After yesterday’s She Drew The Gun songs, let’s go back to an original Cole Porter number from 1934, which contains that shot line of defiance and revenge, a tragic tale about a society woman who simply would not take it anymore. The power of this song is the contrast of politeness and violence, Miss Otis sending her regrets because she drew a gun, and had to shoot the man who wronged her. Furthermore she is imprisoned and then killed by the mob, but still apologises, or at least is announced so, for missing lunch. It’s an astonishingly powerful because of the contrast of restraint and beauty of the music. It is also thought that the song was originally written off the cuff as a bet, friends in a restaurant challenging Porter to turn the opening lines spoken by a waiter. It that is true then the great songwriter certainly moved it in an unexpectedly twisted but brilliant direction.
The song was first performed on stage by Douglas Byng in the musical Hi Diddle Diddle, which opened on 3 October 1934 at London’s Savoy Theatre, London, though it was originally written for Ada "Bricktop" Smith. It has been covered by many artists, including Nat King Cole, Edith Piaf, Nancy Wilson, Jose Feliciano, Linda Ronstadt, Kirsty MacColl with The Pogues, The Mills Brothers, LaBelle, Bette Midler, John Barrowman, Josh White, and Bryan Ferry to name but a few, but let’s enjoy two the best - a 1934 contemporary version by Ethel Waters - slightly crackly, and also from the divine voice of Ella Fitzgerald.
Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today
Madam, Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today
She's sorry to be delayed
But last evening down in lovers lane she strayed
Madam, Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today
When She woke up and found that her dream of love was gone
Madam, She ran to the man who had led her so far astray
And from under her velvet gown
She drew a gun and shot her lover down
Madam, Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch to day
When the Mob came and got her and dragged her from the jail
Madam, they strung her apon the willow across the way
And the moment before she died
She lifted up her lovely head and cried
Madam, Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today
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