Need original lyric of PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ

[Sweevil]

Years after his great song PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ appeared, Irving Berlin
rewrote it, having decided his original words were condescending or racially
insensitive. The revision is the version we all know. I'm trying to find
the original lyric -- anyone know where to find it?

The best I've found is this excerpt quoted in a TIME magazine article:

"Puttin' on the Ritz" was originally about Manhattan whites going uptown:
"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." By the time Fred Astaire sang the tune in 1946, it had become another
of Berlin's twittin'-the-rich tunes: "Why don't you go where fashion sits/
Puttin' on the Ritz..."

***

That's part of it. Anyone know where to find the rest? Thanks!

[Brad]

as found through a quick google search (source here
http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/p/puttingontheritz.shtml)
comments below are from the website at all, not my own. seems to jib
with your quote tho
PUTTING ON THE RIT
*The lyrics Gable sang for MGM, Berlin's first set of lyrics (h
revised them later because of the
racial references in the first draft)
Have you seen the well to d
up on Lennox Avenue
On that famous thoroughfar
with their noses in the ai
High hats and arrow colla
white spats and lots of dollar
Spending ev'ry dime for a wonderful tim
If you're blue an
you don't know where to go t
why don't you go where Harlem sit
Putting on the Rit
Spangled gowns upon the bevee of high browns
from down the levee, all misfit
Putting on the Ritz
That's where each and ev'ry Lulu-belle goes
Ev'ry Thursday evening with her swell beau
rubbing elbow
Come with me and we'll attend the jubile
and see them spend their last two bit
Putting on the Ritz
*The original verse was omitted from the film, but it's include
above. As for the different lyrics,
some explanations
Lennox Avenue - A main thoroughfare in Harlem (Park Ave is on the eas
side and inhabited by rich white folks
High browns - a variation of the phase high yellow, referring t
someone of mixed racial background, usually
with the inferrance that they're putting on airs beyond their socia
station
Lulu-Belle - a generic nickname for a black mai
Ev'ry Thursday evening - Thursday was, typically, the maid's nigh
of
Basically, the jist of the song is that a nice way for the white fol
to spend an evening is to go up to
Harlem and watch their servants get dressed up, go out on the town an
blow all their pay. Sort of explains
why no one does these lyrics and why Berlin was more than happy t
revise them
Years after his great song PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ appeared, Irvin
Berli

Post by Sweevil
rewrote it, having decided his original words were condescending o

raciall

Post by Sweevil
insensitive. The revision is the version we all know. I'm tryin

to fin

Post by Sweevil
the original lyric -- anyone know where to find it
The best I've found is this excerpt quoted in a TIME magazin

article

Post by Sweevil
"Puttin' on the Ritz" was originally about Manhattan whites goin

uptown

Post by Sweevil
"Why don't you go where Harlem sits/ Puttin' on the Ritz/ Spangle

gown

Post by Sweevil
upon a bevy/ Of high browns from down the levee/ All misfits

Puttin' on th

Post by Sweevil
Ritz." By the time Fred Astaire sang the tune in 1946, it had becom

anothe

Post by Sweevil
of Berlin's twittin'-the-rich tunes: "Why don't you go where fashio

sits

Post by Sweevil
Puttin' on the Ritz...
**
That's part of it. Anyone know where to find the rest? Thanks

--
This message was posted via http://www.goinglegit.co
Please report all abuse to ***@goinglegit.com

[Sweevil]

Thanks a lot!! I googled all over the place, but didn't find what you
found. But the glossary is not entirely accurate. The lyric in no way
suggests that the song's talking about anybody's servants.

The assertion that Lulu Belle was "a generic name for a black maid" is
totally wrong. It was the title character of a 1926 Broadway play by
Charles MacArthur, about a black lady of the evening who uses her wits and
charms to rise in society. It came out around the same time as O'Neill's
ANNA CHRISTIE, which also dealt sympathetically with a prostitute of the
white variety.

The original lyric seems to refer to the penchant of black folks to really
dress up when they go out -- fancier and more fashionable even than the Park
Avenue "swells" who went up to Harlem to gawk at them. Though Berlin
clearly meant no harm, he realized that his light-hearted spoof struck some
people (like the author of this website) as a racial slur, so he changed it.

The revised lyric is a sort of odd mixture of the original's references to
Harlem ("Lulu Belle" is retained, for example) with new words that appear to
be spoofing wealthy white folks on "Park Avenue". The final lyric doesn't
quite make sense, but the tune's so catchy, it doesn't bother anyone.

Thanks again for tracking this down for me!!!

http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/p/puttingontheritz.shtml).
comments below are from the website at all, not my own. seems to jibe
PUTTING ON THE RITZ
*The lyrics Gable sang for MGM, Berlin's first set of lyrics (he
revised them later because of the
racial references in the first draft)*
Have you seen the well to do
up on Lennox Avenue?
On that famous thoroughfare
with their noses in the air
High hats and arrow collar
white spats and lots of dollars
Spending ev'ry 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
Putting on the Ritz
Spangled gowns upon the bevee of high browns
from down the levee, all misfits
Putting on the Ritz.
That's where each and ev'ry Lulu-belle goes.
Ev'ry Thursday evening with her swell beaus
rubbing elbows
Come with me and we'll attend the jubilee
and see them spend their last two bits
Putting on the Ritz.
*The original verse was omitted from the film, but it's included
above. As for the different lyrics,
Lennox Avenue - A main thoroughfare in Harlem (Park Ave is on the east
side and inhabited by rich white folks)
High browns - a variation of the phase high yellow, referring to
someone of mixed racial background, usually
with the inferrance that they're putting on airs beyond their social
station.
Lulu-Belle - a generic nickname for a black maid
Ev'ry Thursday evening - Thursday was, typically, the maid's night
off
Basically, the jist of the song is that a nice way for the white folk
to spend an evening is to go up to
Harlem and watch their servants get dressed up, go out on the town and
blow all their pay. Sort of explains
why no one does these lyrics and why Berlin was more than happy to
revise them.
Years after his great song PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ appeared, Irving Berlin

Post by Sweevil
rewrote it, having decided his original words were condescending or

racially

Post by Sweevil
insensitive. The revision is the version we all know. I'm trying

to find

Post by Sweevil
the original lyric -- anyone know where to find it?
The best I've found is this excerpt quoted in a TIME magazine
"Puttin' on the Ritz" was originally about Manhattan whites going
"Why don't you go where Harlem sits/ Puttin' on the Ritz/ Spangled

gowns

Post by Sweevil
upon a bevy/ Of high browns from down the levee/ All misfits/

Puttin' on the

Post by Sweevil
Ritz." By the time Fred Astaire sang the tune in 1946, it had become

another

Post by Sweevil
of Berlin's twittin'-the-rich tunes: "Why don't you go where fashion

sits/

Post by Sweevil
Puttin' on the Ritz..."
***
That's part of it. Anyone know where to find the rest? Thanks!

---
This message was posted via http://www.goinglegit.com

[Parterrebox]

Come with me and we'll attend the jubilee
and see them spend their last two bits

I still think "Come with me where Rockefellers walk with sticks and
um-ba-rellers in their mitts" is a much more fun lyric.

I'm not so crazy about the usual change of "high browns" to "highbrows" since
it loses the rhyme of "gowns," and of course it makes no sense to sing of
"highbrows down on the levee."

As a "period" song, I don't see that the original lyrics are any more
problematic than "It's Getting Hotter in the North," also replete with "levee"
references.
=============

parterre box
www.parterre.com

[todd below]

There are recording available of the original lyrics. The Smithsonian
Popular Song collection has Astaire singing about high browns and
Lennox Avenue.

Post by Parterrebox

Come with me and we'll attend the jubilee
and see them spend their last two bits

I still think "Come with me where Rockefellers walk with sticks and
um-ba-rellers in their mitts" is a much more fun lyric.
I'm not so crazy about the usual change of "high browns" to "highbrows" since
it loses the rhyme of "gowns," and of course it makes no sense to sing of
"highbrows down on the levee."
As a "period" song, I don't see that the original lyrics are any more
problematic than "It's Getting Hotter in the North," also replete with "levee"
references.
=============
parterre box
www.parterre.com