All Er Nuthin'
"All Er Nuthin'" is a tune from the 1943 musical play Oklahoma!, written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II.
| "All Er Nuthin'" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Published | 1943 |
| Genre | Showtune |
| Composer(s) | Richard Rodgers |
| Lyricist(s) | Oscar Hammerstein II |
This song is near the end of the musical, where the secondary characters Will Parker and Ado Annie Carnes decide to get married. Will is wary about marrying Annie because he knows she's a girl who just can't say no to other men's pick-ups, come-ons, and other advances by suitors. In this song he essentially asks for a promise of fidelity from Annie, who eventually agrees to be faithful to him.
After Annie suggests a future child in this duet:
Will: He'd better look a lot like me!
Ado Annie: The spitt'n' image!
There is a second part to the song; between these parts Will flirts with a couple of other girls, Annie then sings about Will's double standards and suggests that a man expects his wife to be faithful while he himself continues to be "wild and free." Will is pleased when she seems to be accepting this double standard, but at the end she turns the tables on him, singing:
So I ain't gonna fuss, ain't gonna frown
Have your fun, go out on the town,
Stay up late, and don't come home till three!
And go right off to sleep if you're sleepy.
There's no use waitin' up fer me!
Annie may agree to the marriage, but only on her terms.