Updating Old Lyrics

Welcome, lyricists, to a challenge 100 years in the making!

Many of George Gershwin’s oldest songs have lyrics which sound dated, for various reasons. They may have been specifically written for a scene in a show that had a particularly odd premise (“Tum On and Tiss Me” and “Making of a Girl”) or their old references just ring hollow to modern ears (“Come to the Moon” and “The Best of Everything”). One of Gershwin’s earliest compositions, “Ragging the Traumerei,” originally had lyrics that have since vanished.

Here is my list of the George Gershwin songs that are most deserving of updated lyrics:

“O Land of Mine, America” (Gershwin’s National Anthem)
“Come to the Moon”
“Tum On and Tiss Me”
“You-oo Just You”
“The Best of Everything”
“Making of a Girl”
“Ragging the Traumerei”

We will post your best efforts here on the Gershwin 100 website. Please e-mail all lyric entries to gershwinsanthem@gmail.com.

And of course, please help spread the word on our primary lyric competition for Gershwin’s 1919 national anthem. His entry for that competition was “O Land of Mine, America” which is sorely in need of updated lyrics.