me a link to the original lyrics, that would be great. Thanks.
WildeNotesMusic 3 months ago
Lemonade and romance...
: )~~~
JStJPhotography 1 year ago
At the circus is such a great movie...
niktesla4000 1 year ago
Paw sent me.
Seantendo 1 year ago
is groucho wearing a wig or something? His hair looks kinda weird
CharlieChaplinsAngel 1 year ago
@CharlieChaplinsAngel I was thinking the exact same thing! I think he mentioned in his autobiography or his collection of letters that they started dying his hair. It is oh so obvious here.
JillianLovesFilm 1 year ago
@JillianLovesFilm yeah I read both, I think it was his autobiography that he complained that when he went to the studio he'd have to have his hair dyed like, 4 times a week or something. I still love him regradless lol
CharlieChaplinsAngel 1 year ago
@CharlieChaplinsAngel Agreed 100%. (:(:
JillianLovesFilm 1 year ago
@JillianLovesFilm That makes sense. Nearing fifty, I guess graying hair was a growing problem. The other brothers wore wigs, so that was not a problem for them.
MIKESOWELL 5 months ago