In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening

"In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" is a popular song with music by Hoagy Carmichael and lyrics by Johnny Mercer.^[1] It was written for the 1951 film, Here Comes the Groom, and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.^[1]

The recording by Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman was released by Decca Records as catalog number 27678.^[2] It first reached the Billboard Best Seller chart on September 21, 1951, and lasted six weeks on the chart, peaking at number 23.^[3]

Lyrics

In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
Tell 'em I'll be there
In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
Save your pappy a chair

When the party's getting a glow on
And singin' fills the air
In the shank of the night
When the doin's are right
Well, you can tell 'em I'll be there

I like a barbecue, I like to boil a ham
And I vote for bouillabaisse stew (What's that?)
I like a weenie bake, steak and a layer cake
And you'll get a tummy ache too

We'll rent a tent or a teepee
Let the town crier cry, "All's well!"
And if it's RSVP, this is what I'll reply

In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
Tell 'em we'll be there
If you need a pair of freeloaders
To fracture your affair

I may even give them Pagliacci
Now stand back and give him air
If one can relax and we'll have a few yaks
And you can tell them we'll be there

"Whee!" said the bumblebee
"Let's have a jubilee!"
"When?" said the prairie hen, "Soon?"

"Sure!" said the dinosaur.
"Where?" said the grizzly bear,
"Under the light of the moon?"
"How 'bout ya, brother jackass?"
Ev'ryone gaily cried,
"Are you comin' to the fracas?"
Over his specs he sighed,

In the cool, cool, cool of the evenin'
Tell 'em I'll be there.
In the cool, cool, cool of the evenin'
Slickum on my hair.

If perchance we look a bit peaked
Remember c’est la guerre
If we're still on our feet
And there's something to eat
Well, you can tell them we'll be there

In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
Tell 'em I'll be there
In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
Better save a chair

When the party's getting a glow on
And singin' fills the air
If there's gas in my hack
And my laundry is back

If there's room for one more
And you need me, why sure
If you need a new face or a tenor or bass
If I can climb out of bed and put a hat on my head
Well, you can tell 'em we'll be there
^[4]

References