Makin' Whoopee

Let us go back to the magic year of 1928 when sex was exploited in popular music.  Was there ever a time when sex wasn't exploited in music?

This morning I woke up to a song you've likely heard that has somehow endured over 80 years in popular culture.  Looking online I was able to count 50 different cover versions of this song before I got tired of looking.

Here's "Makin' Whoopee" and I chose to use Frank Sinatra's version of the song:

"Makin' Whoopee" is from the 1928 musical WHOOPEE! The musical itself is about a woman who is to marry a man she doesn't love, she abandons him at the wedding and wackiness ensues.  I give the musical 3 out of 4 stars even though I haven't seen it.  There is also a 1930 movie based on the musical.  Having this song stuck in my head this morning has made me curious- maybe I'll try to find the film.  I doubt there's a musical production where you can see this on the stage anywhere.

Back to the song itself, Gus Khan was the lyricist and Walter Donaldson wrote the music.  The tune is catchy and the lyrics are clever as it tells the story of a man who falls for a girl, makes whooppe, and finds himself stuck in a life surrounded by children and household chores.  Was the "whooppee" worth it?

For me it was.