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"Anything Goes" is a popular song written by Cole Porter for his musical Anything Goes (1934). Some of the Depression-era lyrics^[1] have become quite dated. For example, one couplet refers to Sam Goldwyn's notorious box-office failure Nana, which featured a star, Anna Sten, whose English was incomprehensible except to Goldwyn, who came from the same part of Europe^[2]. Another couplet refers to then-notorious socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean. Most modern versions omit these lyrics^[3].

Notable recordings

Frank Sinatra: Songs For Swingin' Lovers (1956)
Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook (1956) and the 1972 Atlantic release "Ella Loves Cole".
Stan Getz and Gerry Mulligan: Getz Meets Mulligan in Hi-Fi (1957)
Tony Bennett (with Count Basie and his Orchestra): Basie Swings Bennett Sings (1958)

Recorded as a top 1967 Billboard single hit by Harpers Bizarre, (#43 pop, #6 easy listening.), it became namesake for the group's album Anything Goes

In popular culture

The song achieved a minor revival when it was used in the Monty Python's Flying Circus "Courtroom sketch". The Pythons also introduced a completely different song called "Anything Goes" by "the other Cole Porter". ("Anything goes in, anything goes out, fish, bananas, old pyjamas, mutton, beef and trout ...").
In the opening scene of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) visits a Shanghai club where Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw) sings "Anything Goes" in Mandarin. The first part of the Mandarin lyrics is:

Yi wang si-i wa ye kan dao

Xin li bian yao la jing bao jin tian zhi Dao

Anything goes. ^[4]

In Brian Friel's play Dancing at Lughnasa, "Anything Goes" plays on the radio in Act 2 and is then sung by Gerry Evans while dancing about in the back yard and lane. "In old times a glimpse of stocking, was looked on as something shocking... Now, Anything goes..." The song summarizes the theme of the play — times changing and the new world having an influence.
In the Family Guy episode "Brian: Portrait of a Dog", Lois sings the first lines of the song.
"Anything Goes" is used prominently in the 1972 film Sleuth, with main character Andrew Wyke (Laurence Olivier) complaining that they "don't write songs like that anymore".
Betsy Randle sang "Anything Goes" on a Boy Meets World episode, "As Time Goes By".
In the Torchwood DVD extras, John Barrowman reprises the song "Anything Goes" live on the set of Episode 12: Captain Jack Harkness, adding Torchwood-specific references.
Louise Gold performed a parody version of the song on Sesame Street titled "Anyone's Nose"
The song is also featured in the second episode of the Fourth Series of Jeeves and Wooster at the Fancy Dress party.
In the post-apocalyptic video game, Fallout 3, the song is featured on Galaxy News Radio, a fictional radio station.
In St. Elsewhere, Dr. Fiscus' aunt sings "Anything Goes" to a sick boy.
The song is heard in the opening montage of "The Boys in the Band".
Performed by Australian broadway star Caroline O'Connor in the musical movie De-Lovely, a biography of Cole Porter's life starring Kevin Kline.

External Links

Cole Porter singing Anything Goes

References

^ website with original lyrics
^ G.D. Black, Hollywood Censored, p. 204
^ see e.g.1987 Broadway revival version, sung by Patti LuPone
^ Kahn, James (1984). Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. New York: Ballantine Books. pp. p 132. ISBN 0-345-31457-3. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

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[1] website with original lyrics

[2] G.D. Black, Hollywood Censored, p. 204

[3] see e.g.1987 Broadway revival version, sung by Patti LuPone

[cantonese-4] Kahn, James (1984). Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. New York: Ballantine Books. pp. p 132. ISBN 0-345-31457-3. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

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 {{for|the Randy Houser song|Anything Goes (Randy Houser song)}}
-"'''Anything Goes'''" is a [[popular music|popular]] [[song]] written by [[Cole Porter]] for his musical ''[[Anything Goes]]'' (1934). Some of the Depression-era lyrics have become quite dated. For example ,one couplet refers to [[Sam Goldwyn | Sam Goldwyn's]] notorious box-office failure ''Nana'', which featured a star, [[Anna Sten]] whose English was incomprehensible except to Goldwyn, who came from the same part of Europe<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=mymuiIamoTgC&pg=RA1-PA204&dq=%22anything+goes%22+%22cole+porter%22+goldwyn&as_brr=3&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html G.D. Black, ''Hollywood Censored'', p. 204]</ref>.
+"'''Anything Goes'''" is a [[popular music|popular]] [[song]] written by [[Cole Porter]] for his musical ''[[Anything Goes]]'' (1934). Some of the Depression-era lyrics<ref>[http://www.lyricsdepot.com/cole-porter/anything-goes.html website with original lyrics]</ref> have become quite dated. For example, one couplet refers to [[Sam Goldwyn | Sam Goldwyn's]] notorious box-office failure ''Nana'', which featured a star, [[Anna Sten]], whose English was incomprehensible except to Goldwyn, who came from the same part of Europe<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=mymuiIamoTgC&pg=RA1-PA204&dq=%22anything+goes%22+%22cole+porter%22+goldwyn&as_brr=3&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html G.D. Black, ''Hollywood Censored'', p. 204]</ref>. Another couplet refers to then-notorious socialite [[Evalyn Walsh McLean]].  Most modern versions omit these lyrics<ref>see e.g.[http://music.myspace.com/Modules/MusicV2/Pages/PopUpPlayer.aspx?songid=28206813&artid=12442873 1987 Broadway revival version], sung by Patti LuPone</ref>.
 ==Notable recordings==