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"Wouldn't It Be Loverly" is a popular song by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, written for the 1956 Broadway play My Fair Lady.[1]
| "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" | |
|---|---|
 Julie Andrews as Eliza in "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" segment, 1957 | |
| Song | |
| Written | 1956 |
| Published | 1956 |
| Genre | Showtune |
| Composer(s) | Frederick Loewe |
| Lyricist(s) | Alan Jay Lerner |
The song is sung by Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle and her street friends. It expresses Eliza's wish for a better life. In addition to pronouncing "lovely" as "loverly", the song lyrics highlight other facets of the Cockney accent that Professor Henry Higgins wants to refine away as part of his social experiment.
In the stage version it was sung by Julie Andrews.[1] In the 1964 film version, Marni Nixon dubbed the song for Audrey Hepburn.[2] Both Andrews' and Nixon's versions are available on the original cast and soundtrack albums, respectively, and Hepburn's original version is available in the specials for the DVD of the film.
Andy Williams released a version of the song on his 1964 album, The Great Songs from "My Fair Lady" and Other Broadway Hits.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s the song was used in television advertisements for Commonwealth Bank of Australia home mortgages.[3]
In popular culture
edit- On the children's show Sesame Street episode 3119, Oscar the Grouch meets a British Grouch named Prunella (a Grouch performed by Louise Gold), who expresses desire to go to the "perfect Grouch place", which doesn't exist, but she has imagined it several times. During the course of this fantasy, she sings "Wouldn't It Be Yucky", which parodies "Wouldn't It Be Loverly".[4]
- Peter Sellers included a comic version on his best selling album Songs for Swinging Sellers released in 1959.
- In part one of Tony Kushner's epic play "Angels in America", AIDS patient Prior Walter sings part of the song when he is visited by the ghosts of his ancestors in an attempt to block out their presence.
References
edit- ^ a b League, The Broadway. "My Fair Lady – Broadway Musical – Original - IBDB". www.ibdb.com.
- ^ "My Fair Lady". 25 December 1964 – via IMDb.
- ^ Commonwealth Bank - Wouldn't it Be Lovely Underwater on YouTube [dead link]
- ^ Lucina Torie (12 June 2016). "Sesame Street - Prunella The Grouch" – via YouTube.[dead link]
External links
edit- My Fair Lady "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" on The Ed Sullivan Show on YouTube, Julie Andrews on The Ed Sullivan Show on March 19, 1961
- "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?" from "My Fair Lady" on YouTube, 2001 London revival