My One And Only Highland Fling

Written for: The Barkleys Of Broadway (1949)
Lyric: Ira Gershwin
Music: Harry Warren
Year: 1948, 1949
Original publisher: Harry Warren Music, Inc.

Verse:

Though we're called a people of serious mind,
'Tis often we dance and 'tis often we sing;
And bein' as human as all humankind,
We aren't superior to havin' a fling.
I'm taking the fling of a lifetime,
The fling of a husband and wife-time;

Male chorus:

(He:) When I went romancin',
I gied no thought to any weddin' ring;
Ev'ry bonny lassie was my highland fling.
No chance was I chancin',
I'm not the mon you dangle on a string,
I was canny, waitin' for the real, real thing.
Though I danced each girl
In the twist and twirl
Na' one would do,
An' I went my way
Till the fatal day
In the fling I was flung with you.
Oh, now my heart is prancin',
Drunk as a lord and happy as a king;
The years I'll weather
In the hame or on the heather,
With my one and only highland fling.

*Gied- gave
*Mon- man
*Na'- not
*Hame- home

Female chorus:

(She:) When I went a-dancin',
No special lad I was encouraging;
Ev'ry likely laddie was my highland fling.
No glance I was glancin',
Well, nothin' really worth the mentioning,
Hopin', watchin', waitin' for the real, real thing.
Though they spoke me soft
In the moonlight oft,
Na' one would do.
Till it came to pass,
To this lucky lass,
In the fling I was flung with you.
Oh, now my heart is prancin',
Nothin' about you I'd be altering.
The years I'll weather
In the hame or on the heather,
With my one and only highland fling.

*Na'- not
*Hame- home

Extended patter (from movie):

(He:) I thought you were fallin' for Andy McPherson,
(She:) Na', na', he became an impossible person.
But what about you and that Connie MacKenzie?
(He:) She talked when I putted and drove me to frenzy.
But what of the lad known as Bobbie MacDougal?
(She:) It pays to be thrifty, but he was too frugal.
And weren't you daft about Maggie McDermott?
(He:) I tasted her cookin', 'twould make me a hermit.
How jealous I was of MacDonald McCutcheon?
(She:) His neck had a head on, but there wasn't much in.
I ken you were sweet on one Aggie McGregor.
(He:) Her fancy for bonnets would make me a beggar.
But what about Sandy?
(She:) His hands were too handy.
And wasn't there Jenny?
(He:) I'm na' wantin' any,
I'm na' wantin' any but you.