All Er Nuthin'

All Er Nuthin is a tune from the the musical play Oklahoma! written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II.

This song is near the end of the musical, where the secondary characters Will Parker and Ado Annie Carnes decide to get married. Will is a bit wary, though, since he knows Ado is the girl who can't say no (to advances by suitors). In this song he essentially asks for a promise of fidelity from Annie, who agrees to be faithful to him.

After Annie suggests a future child in this duet:

Will: "He'd better look a lot like me! "
Ado Annie: "The spittin' image! "

There is a second part to the song; between these parts Will flirts with a couple of other girls, Annie then sings about Will's double standards and suggests that a man expects his wife to be faithful while he himself continues to be "wild and free." Will is pleased when she seems to be accepting this double-standard, but at the end she turns the tables on him, singing:

"So I ain't gonna fuss, ain't gonna frown-- / Have your fun, go out on the town, / Stay up late, and don't come home till three! / And go right off to sleep if you're sleepy. / There's no use waitin' up fer me!"

Annie may agree to the marriage, but only on her terms.