Thou Swell, Thou Witty

Samantha Burns' faux Arthurian-speak quoted in my post below made me think of one of my favorite songs.

It's "Thou Swell," by Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers, from the musical "A Connecticut Yankee" (1927). The musical was based on the Mark Twain (another of my favorites) novel, "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court." It's tough to translate dialect of the Round Table into lyrics of an American popular song of the Roaring 20s, but Larry Hart does it beautifully. It sounds fresh and funny today, 80 years later. Married to Rodgers' music, it's a class act for a variety of vocal stylings. And the tune by itself stands as a great and swinging instrumental. One of my absolute faves, on all counts.

Sound files for "Thou Swell":

Louisiana Sugar Babes

Artie Shaw & His Orchestra

Bix Beiderbecke & His Gang

And a few of 30-second clips from Amazon:

Ella Fitzgerald with Buddy Bregman

Sarah Vaughan (live)

Nat 'King' Cole (live)

Count Basie & Joe Williams

Stephane Grappelli & Yehudi Menuhin

THOU SWELL
"A Connecticut Yankee"
Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
1927

He:

Babe, we are well met,
As in a spell met,
I lift my helmet,
Sandy; You're just dandy.
For just this here lad.
You're such a fistfull.
My eyes are mistful,
Are you too wistful to care,
Do say you care to say;
"Come near lad."
You are so graceful,
Have you wings?
You have a face full of nice things;
You have no speaking voice, dear,
With ev'ry word it sings

Refrain:

Thou swell! Thou witty!
Thou sweet! Thou grand!
Wouldst kiss me pretty?
Wouldst hold my hand?
Both thine eyes are cute too;
What they do to me.
Hear me holler, I choose a
Sweet lollapaloosa in thee.
I'd feel so rich in a hut for two;
Two rooms and kitchen I'm sure would do;
Give me just a plot of,
Not a lot of land, and
Thou swell! Thou Witty! Thou Grand!

She:

Thy words are queer, Sir,
Unto mine ear, Sir,
Yet thou'rt a dear, Sir, to me;
Thou could'st woo me;
Now could'st though try, knight.
I'd murmur "Swell", too,
And like it well too;
More thou wilt tell to Sandy.
Thou art dandy;
Now art though my knight.
Thine arms are martial;
Thou hast grace;
My cheek is partial to they face;
And if thy lips grow weary,
Mine are a resting place.

Refrain:

Thou swell! Thou witty!
Thou sweet! Thou grand!
Wouldst kiss me pretty?
Wouldst hold my hand?
Both thine eyes are cute too;
What they do to me.
Hear me holler, I choose a
Sweet lollapaloosa in thee.
I'd feel so rich in a hut for two;
Two rooms and kitchen I'm sure would do;
Give me just a plot of,
Not a lot of land, and
Thou swell! Thou Witty! Thou Grand!

Video:

At the first Bern International Jazz Festival in 1986, Dick Hyman and Dick Wellstood play "Thou Swell" on two Bosendorfer grand pianos. And don't I wish I could play like that. *sigh*