Cole Porter - It Isn't Done Lyrics

Song from "Fifty Million Frenchmen" 1929 Broadway Musical
Cole Porter - It Isn't Done Lyrics

My dutiful servants, I come to you
On a matter extremely vital.
A certain American parvenue
Has a daughter who needs a title.

I've hunted all over and finally met
A prince who desires to win her,
And so, as a matter of etiquette,
Her ma's giving a dinner.

To celebrate her daughter's fate
Mamma's giving a dinner.

The people she told me I should invite
Have all been engaged for ages,
So if you masquerade as the guests tonight
I promise to raise your wages.
But as about your behavior
I'm still in a state of doubt.
I want to give you several rules for dining out.

As we've been waiting for ages
To get a raise in our wages,
We're naturally perfectly willing to listen
To several rules for dining out.

Don't start the dinner by saying grace,
It isn't done.
Don't wrap the napkin around your face,
It isn't done.
If you see the man who's next to your wife
Giving her the time of her life,
Don't begin to sharpen your knife,
It isn't done.

Don't hit the person across
From you with bits of toast.
And don't, when dinner is nearly through,
Say, "Who's the host?"
You may be tempted
To steal a bit of the silver just for fun,
By the fact remains, it simply isn't done.

Fifty Million Frenchmen the Musical

SYNOPSIS
You Do Something to Me
You've Got That Thing
Find Me a Primitive Man
Where Would You Get Your Coat?
Do You Want to See Paris?
Why Shouldn't I Have You?
Somebody's Going to Throw a Big Party
It Isn't Done
I'm In Love
The Tale of the Oyster
You Don't Know Paree
I'm Unlucky at Gambling