Anything Goes

Written in 1934, Anything Goes is the title song of the Cole Porter musical of the same name. Over 75 years later and it's a song many people still hum to themselves. This is amazing to me, considering how full of references to things specific to the period some versions are. That should immediately date the song and send it into obscurity. The only reason this hasn't happened, I believe, is because of the genius of Cole Porter. I suppose I'm biased in this opinion because, truth be told, he really is my favorite song writer; even when considered with his contemporaries (those being Irving Berlin and Oscar Hammerstein and the like) he still seems to me to be the top.


Of all the songs he wrote, this one is most certainly my favorite. Mostly because it has so much truth in it. Times, even when he wrote the song, had changed drastically from when he grew up. People were (to certain standards) much more loose than before. And he put this sentiment into song wonderfully. And, what makes this song still resonate with people today is that times continue to change. This song will never go out of style for that one reason. It was relevant in 1934, it's relevant in 2010, and it will still be relevant in 2085. Times will never stop changing. Times may start changing to the other direction (getting more morally centered instead of losing our morals) but they'll be changing none the less.