MovieChat Forums > Cover Girl (1944) Discussion > 'Poor John'

'Poor John'

posted 17 years ago by funkyfry
9 replies | jump to latest

Looking through the comments, I noticed just about every person who posted seemed to HATE this song... and that was from the comments of people hwo LIKED the movie!

Now, this song was not composed by the geniuses Kern and Gershwin, and I admit that it does not hold up to the standards of the rest of the score. But I think people are missing the point, that this is a genuine British-style concert song. The humor is quaint, but it's a type that would have been recognizable still to audiences in the early 40s. It would be equivalent to someone including a song like "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" into a movie today. Even though "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" is a decent song, try playing that song for some kid who only listens to hip hop. That's how I feel people are reacting to "Poor John" today, they just have no reference point for it. I don't think it's a particularly bad song and I think it serves a function in the story and provides some humor. Unfortunately since we don't have nostalgia for that type of thing most of the appeal is probably lost on us. But that doesn't make it a "horrible song" as a lot of people are saying.

Did I not love him, Cooch? MY OWN FLESH I DIDN'T LOVE BETTER!!! But he had to say 'Nooooooooo'

[–] VeganHorseGal 17 years ago

Well I happened to like the song. I thought it was cute and very fitting for the film. I watched the movie for the first time two days ago and still cannot get that song out of my head. I actually just went and purchased a cd with Rita Hayworth songs so that I could hear it again.

I loved the movie it was very well done and Rita couldn't of looked better.

[–] Briwilmen 16 years ago

I'm so aged that I actually saw the original release of COVER GIRL in a UK cinema when I was 13 years old. Those of us who did not usually pull our plonkers, certainly did after seeing the gorgeous RITA HAYWORTH in that one. Only with some knowledge of the English Music Hall tradition would the comic song POOR JOHN come across with today's viewers. Google Nellie Wallace,Ella Shields,Marie Lloyd for starters. By SQUARES

[–] Ishallwearpurple 16 years ago

----and remember well those kind of songs.

We used to go to the American Legion dinners on Friday nights during WWII and they almost always ended with someone banging out these songs and people what-they-called 'singing.'

I love "Poor John" and it made the point to the clueless blueblood, absolutely.

Jane - My Blog: http://purpleladyj.blogspot.com/

"When I am old I will wear purple with a red hat that won't go and won't suit me"

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] xylonian-1 16 years ago

"But I think people are missing the point, that this is a genuine British-style concert song."

Good point. I wasn't wild about the song, but found it interesting they didn't try to pass off a 40s style popular tune as supposedly being from the time period the selection was supposed to represent.

"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five."

[–] ethereal_tb 14 years ago

I *love* it and always have. It's a hoot.

"Think, before you drink, before you drive me mad!"

[–] Fairyangel24 14 years ago

It wasn't really the song that I hated, it was the way it was sung that I didn't like.

[–] gribfritz2 11 years ago

Ding ding ding! We 'ave a winnah, guv! The fake accent was overdone to the point of absurdity, which marred the song.

[–] greenbudgie 8 years ago

It was a good song to have at that point, being a flashback to grandma's day. I don't think it jarred took much against the contemporary Jerome and Gershwin.