Drop That Name

Eagle · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 49

Listening before to "Drop That Name" from BELLS ARE RINGING, I started
wondering what famous names were used in musical theatre lyrics.
Lauren Bacall is mentioned in that song, and I immediately thought of
"So Lauren Bacall me" from EVITA. Is Bacall mentioned in another
musical somewhere? I know she's in that insipid popular song from
years ago "Key Largo" ("We had it all/Just like Bogie and Bacall"),
and I see from a Google search she's in the lyric for a song called
"Car Jamming" by The Clash, but I don't know it.

But let's just keep it to musicals for the purposes of RATM. Can
anyone name a famous name used in lyrics to at least three different
musical theatre songs? In addition to the two with Lauren Bacall, I
can name two with Lucille Ball (also in "Drop That Name" and "You and
I, Love" from 70, GIRLS, 70 ("Lucille Ball is very tall"), and two
with Fay Wray (ROCKY HORROR -- "Whatever happened to Fay Wray?" and in
"Just Go to the Movies" from A DAY IN HOLLYWOOD/A NIGHT IN THE UKRAINE.
("Go see Fay Wray in the palm of an ape"). I've got two with Fred
Astaire (also from "Just Go to the Movies" and then in "Do It The Hard
Way" from PAL JOEY). I'm pretty sure there's another Astaire
reference somewhere, but I can't think of it just now.

Okay everybody, put on your thinking caps!

Archived from group: rec>arts>theatre>musicals

Eagle · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 49

On Feb 27, 2:46 pm, Eagle wrote:

> Okay everybody, put on your thinking caps!

Just thought of a threesome! The two Fred Astaire references I
previously mentioned, along with "You're the Top" from ANYTHING GOES
("You're the nimble tread of the feet of Fred Astaire"). I think
there are probably a few more. Somehow I keep hearing in my mind
"...and I'm Fred Astaire," but I can't pinpoint what it might be from.

I thought there was an almost Astaire reference in "All I Need Is the
Girl" from GYPSY, but I just checked on Google and realize that it
*is* an actual Astaire reference: "This step's good for the
costume...Astaire's pat." Funny thing is, all these years I always
thought the line was "a stair bit," or maybe it might have been
"Astaire bit," but I didn't realize it was "Astaire's *pat*." What
does "pat" mean in this context?

Abfou · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 4

On Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:49:48 -0800 (PST), Eagle
wrote:

>On Feb 27, 2:46 pm, Eagle wrote:
>
>> Okay everybody, put on your thinking caps!
>
>Just thought of a threesome! The two Fred Astaire references I
>previously mentioned, along with "You're the Top" from ANYTHING GOES
>("You're the nimble tread of the feet of Fred Astaire"). I think
>there are probably a few more. Somehow I keep hearing in my mind
>"...and I'm Fred Astaire," but I can't pinpoint what it might be from.
>
>I thought there was an almost Astaire reference in "All I Need Is the
>Girl" from GYPSY, but I just checked on Google and realize that it
>*is* an actual Astaire reference: "This step's good for the
>costume...Astaire's pat." Funny thing is, all these years I always
>thought the line was "a stair bit," or maybe it might have been
>"Astaire bit," but I didn't realize it was "Astaire's *pat*." What
>does "pat" mean in this context?

It means that Google is not an infallible repository of fact. The line
(though it doesn't appear in the score -- was it an ad lib enshrined
on the album?) is "Astaire bit!"

Other Astaire references: "Why he's as graceful as Fred Astaire / He's
the man who kept the subway to a five-cent fare! / So there!"
("Gentleman Jimmy" from FIORELLO!), "Can he dance like Fred Astaire?
Is he dark or is he fair?" ("It's a Perfect Relationship" from BELLS
ARE RINGING), "The dancing crowds / Look up to some rare male / Like
that Astaire male" ("On Your Toes" from ON YOUR TOES), "Fred Astaire
and Rogers, / C. Aubrey Smith and those other codgers" ("The Late,
Late Show" from DO RE MI), "Fred Astaire once worked so hard, / He
often lost his breath. / And now he taps all other chaps to death"
("Do It the Hard Way" from PAL JOEY), "They're two of a kind, the
happiest pair now, / Like Fred and Adele, they're floating on air now"
("I Don't Need Anything But You" from ANNIE), "Fred Astaire would have
wound up playing bits / With his real name, Fred Austerlitz" ("Lila
Tremaine" from FADE OUT - FADE IN).

There must be many more.

Abfou

TD · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 62

Abfou wrote:
> On Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:49:48 -0800 (PST), Eagle
> wrote:
>
>> On Feb 27, 2:46 pm, Eagle wrote:
>>
>>> Okay everybody, put on your thinking caps!
>> Just thought of a threesome! The two Fred Astaire references I
>> previously mentioned, along with "You're the Top" from ANYTHING GOES
>> ("You're the nimble tread of the feet of Fred Astaire"). I think
>> there are probably a few more. Somehow I keep hearing in my mind
>> "...and I'm Fred Astaire," but I can't pinpoint what it might be from.
>>
>> I thought there was an almost Astaire reference in "All I Need Is the
>> Girl" from GYPSY, but I just checked on Google and realize that it
>> *is* an actual Astaire reference: "This step's good for the
>> costume...Astaire's pat." Funny thing is, all these years I always
>> thought the line was "a stair bit," or maybe it might have been
>> "Astaire bit," but I didn't realize it was "Astaire's *pat*." What
>> does "pat" mean in this context?
>
> It means that Google is not an infallible repository of fact. The line
> (though it doesn't appear in the score -- was it an ad lib enshrined
> on the album?) is "Astaire bit!"
>
> Other Astaire references: "Why he's as graceful as Fred Astaire / He's
> the man who kept the subway to a five-cent fare! / So there!"
> ("Gentleman Jimmy" from FIORELLO!), "Can he dance like Fred Astaire?
> Is he dark or is he fair?" ("It's a Perfect Relationship" from BELLS
> ARE RINGING), "The dancing crowds / Look up to some rare male / Like
> that Astaire male" ("On Your Toes" from ON YOUR TOES), "Fred Astaire
> and Rogers, / C. Aubrey Smith and those other codgers" ("The Late,
> Late Show" from DO RE MI), "Fred Astaire once worked so hard, / He
> often lost his breath. / And now he taps all other chaps to death"
> ("Do It the Hard Way" from PAL JOEY), "They're two of a kind, the
> happiest pair now, / Like Fred and Adele, they're floating on air now"
> ("I Don't Need Anything But You" from ANNIE), "Fred Astaire would have
> wound up playing bits / With his real name, Fred Austerlitz" ("Lila
> Tremaine" from FADE OUT - FADE IN).
>
> There must be many more.
>
> Abfou

"I Want It All" by Maltby & Shire from BABY has many lyric references to
famous women, including Lucille Ball and Lauren Bacall.

TD