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Let’s do it was composed by Cole Porter (9 June 1891 – 15 October 1964) and was included in his first Broadway musical Paris, in 1928.  It was sung by Irène Bordoni.

Let’s do it had a long career.  In 1960, “it was included in the film version of Cole Porter’s Can-Can” and, in 2011, it was sung in Woody Allen’s film Midnight in Paris.  The film won several Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Art Direction. (Wikipedia)

If the “it” of Let’s do it is an invitation to make love, as was suggested by a commentator, “Let’s do it” was “a pioneer pop song to declare openly ‘sex is fun’.” (Wiki2.org.)

The Jan. 31, 1949, cover of TIME
 Cover Credit: BORIS CHALIAPIN

About Cole Porter

Cole Porter was born to a wealthy family in Indiana.  He studied at Yale University and, as a student at Yale, Porter wrote 300 songs.  He then attended the Harvard Law School, and “at the suggestion of the dean of the law school,” he switched to the study of harmony and counterpoint. (Let’s Fall in Love, Wiki2.org.)

In 1937, he was injured, a leg injury, as a result of a horseback riding accident.   Several years later, in 1958, he grew ulcers on the injured leg, which had to be amputated.  Cole Porter died of kidney failure on 15 October 1964.  He was 73 and living in Santa Monica, California.

The News

English
The Montreal Gazette: http://www.montrealgazette.com/index.html
The National Post: http://www.nationalpost.com/index.html
The Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/
Le Monde diplomatique: http://mondediplo.com/ EN
 
CBC News: http://www.cbc.ca/news/
CTV News: http://www.ctvnews.ca/
 
French
Le Monde: http://www.lemonde.fr/
Le Devoir: http://www.ledevoir.com/
Le Monde diplomatique: http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/
La Presse: http://www.lapresse.ca/
 
German
Die Welt: http://www.welt.de/
____________________
 
Ella Fitzgerald
LET′S DO IT
 
Birds do it, bees do it
Even educated fleas do it
Let’s do it, let’s fall in love
 
In Spain, the best upper sets do it
 
Lithuanians and Letts do it
Let’s do it, let’s fall in love
 
The Dutch in old Amsterdam do it
Not to mention the Fins
Folks in Siam do it – think of Siamese twins
 
Some Argentines, without means, do it
People say in Boston even beans do it
Let’s do it, let’s fall in love
 
Romantic sponges, they say, do it
Oysters down in oyster bay do it
Let’s do it, let’s fall in love
 
Cold Cape Cod clams, ‘gainst their wish, do it
Even lazy jellyfish, do it
Let’s do it, let’s fall in love
 
Electric eels I might add do it
Though it shocks em I know
Why ask if shad do it – Waiter bring me
“shad roe”
 
In shallow shoals English soles do it
Goldfish in the privacy of bowls do it
Let’s do it, let’s fall in love
 
Source for lyrics: http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/lwordthe/letsdoitletsfallinlove.htm
 
© Micheline Walker
18 August 2012
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