Noel Coward - I went to a marvelous party (full lyrics below - NEW! corrected Jan 2019)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
- I revised the lyrics and they should be pretty much all correct now (January 2019) except for the glorious half-comprehensible aristobabble.
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... I had the most extraordinary experience...
something to do with sun...couldn't understand myself, really
You know, quite for no reason
I'm here for the season
And high as a kite
Living in error
With Maud at Cap Ferrat
Which couldn't be right
Everyone's here, and frightfully gay
Nobody cares what people say
Now though the Riviera
Is really much queerer
Than Rome at its height
On Wednesday night
I went to a marvellous party
With Nunu and Nada and Nell
It was in the fresh air
And we went as we were,
And we stayed as we were
Which was hell
Poor Grace started singing at midnight,
And she didn't stop singing 'til four
We knew the excitement was bound to begin
When Laura got blind on Dubonnet and gin
And scratched her veneer with a Cartier pin
I couldn't have liked it more, honestly
I've been to a marvelous party
We played the most wonderful game:
Maureen disappeared
And came back in a beard
And we all had to guess at her name - imagine!
Old Cecil good old Cecil arrived wearing armour
Some shells and a black feather boa
Poor Millicent wore a surrealist comb
Made of bits of mosaic from
St. Peter's in Rome
But the weight was so great
that she had to go home
And I couldn't have liked it more, honestly
It was the most fabulous sight... I've never seen such carrying-on... obviously it couldn't happen anywhere else but on the Riviera... it was most peculiar
You know, people's behaviour
Away from Belgravia
Would make you aghast
So much variety
Watching society
Scampering past
You know, if you have any mind at all,
Gibbon's divine "Decline And Fall"
Sounds pretty flimsy
No more than a whimsy
By way of contrast
On Wednesday last
I went to a marvelous party
I must say, I must say, the fun was intense;
We all had to do
What the people we knew
Might be doing a hundred years hence
Can you beat it?
We talked about growing old gracefully,
And Elsie who's seventy-four
Said, "A) it's a question
of being sincere,
And B) If you're supple
You've got nothing to fear"
Then she swung upside-down from a glass chandelier
I couldn't have liked it more
I've been to a marvellous party
We didn't sit down to dinner til ten
You know, young Bobby Carr
Did a stunt at the bar
With a lot of extraordinary men
Poor Frieda arrived with a turtle
Which shattered us all to the core
And then the duchess passed out
at a quarter to three
And suddenly Cyril cried
"Fiddle-de-dee!",
Then he ripped off his trousers
And jumped in the sea
I couldn't have liked it more!
I've been to a marvelous party
Elise made an entrance with May
You'd never have guessed
From her fisherman's vest
That her bust had been whittled away
Poor Lulu got fried on Chianti
And talked about esprit de corps
Louise made a couple of passes at Gus
And Freddie, who hates any kind of a fuss,
Did half the Big Apple and
twisted his truss
Ha ha
I couldn't have liked it more
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He deserved the title ‘The Master’. He wrote comedies, straight plays, very controversial plays and musicals for the theatre. He wrote, directed and acted in films, like ‘In Which we Serve’, and acted in most of his plays. He also wrote novels and some excellent short stories. He appeared in revues and one man shows - singer and raconteur. I don’t think there was anything he couldn’t turn his hand and amazingly agile brain to. Born in 1900, he was the epitome of the 20th century. All hail, Master!
You forgot the many hit songs he wrote.
Simple music can make you sing simple hug can make you feel better simple things can make you happy, i hope my simple Hello brings smile to your face,
Noone has ever came close to Noel Coward's level of talent. Forever Noel ❤
Fabulously witty Noel.....a marrrrvelous party indeed....
I've always loved this "song" by Noel. He has quite a way with words.
Wonderful satire, Coward really was brilliant
I'm so glad to find this piece. A friend of mine used to do it, and I've liked it ever since.
Now it's my turn to memorize it.
I memorized it! Took a while, and some work, but totally worth it. It's a fun party trick.
I learnt of this track via The Divine Comedy; Neil Hannon's version is sublime, the only techno/dance track I think he's ever done! It's fab! I highly recommend it! And I think I have a bit of a thing for the 1920's/the atmosphere evoked by the lyrics, etc, etc!! Bliss! Indeed, just listening to this now and reading the lyrics, I realize I'd either mis-heard and/or not heard some of the lines! There's always something new to hear/get out of a song! :)
Me too... Neil certainly does it justice...
But Noel is the Master.. love it...😄🥰
Noel Coward. A marvelous artist.
We adore you Noel! Pride of Britain
Such talent. Unbelievable.
Society scathing satire, Bea Lillie did a fabulous version. I sang this in 1980’s and got drunker each verse. Great hit in OH COWARD! Highpoint of the 20-22 musicals I was fortunate to do. This was my speed and diction hardest song in the show with no way out but through like lightening. Killer!
SOUNDS LIKE ONE HELL OF A PARTY !!!
There’s only the one word.....magical ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I am no. 513, which is my birthday... I adore Noel Coward! Thanks so much for the share!!
I wish I could have gone to that party.
Me too! Noel was so eccentric and funny!
It actually occurred, the song is based on a real party.
One of my favourite songs from dear Noel, and loads of fun!.....Enjoy, I wish I could have joined that little get together in a world that will, sadly, never exist again.....Carry on Noel, where ever you are:+)}}}
Erik Provensen o
He does a more nostalgic and almost melancholy version of this song which I like a bit more, but still good to hear. Thanks for posting.
He is just too marvelous.
Delivery and lyrics 12/10!
FYI, these are NOT "transcribed lyrics." They are published lyrics, which appear in different sources which VARY depending on the date. Names and lines CHANGED and verses get mixed and matched. This "patter-and-piano song" was in the musical revue with sketches he wrote which originated in 1932 in London under the title Words and Music. Seven years later the show was retitled Set to Music where it ran in New York. This version and performance is from a 1957 Columbia record of his 1956 NYC trip.
I saw some Noel Coward revue excerpts at the Edinburgh Fringe years ago & preferred them as you get the characters e.g. "Mad about the Boy" had the charlady etc.. What was the context for "I went to a Marvellous Party"? I'm performing it at a tribute to an actor-singer. I advised Thelma to half-speak it & get gradually tipsier with each verse. I'll just sing "Quite with no reason "to "kite", one or two "I went etc. to "party"s & a high note and burp at the end (both cribbed from Patricia Routledge at 91, on TH-cam"). The rest is recited.
Brilliant wit!
The irony of gay meaning something different today
@@WilhelmSmit-ql5vc So you repeated what I said but with a thousand words 🤣
Thank you for posting! This is one Ive never heard and it brilliant. I feel like I was there, I hope you felt the same and drank the last drop of gin with me and swung from the chandelier.
You, my dear, have never taken an LSD trip.
I've been to wilder parties in Iowa, but they were never were graced by a line from Mr. Coward.
The greatest of them all.
we are still following him...what a joy
Love that man.
"old Cecil, good old Cecil arrived wearing armor, some shells, and a black feather boa..."
"poor Frieda arrived with a turtle, which shattered us all to the core"
"poor Lulu got fried on chianti and talked about esprit du cor"
and remember....."if you're supple, you've nothing to fear"
It's on a collection called: The Master's Choice. You can get it on iTunes.
Simple music can make you sing simple hug can make you feel better simple things can make you happy, i hope my simple Hello brings smile to your face,
Love him. The greatest.
So terrific.
That guy was such a genius
Now we have Ant & Dec. We couldn't like it less.
Who are as about as funny as an old shoe.
Exactly
wonderful
Oh this is hilarious!
It's almost like it's half song/half anecdote.
How I wish I'd been there!
What a ribald riveting and ravishing do, delightful, delicious, delirious too, we were in rapture rejoicing in relentless rapport, and relating relentless relations to boot.
What a hoot.
"A. It's a question of being sincere."
Actually this was a send up on the the Duke of Windsor.NC was a very patriotic Englishman and he held the greatest contempt for that pair the Dook and his not so good Dookess who ran away to Paris during the 2nd World War.-The Duchess passed out at a quarter to three,that inane half laugh, everyone who were in the know understood who went to a maahwellous party.Very biting.
i wanna go to noel's party, and jonathan richman parties, and divine comedy parties, belle and sebastian parties, jens lekman parties, strokes and smiths parties!!!! i want to go out tonight!!!
I would believe you if you told me this *was* Stewie singing!
averysgore Stewie? From family guy? Lol hahahaha
YES!!!
Today I learned every British person in the world is apparently Stewie Griffin
Stewie's voice was actually based on Noel Coward
@@N0R3M4C Stewie is based on Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady. It's actually pretty obvious if you listen to the two next to each other.
a classic cabaret piece... if you don't have time, don't bother, but if you do, it's good shit :)
Neil Hannon sent me here. Frightfully gay!
Me too! His version is the perfect late '90s update!
You'd never have guessed from her fisherman's vest that her bust had been whittled away.
I hate the word 'bust'.
S'wonderful.
Still s'wonderful.
Oh, my!!!
That´s really Ultra-gay!
Well, let's say campy.
The very best.
Dick Cavett famously asked Coward, " What is the word for when one has terrific, prolific qualities? " Without a beat, Noel replied, " Talent." That summed up Sir Coward in one word. th-cam.com/video/H03u02CtNCw/w-d-xo.html
I just saw that clip, lol!
My title is exactly how it appears on the 1959 Noel Coward in New York lp
Hello, "completelyriveting"- thanks for this. Mannered, barbed, well performed. That "cut-glass" accent - never bettered. NB your complete lyrics have two verses in the wrong order. Please SWITCH your stanza 3, beginning "I've been to a marvellous party I must say the fun was intense;" with your stanza 4, beginning "It was the most fabulous excitement
I've never seen such a carry-on!"
Coward was the best writer of comic/satirical lyrics since William Schwenk Gilbert . . . AND, they were best-heard when he sang them himself . . . like his good friend Cole Porter!
to some it would appear..to the pianist undoubtedly!
I just realized Noel is the basis for Stewie.Steele
Nice.
FUN FUN FUN FUN
He's a proto rap poet.
Truly.
I'm going to sound uncouth and silly, but I'd like to hear Stewie Griffin cover this.
Winston Churchill once admitted to having gone to bed with Noel Coward. "How was it?" he was asked. "Musical", he replied.
high as a kite? Really was better back in the day then :P
This is based on a party that actually happened.
0:13 'everyone's here frightfully gay', haha, back in the day when gay was used in a completely different context.
Where can you find that version? A great idea, doing the song in that way.
We played the most wonderful game:
Maureen disappeared
And came back in a beard
And we all had to guess at her name - imagine!
I guess people identified as different genders years ago
People have existed outside the gender binary for thousands of years
Sounds like a good party
I looked up Frisky and Mannish. Seems like they could be great but I'm not seeing anything I can understand. It all seems to be parodies of top-10 pop and X-Factor, which I don't follow. If you can point me to something I'd get, that'd be great!
Don't know the exact year he recited this, but it almost sounds like an LSD trip...
Just Imagine Dinner With Him And Oscar Wilde ...
Elaine Stritch!!!!
I have a pet giraffe.
It does sound uncouth and silly, but I could SO hear Stewie Griffin do this!
thats what frisky and mannish do they parody pop songs... i did say if you want to see it in the style of lily allen.. and frisky and mannish are great it just depends what sense of humor you have
My other favorite rendition? Patricia Routledge (in the revue "Cowardy Custard"): th-cam.com/video/M5xc7HlkjVI/w-d-xo.html
and many years on, this slightly mellower -- and still expertly timed -- rendition: th-cam.com/video/UKTviQNM6KA/w-d-xo.html
Rhythms by Ligeti!
Early Chris Deburgh had several Noel phrasings.
I wrote a parody of this for a colleague's birthday. It was a bit graphic at the end:
He suddenly grinned "It's my birthday! How neat!"
Then the blighter broke wind all the way up the street.
We shan't go out with him any more.
Noel did it better but I tried.
It's Jacob Rees Mogg
sweecho00 I don't think JRM has much of a sense of humour...xx
Stewie?
dude sound like stewie griffin
Anyone here after Strictly?
Me!
I guess you had to be there
This is good, but I honestly prefer the newer version sung by a man named Robert something. I just heard it on the radio, and I missed his last name!!!!!
How did Noel Coward mess his OWN song up? Also, his sophisticated tone sounds MUCH too put-on & quite unlike Beatrice Lillie's naughty, innuendo-laden rendition. (SHE was the song's original singer, & of course worked w/ Noel.)
Stewie
Stewie Griffin.
It's almost like it's half song/half anecdote.
It's based on a party he attended, Cecil _was_ wearing as feather boa.
He was taking the piss out of the Duke of Windsor - it's a perfect impersonation.
His voice is consistent in so many recordings of plays and interviews, I don't think he spent his entire career impersonating the Duke of Windsor, do you?
THE MASTER IS ALWAYS ON TOP OF HIS GAME!!!
im here because of stewie griffin and Frisky and Mannish (if you want to hear what this song would be like if sung by lily allen then look up frisky and mannish)
2:29 whittled away is like Stewie Griffin saying cool fwhip
bohemian grove?
U mean the Duke was THAT gfrthcnfvfcvxbg CONFUSED-sounding? In that case, Wallis Simpson was a GODSEND (as coward once hinted, BTW).