A brilliant composer is able to write great music for any audience. Randy Newman, winner of two Oscars for the soundtracks to the cartoons Toy Story and Monsters, Inc., back in 1972 composed a composition that later became the most famous striptease song.
We are talking about You Can Leave Your Hat On, to which Kim Basinger danced in front of Mickey Rourke in the erotic melodrama Nine and a Half Weeks, and six former steelworkers turned on the audience in the comedy Male Striptease.
The history of the song You Can Leave Your Hat On
Randy Newman presented the song to the public on the Sail Away album, but the song really became popular thanks to Joe Cocker’s cover, which sounded so impressive in the film Nine and a Half Weeks directed by Adrian Lyne.
Randy Newman recalled that he composed the track as a joke, but later began to take it much more seriously. And about Joe Cocker, he allegedly said that he sang “You Can Leave Your Hat On” too high. Say, if he tried to perform it in such a way in front of women, it would not have come to the part with the hat.
The meaning of You Can Leave Your Hat On
The main idea of the composition seems unambiguous and there is no need to explain it. Moreover, Kim Basinger clearly demonstrated everything.
True, there is an opinion that the phrase “You can leave your hat on” (“You can not take off your hat”) was originally an appeal not to a dancer, but to visitors to strip bars who could not hide lust on their faces and therefore hid them under wide brim hats. However, this is nothing more than an unconfirmed version.
Clip You Can Leave Your Hat On Joe Cocker
Let’s watch the music video for the song with the famous scene from the cult movie.
You Can Leave Your Hat On
Now the composition is included in the repertoire of many famous performers and is widely used in modern culture.
Interesting Facts
- In the comedy The Full Monty, the song ou Can Leave Your Hat On is sung by Tom Jones. They took the version of Joe Cocker as the basis, which seemed to the director of the picture too serious.
You Can Leave Your Hat On lyrics
Baby, take off your coat, real slow
Baby, take off your shoes. I’ll take off your shoes
Baby, take off your dress. Yes, yes, yes
You can leave your hat on
You can leave your hat on
You can leave your hat on
Go over there, turn on the light. No, all the lights
Come over here, stand on that chair. Eah, that’s right!
Raise your arms in the air, now shake ’em
You give me reason to live
You give me reason to live
You give me reason to live
You give me reason to live
Sweet darling, you can leave your hat on!
You can leave your hat on!
Baby, you can leave your hat on!
You can leave your hat on!
You can leave your hat on!
You can leave your hat on!
Suspicious minds are talking
That’s right, they’ll tear us apart
They don’t believe in this love of mine
They don’t know what love is
They don’t know what love is
They don’t know what love is
They don’t know what love is
I know what love is
Songwriter: Randy Newman
You Can Leave Your Hat On lyrics
Baby, take off your coat, real slow
Baby, take off your shoes. I will take off your shoes
Baby, take off your dress. Yes Yes Yes
You can’t take off your hat
You can’t take off your hat
You can’t take off your hat
Go there, turn on the light. No, the whole world
Come here, stand on that chair. Yes, that’s it!
Raise your hands and wave them
You fill my life with meaning
You fill my life with meaning
You fill my life with meaning
You fill my life with meaning
Honey, you can keep your hat on!
You can’t take off your hat!
Baby, you can keep your hat on!
You can’t take off your hat!
You can’t take off your hat!
You can’t take off your hat!
Evil tongues are talking
That’s right, they’ll tear us apart
They don’t believe in this love of mine
They don’t know what love is
They don’t know what love is
They don’t know what love is
They don’t know what love is
And I know that there is love
Song quote
Many great songwriters (including Randy Newman) can write great love songs, but few can write about lust the way Newman did here.
Allmusic
