Step into a world of glamour and intrigue as we showcase some of the sizzling lyrics sung in Cole Porter’s score for Silk Stockings! Premiering at the illustrious Imperial Theatre on this day (24 February) in 1955, this Broadway gem waltzed its way into the hearts of audiences, captivating them with its blend of romance, wit, and toe-tapping melodies. Based on the beloved 1939 film Ninotchka, starring the iconic Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas, Silk Stockings brings to life the story of special envoy Nina Yaschenko (played by Hildegarde Neff), who is dispatched from the Soviet Union during the Cold War to rescue three bumbling commissars from the charms of Paris. Before long, she is seduced by Steven Canfield (played by Don Ameche) and the apparent virtues of capitalism. Porter’s score weaves up some luxurious musical satin and silk, despite being coupled with a storyline (shaped into a book by George S. Kaufman and Leueen MacGrath, and then Abe Burrows, who rewrote the show following its challenging tryout period) that I’ve never been able to get behind. I can’t help but grapple with the narrative of a woman who compromises her beliefs and individuality for the allure of a love affair and silk stockings. Even when I first became familiar with the show two decades ago, I didn’t buy it! Nonetheless, Porter’s lyrical gems sparkle in many moments of the show, so let’s dive into the riches of Silk Stockings!

5. “Paris Loves Lovers”

‘Only in pairs one discovers,
the urge to merge with the splurge of the spring,
Paris loves lovers, for lovers
Know that love is ev’ry thing.’

This lyric stands out because it plays around with rhyme and alliteration in the way that many of the great Cole Porter lyrics do. It’s true this is not on par with his finest work; it just doesn’t spark on the ear in the way that something like “You’re the Top” does. Maybe Porter even acknowledges this in the way it appears in the song, first sung by Steven to Ninotchka, who then throws it back in his face as a piece of cornball hokum, which it is. Perhaps there is a sly cleverness in this approach, showing that Ninotchka is not an easy sell. But wouldn’t that be even better if the lyric was top-notch and seduced us in the audience, but not her? Or would that alienate Ninotchka too much from our perspective?

4. “Paris Loves Lovers” – Again!

‘Capitalistic…
Characteristic…
Sensualistic…
They should be aetheistic….
Imperialistic…
I’m pessimistic…
That’s anti-communistic…
Militaristic…
You’re optimistic...
Bourgeois propaganda!
Unrealistic…
[Love] Is individualistic…
And not at all collectivistic…
But a low totalitarianistic thing!’

“Paris Loves Lovers” moves on to a repeat of the refrain with interjections from Ninotchka refuting each of Steven’s lines. This offers a seemingly endless series of rhymes that builds and builds, in typical Porter style, to the climax of the song. It’s so much fun and even gives us a slight break with the alternative rhyme of ‘bourgeois’ and ‘propaganda’ before bringing it all the way home. But is this a missed opportunity? Whenever I listen to the cast album, I always wish this song had served full-on “You’re Not in Love” or “An Old Fashioned Wedding” energy, just as Irving Berlin did in those two classic musical theatre songs.

3. “Too Bad”

‘Too bad – they can’t go back to Moscow
And we pity them, do.
Instead of counting chickens on each farm anywhere,
In case a party member has a chicken to spare,
You’ll see us counting chickens at the Folies Bergère!’

What’s great about this lyric is the unity that holds this section of the song together. Just a line or two earlier, Ivanov, Brankov and Bibinski, the three Soviet commissars who have been sent to Paris to bring the Russian composer Peter Ilyitch Boroff back home, have referred to the City of Love as a ‘feather-brained town.’ (There is, of course, a healthy dose of irony here as the three commissars have also been seduced by the capitalist trappings of mid-century Europe.) Then we get the fantastic triple rhyme in the triplet which is used structurally throughout the song, which juxtaposes the settings of a Soviet farm and the Folies Bergère. Also included is some wordplay, with Porter referring to the dancers at this famous cabaret music hall as ‘chickens.’ But perhaps the most impressive element of this lyric is its allusion to the idiom of ‘counting chickens before they hatch.’ Ivanov, Brankov and Bibinski are on borrowed time and another agent will soon be sent to retrieve them. This snaps into focus, at the top of the show, that there is no guarantee that they can remain there for certain, which opens up the dramatic opportunity for Ninotchka to arrive. Brilliant!

2. “Stereophonic Sound“

‘If Zanuck’s latest picture were the good old-fashioned kind,
There’d be no one in front to look at Marilyn’s behind….

‘The customers don’t like to see the groom embrace the bride
Unless her lips are scarlet and her bosom’s five feet wide….

‘If Ava Gardner played Godiva riding on a mare
The people wouldn’t pay a cent to see her in the bare.
Unless she had glorious technicolor or…
Stereophonic sound.’

Sometimes rhyme can help to drive home a point. “Stereophonic Sound” is a great satire of Hollywood in the 1950s and its obsession with technological advancement as a form of marketing. It’s also a damning satire of how Hollywood viewed (and views) women, the kind of attitude where nothing a woman is or does is good enough, even if she is Marilyn Monroe or Ava Gardner. To make the grade, she also has to be exploited in the most dehumanising of ways and sexualised through technology to get the tickets sold and its Porter’s rhymes that help to highlight the idea. Truth be told, I’m not sure how intentional Porter was in this specific satirical direction, because in a further refrain, he uses Lassie as a stand-in for Monroe and Gardiner – bitchy, much? He also used Lassie as a joke to demean Fred Graham and his sex in “I Hate Men” from Kiss Me, Kate, so I’m not convinced that it’s a completely innocent reference. But, or cause, this song is a text and the meaning of a text is made through its receiver – so I’ll leave that one up to you.

1. “All of You“

‘After watching your appeal from ev’ry angle,
There’s a big romantic deal I’ve got to wangle
For I’ve fallen for a certain luscious lass
And it’s not a passing fancy or a fancy pass.‘

“All of You” was the takeaway hit of Silk Stockings. Dozens of cover versions appeared following Dan Ameche’s introduction of the song in the Broadway show, with talents as diverse as Billie Holiday, Bobby Darin, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. all releasing their own take on the material. Frankly, I’m not sure that I want to be seduced by someone who wants to take ‘complete control’ of me, a wish that is expressed in the refrain, but the wordplay in the verse makes for an incredible moment of sheer delight, especially the first time that final line lands on the ear. The wordplay of ‘passing fancy’ and ‘fancy pass’ also helps the storytelling as it helps the audience to see Steven’s growing affection for Ninotchka. “Paris Loves Lovers” was a failed attempt at a fancy pass as well as a means to an end, a passing fancy. This reversal helps to shift the story along and shows just how skilful Porter could be in moving the show forward with his songs, despite his reputation for primarily offering up songs that were simply full of wordplay and a marvel to hear.

Porter’s lyrics for Silk Stockings, even at this late stage in his career, still enable his words to charm us with their sheer sophistication. Is the show itself revivable? I’m not sure. Have we developed any nostalgia for this kind of 1950s Cold War romcom? There’s also the issue of how songs like “Without Love” with its credo, ”a woman to a man is just a woman, but a man to a woman is her life,’ stick in the throat. Perhaps, as with many of these kinds of shows, a revisal might work, if it is done with care and integrity. “Without Love” could be retooled through placement and interpretation to be a damnation of its sentiment rather than an endorsement – and after all, there are also twelve unused songs that Porter wrote for the show and an additional two tunes that were crafted for the film. It’s a job for someone who is both enterprising and smart. For now, let’s slip into the silk stockings of Porter’s genius, letting his best lyrics sweep us away with their elegant and graceful craftsmanship!