The Lady Is a Tramp
Encyclopedia
"The Lady Is a Tramp" is a show tune
from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart
musical Babes In Arms
in which it was introduced by former child star Mitzi Green
. This song is a spoof of New York
high society
and its strict etiquette (the first line of the verse is significant: "I get too hungry for dinner at eight..."). It has become a popular standard.
Early recordings from 1937 include one by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra
, (featuring Edythe Wright
on vocals), Midge Williams and Her Jazz Jesters
, Sophie Tucker
, and Bernie Cummins
on the Vocalion records label (#3714).
Lena Horne
recorded the song with the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Orchestra on March 30, 1948. Her performance appeared in the film, Words and Music
, a fictionalized biography of the partnership of Rodgers and Hart.
It was recorded by Frank Sinatra
and Ella Fitzgerald
in 1950s and Shirley Bassey
in the 1960s, becoming a signature song for each of them. Sinatra also sang it in the film Pal Joey
.
In later years, as heard on the first Duets
album, Sinatra would often alter the title lyric to "...That's why this chick is a champ.". Fitzgerald would in turn alter the lyrics to praise Sinatra or Sidney Poitier
"...and for Frank Sinatra I whistle and stamp!". She and Sinatra sang the song as a duet on the 1967 television special A Man and His Music + Ella + Jobim
.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
made it a staple song in his live routines. Less conventional interpretations include versions by Alice Cooper
, Yes
, Tokyo Jihen
, and They Might Be Giants
.
The Supremes
recorded the song on their Rodgers and Hart
tribute album titled The Supremes Sing Rodgers & Hart
. The group also recorded a version live at the prestigious Copacabana
Night Club in New York in 1967.
Sinatra recorded a version of the song in 1968 as a favor to The Beatles
. Sammy Cahn
wrote new lyrics to the song as a birthday gift to Ringo Starr
's wife, Maureen
. His recording was pressed as a single as Apple
1. Only one copy was made, and the tape and masters were destroyed. Since there is only one copy, and since Sinatra and the Beatles were both involved, this may be among the most valuable records in the world. The recording has not been bootlegged
.
Tokyo Jihen
, a famous Japanese band, covered this song on their debut single, Gunjyo Biyori.
Madonna
and Anthony Kiedis
from Red Hot Chili Peppers
performed the song live at The Arsenio Hall Show
s 1000th episode.
Lily Allen
sang this song with Jools Holland
and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra on his annual New Years TV programme, Jools Hollands Hootenanny.
Lisa Hannigan
performed this song at the Dublin Fringe Festival.
Kerry Ellis
performed this song at the Henley festival on July 10, 2009 which was later aired on BBC Radio 2 as part of Friday Night is Music Night
on August 28, 2009
The television show Glee
featured a cover of this song by two of the main characters, Noah "Puck" Puckerman
and Mercedes Jones
, in the episode "Laryngitis
". Puck references it as Sammy Davis Jr's biggest hit song. It was also performed on the spinoff "The Glee Project", by contestants Matheus and Damian.
The television series The Playboy Club
s third episode features a cover of this song by Laura Benanti
's character.
and Lady Gaga
recorded a version of this song for his 2011 album Duets II
. It is the second single off his album (after the Amy Winehouse
duet "Body & Soul
"). Bennett said Gaga is a real "jazz lady". The duo filmed a music video for the track. The video shows Bennett and GaGa singing "The Lady is a Tramp" together in a studio. He wears a suit and she wears an evening dress made up by black-coloured semi transparent lace and a turquoise bob wig. Gaga even has a solo jazz improvisation. In the beginning of the video she holds a whiskey glass. In the end, Bennett thanks Gaga and she kisses his neck. They performed the song live on ABC
's Thanksgiving
special dedicated to, written, directed, produced and hosted by Gaga entitled A Very Gaga Thanksgiving
. They were the opening number, singing next to an old piano in a casual obscure room. The song, even though not officially released got to enter the Japan Hot 100
, where it has managed to enter the top forty and it has also entered the top 200 extension to the UK Singles Chart
.
Show tune
A show tune is a popular song originally written as part of the score of a "show" , especially if the piece in question has become a "standard", more or less detached in most people's minds from the original context...
from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership of composer Richard Rodgers and the lyricist Lorenz Hart...
musical Babes In Arms
Babes in Arms
Babes in Arms is a 1937 musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Rodgers and Hart. It concerns a teen-age boy who puts on a show with his friends to avoid being sent to a work farm.- Production history:...
in which it was introduced by former child star Mitzi Green
Mitzi Green
Mitzi Green was an American child actress for Paramount and RKO, in the early talkie era...
. This song is a spoof of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
high society
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
and its strict etiquette (the first line of the verse is significant: "I get too hungry for dinner at eight..."). It has become a popular standard.
Early recordings from 1937 include one by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
, (featuring Edythe Wright
Edythe Wright
Edythe Wright was an American singer who performed with the band led by Tommy Dorsey from 1935 to 1939.-Early life:...
on vocals), Midge Williams and Her Jazz Jesters
Midge Williams
Midge Williams was an African American swing and jazz vocalist during the 1930s and 1940s. Although not as famous as other jazz recording artists, Williams was a respected singer and her group, Midge Williams and Her Jazz Jesters, made several well-received recordings during the late 1930s.-Early...
, Sophie Tucker
Sophie Tucker
Sophie Tucker was a Russian/Ukrainian-born American singer and actress. Known for her stentorian delivery of comical and risqué songs, she was one of the most popular entertainers in America during the first half of the 20th century...
, and Bernie Cummins
Bernie Cummins
Bernie Cummins was an American jazz drummer and bandleader.Bernie Cummins was born in Akron, Ohio as Bernard Joseph Cummins. Cummins was in his youth a boxer, besides playing drums in local bands in Ohio. In 1919 he created a small ensemble of his own, which debuted in Indiana and which grew...
on the Vocalion records label (#3714).
Lena Horne
Lena Horne
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was an American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer before moving to Hollywood, where she had small parts in numerous movies, and more substantial parts in the...
recorded the song with the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Orchestra on March 30, 1948. Her performance appeared in the film, Words and Music
Words and Music (1948 film)
Words and Music is a 1948 movie loosely based on the creative partnership of the composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Lorenz Hart. The film starred Mickey Rooney, Tom Drake, Janet Leigh, Betty Garrett, and Ann Sothern, It is best remembered for the final screen pairing between Rooney and Judy...
, a fictionalized biography of the partnership of Rodgers and Hart.
It was recorded by Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and 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...
in 1950s and Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
in the 1960s, becoming a signature song for each of them. Sinatra also sang it in the film Pal Joey
Pal Joey (film)
Pal Joey is a 1957 film, loosely adapted from the musical play of the same name, and starring Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, and Kim Novak. Jo Ann Greer sang for Hayworth, as she had done previously in Affair in Trinidad and Miss Sadie Thompson. Kim Novak's singing voice was dubbed by Trudy Erwin...
.
In later years, as heard on the first Duets
Duets (Frank Sinatra album)
Duets is an album by American singer Frank Sinatra, released in 1993.Recorded near the end of Sinatra's career, it consists of duets between Sinatra and other guest star singers from various genres; Sinatra personally chose the performers...
album, Sinatra would often alter the title lyric to "...That's why this chick is a champ.". Fitzgerald would in turn alter the lyrics to praise Sinatra or Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier
Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
"...and for Frank Sinatra I whistle and stamp!". She and Sinatra sang the song as a duet on the 1967 television special A Man and His Music + Ella + Jobim
A Man and His Music + Ella + Jobim
A Man and His Music + Ella + Jobim was a 1967 television special starring Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Antonio Carlos Jobim, accompanied by the orchestras of Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins...
.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
made it a staple song in his live routines. Less conventional interpretations include versions by Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
, Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
, Tokyo Jihen
Tokyo Jihen
is a Japanese band started by , after leaving her solo career. The band's debut single Gunjo Biyori was released in September 2004.- Origins:...
, and They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
.
The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
recorded the song on their Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership of composer Richard Rodgers and the lyricist Lorenz Hart...
tribute album titled The Supremes Sing Rodgers & Hart
The Supremes Sing Rodgers & Hart
The Supremes Sing Rodgers & Hart is a 1967 album recorded by The Supremes for Motown. The album is wholly composed of covers of show tunes written by the songwriting duo of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart...
. The group also recorded a version live at the prestigious Copacabana
Copacabana (nightclub)
The Copacabana is a famous New York City nightclub. Many entertainers, among them Danny Thomas, Pat Cooper and the comedy team of Martin and Lewis, made their debuts at the Copacabana. The 1978 Barry Manilow song "Copacabana" is named after, and is about the nightclub. Part of the 2003 Yerba...
Night Club in New York in 1967.
Sinatra recorded a version of the song in 1968 as a favor to The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. Sammy Cahn
Sammy Cahn
Sammy Cahn was an American lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
wrote new lyrics to the song as a birthday gift to Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
's wife, Maureen
Maureen Starkey
Maureen "Mo" Starkey Tigrett, née Mary Cox, was the first wife of The Beatles drummer, Ringo Starr. She met Starr at The Cavern Club, where The Beatles were playing, when she was a trainee hairdresser in Liverpool. Starr proposed marriage at the Ad-Lib Club in London, on 20 January 1965...
. His recording was pressed as a single as Apple
Apple Records
Apple Records is a record label founded by The Beatles in 1968, as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger, and Billy Preston...
1. Only one copy was made, and the tape and masters were destroyed. Since there is only one copy, and since Sinatra and the Beatles were both involved, this may be among the most valuable records in the world. The recording has not been bootlegged
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
.
Tokyo Jihen
Tokyo Jihen
is a Japanese band started by , after leaving her solo career. The band's debut single Gunjo Biyori was released in September 2004.- Origins:...
, a famous Japanese band, covered this song on their debut single, Gunjyo Biyori.
Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
and Anthony Kiedis
Anthony Kiedis
Anthony Kiedis is an American vocalist/lyricist, and occasional actor best known as the lead vocalist of the Grammy-winning American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis spent his youth in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his mother before moving, shortly before his 12th birthday, to Hollywood,...
from Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
performed the song live at The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show is an American variety/talk show that aired late weeknights in syndication from January 3, 1989 to May 27, 1994. The show was created and hosted by comedian/actor Arsenio Hall.- Background :...
s 1000th episode.
Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
sang this song with Jools Holland
Jools Holland
Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra on his annual New Years TV programme, Jools Hollands Hootenanny.
Lisa Hannigan
Lisa Hannigan
Lisa Margaret Hannigan is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. For several years she was a member of Damien Rice's band before beginning her solo career in 2008. She has been the recipient of various award nominations and critical praise both in Ireland and the USA...
performed this song at the Dublin Fringe Festival.
Kerry Ellis
Kerry Ellis
Kerry Jane Ellis is an English stage actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music...
performed this song at the Henley festival on July 10, 2009 which was later aired on BBC Radio 2 as part of Friday Night is Music Night
Friday Night is Music Night
Friday Night is Music Night is a long running live BBC radio concert programme featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra, broadcast most Fridays on BBC Radio 2 at 8.00pm. It is the world's longest-running live music radio programme....
on August 28, 2009
The television show Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
featured a cover of this song by two of the main characters, Noah "Puck" Puckerman
Puck (Glee)
Noah "Puck" Puckerman is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Mark Salling, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Puck was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
and Mercedes Jones
Mercedes Jones
Mercedes Jones is a fictional character from the Fox popular musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Amber Riley, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Mercedes was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and...
, in the episode "Laryngitis
Laryngitis (Glee)
"Laryngitis" is the 18th episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on May 11, 2010. It was directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and written by series creator Ryan Murphy. In "Laryngitis", glee club member Puck dates Mercedes in an attempt to raise his...
". Puck references it as Sammy Davis Jr's biggest hit song. It was also performed on the spinoff "The Glee Project", by contestants Matheus and Damian.
The television series The Playboy Club
The Playboy Club
The Playboy Club is an American television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 2011 to October 3, 2011. Set in 1961, the series centers around the employees of the original Playboy Club operating in Chicago....
s third episode features a cover of this song by Laura Benanti
Laura Benanti
Laura Benanti is an American actress of television, film and Broadway theatre noted for her award winning performance as Louise in the 2008 production of Gypsy.-Early years:...
's character.
Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga duet
Tony BennettTony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
and Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
recorded a version of this song for his 2011 album Duets II
Duets II (Tony Bennett album)
Duets II is an album by Tony Bennett, released on September 20, 2011. It was released in conjunction with Bennett's 85th birthday and is a sequel to his previous duet album, Duets: An American Classic. One of the songs, "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", however, was released on iTunes as a free song...
. It is the second single off his album (after the Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
duet "Body & Soul
Body and Soul (song)
"Body and Soul" was recorded as a duet by Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse in 2011. It was the final recording made by Winehouse before her death on July 23, 2011. The single was released worldwide on September 14, 2011 on iTunes, MTV and VH1....
"). Bennett said Gaga is a real "jazz lady". The duo filmed a music video for the track. The video shows Bennett and GaGa singing "The Lady is a Tramp" together in a studio. He wears a suit and she wears an evening dress made up by black-coloured semi transparent lace and a turquoise bob wig. Gaga even has a solo jazz improvisation. In the beginning of the video she holds a whiskey glass. In the end, Bennett thanks Gaga and she kisses his neck. They performed the song live on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
special dedicated to, written, directed, produced and hosted by Gaga entitled A Very Gaga Thanksgiving
A Very Gaga Thanksgiving
A Very Gaga Thanksgiving is a Thanksgiving television special that originally aired on November 24, 2011 in the United States on ABC. Conceived and directed by Lady Gaga, it discusses the personal life of Gaga and the inspiration behind her music...
. They were the opening number, singing next to an old piano in a casual obscure room. The song, even though not officially released got to enter the Japan Hot 100
Japan Hot 100
The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com ....
, where it has managed to enter the top forty and it has also entered the top 200 extension to the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japan (Japan Hot 100 Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com .... ) |
33 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 188 |