Always True to You in My Fashion
Encyclopedia
"Always True to You in My Fashion" is a 1948 show-tune by Cole Porter
, written for the musical Kiss Me, Kate
. In the lyrics, the singer protests that she is always faithful to her main love in her own way, despite seeing, and accepting gifts from, wealthy older men.
It is sung in the later part of the show by Lois (Bianca) to her love interest, Bill (Lucentio), who has become frustrated with Lois's penchant for older wealthy men.
Broadway
actress and singer Lisa Kirk
, who originated the role of Lois/Bianca, introduced the song in the second act of the original (1948) production.
The song was notably sung by Ella Fitzgerald
, Eartha Kitt
, and Blossom Dearie
. It is based on a similarly ironic
poem by Ernest Dowson
(1867–1900) that featured the line: "I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion." There is also a version on the "Della Della Cha-Cha-Cha" album in 1961 by Della Reese.
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
, written for the musical Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. It is structured as a play within a play, where the interior play is a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The original production starred Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Lisa Kirk and Harold Lang.Kiss...
. In the lyrics, the singer protests that she is always faithful to her main love in her own way, despite seeing, and accepting gifts from, wealthy older men.
It is sung in the later part of the show by Lois (Bianca) to her love interest, Bill (Lucentio), who has become frustrated with Lois's penchant for older wealthy men.
Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
actress and singer Lisa Kirk
Lisa Kirk
Lisa Kirk was an American actress and singer noted for her comic talents and rich contralto .-Career:...
, who originated the role of Lois/Bianca, introduced the song in the second act of the original (1948) production.
The song was notably sung by Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
, Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt
Eartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...
, and Blossom Dearie
Blossom Dearie
Blossom Dearie was an American jazz singer and pianist, often performing in the bebop genre and remembered for her girlish voice.-Early career:...
. It is based on a similarly ironic
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
poem by Ernest Dowson
Ernest Dowson
Ernest Christopher Dowson , born in Lee, London, was an English poet, novelist and writer of short stories, associated with the Decadent movement.- Biography :...
(1867–1900) that featured the line: "I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion." There is also a version on the "Della Della Cha-Cha-Cha" album in 1961 by Della Reese.
Cultural references
- In some versions of the lyrics, there are references to the Back Bay neighborhood of BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Mack the KnifeMack the Knife"Mack the Knife" or "The Ballad of Mack the Knife", originally "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer", is a song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for their music drama Die Dreigroschenoper, or, as it is known in English, The Threepenny Opera. It premiered in Berlin in 1928 at the...
from the "Threepenny Opera". - In an apparent allusion to Porter's song, MorrisseyMorrisseySteven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
's "Speedway", from the 1994 album Vauxhall & IVauxhall and IVauxhall and I is a 1994 Parlophone album by British musician Morrissey. Q listed it as one of the top ten albums of 1994. The release cemented Morrissey's success in the US, giving him a top 20 album and his first hit single there with the song "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get"...
, includes the lines "In my own strange way, I've always been true to you / In my own sick way, I'll always stay true to you".