Lyr Add: You Can't Stop Me from Loving You

Subject: Lyr Add: YOU CAN'T STOP ME FROM LOVING YOU
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 06:46 PM

I remember Ethel Waters as a gospel singer who toured with Billy Graham in her later years, but it's fun to know she had a pop/blues/jazz background.

OK, this is one of those "doormat" songs that might not be politically correct today, but it appealed to me, so…

YOU CAN'T STOP ME FROM LOVING YOU
Mann Holiner, Alberta Nichols
As sung by Ethel Waters, 1931.

Oh, you great big brute! How you mistreat me!
Oh, you great big brute! You can't defeat me.
You can shower me with abuse,
But you'll never shake me loose.

Oh, you great big brute! You can browbeat me,
But I'm telling you, it's no use.
Say I get in your hair.
Well, baby, I don't care.

You can throw bricks at my window.
You can put tacks in my shoe.
You can sprinkle ground glass on my applesass,
But you can't stop me from lovin' you.

You can put rocks in my pillow.
You can put sand in my stew.
You can be as aloof as the Chrysler roof,
But you can't stop me from lovin' you.

You can sneer at my devotion,
Be as mean as you can be,
Ridicule my great emotion,
But you're never gonna discourage me.

You can put Lux in my corn flakes,
Tell me my brain's good as new.
You can laugh in my face when you trump my ace,
But you can't stop me from lovin' you.

You can put Flit in my gargle,
Seal up your pockets with glue.
You can even throw fleas on my Pekingese,
But you can't stop me from lovin' you.

You can go tell Walter Winchell
Ev'ry darn thing that I do.
You can tear me to rags just to give him gags,
But you can't stop me from lovin' you.

You can cut up my umbrella,
Even put a thistle where I sit.
You can make me take vanilla
When you know I'm crazy 'bout chocolit.

You can wear socks without garters,
Carry lace handkerchiefs too.
You can smell of Chanel on your coat lapel,
But you can't stop me from lovin' you.

[Scat verse]

You can start in to cough as I'm teein' off,
But you can't stop me from lovin' you.

* * * * *

Also recorded by The Alabama Washboard Stompers, Terry Blaine, Chick Bullock & His Orchestra, Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, Russ Carlson, The Chicago Hot Five, The Dumoustier Stompers, Benny Goodman & His Orchestra, Lloyd Keating & His Orchestra, Abe Lyman's California Orchestra, Jack Payne & His BBC Dance Orchestra, Nat Shilkret & His Orchestra, The Buddy Campbell Orchestra (Ben Selvin), and The Washboard Rhythm Kings, and maybe more.

Notes: Chrysler roof = the Chrysler Building in New York was the world's tallest building until it was surpassed by the Empire State Building. Lux = brand of soap flakes. Flit = brand of insecticide. Walter Winchell = gossip columnist. Chanel = brand of perfume.

You can hear a recording of this song at Red Hot Jazz.