Love is Sweeping the Country

  • Post published:01/01/2009
  • Post comments:5 Comments

Love is Sweeping the Country lyrics by Ira Gershwin

Why are people gay
All the night and day,
Feeling as they never felt before?
What is the thing
That makes them sing?

Rich man, poor man, thief,
Doctor lawyer, chief,
Feel a feeling that they can’t ignore!
It plays a partIn ev’ry heart,
And ev’ry hearts is shouting “Encore!”

Love is sweeping the country!
Waves are hugging the shore;
All the sexesFrom Maine to Texas
Have never known such love before.

(Addional lyrics sometimes used)

Spring is in the air-
Each mortal loves his neighbor.
Who’s that loving pair?
That’s Capital and Labors.

Florida and Cal-
lifornia get together
In a “festival”
Of oranges and weather.

Boston’s upper zones
Are changing social habits,
And I hear the Cohns
Are taking up the Cabots.

Cities are above
The quarrels that were hapless.
Look who’s making love:
St.Paul and Minneap’lis!

There are actually more verses to this song from the daffy political Broadway show Of Thee I Sing! with music and lyrics by the Gershwin brothers.

With Muse Day falling in the month we inaugurate a new president and prepare for a new administration, I immediately thought of the 1931 Gershwin Broadway musical in which John P. Wintergreen, the presidential candidate, runs on a platform of love. This year we are all filled with excitement and ready to reach across the aisle with love. Hip, hip, hooray for love!

You’ll find links to other Muse Day posts at host Sweet Home and Garden Chicago.

This Post Has 5 Comments

  1. Nan

    The song made me cry, Pat. Wonderful, wonderful words and the picture is beyond words. I so loved this post.

  2. Carolyn gail

    Happy New Year, Pat and thanks for contributing to GBMD/

  3. Rose

    Wow, what a great choice, Pat! I am not familiar with this musical at all, and I don’t remember ever hearing this Gershwin tune before. But it certainly expresses the mood of the country after the election; I do hope that we can maintain that optimism and excitement after the inauguration. It would be a better world if we all were more patient and cooperated in getting our country back on its feet.

  4. VP

    A great choice – I love Gershwin. And after I wrote my change post today, I was kicking myself for not mentioning the massive change your country sees later on this month!

  5. Pat Leuchtman

    Carolyn Gail – Thanks for coming and visiting with Gershwin.
    Rose – I don’t think the songs from this show are nearly as popular as many other Gershwin tunes, Love is Sweeping might be the best known these days, along with Of Thee I Sing Baby (Summer Fall Winter Spring Baby) but I read on Wikipedia that this play was the first musical to win the Pulitzer for Drama in 1932, but the Wintergreen for President song was adopted by Harvard as a pep song, played at football games. I also hope for cooperation and patience in the coming months.
    VP – we are certainly all hoping for massive, wise and effective change.

Leave a Reply