They All Laughed
Shall We Dance, (1937)
  • Lyrics
  • Heard at The Shedd...
  • Recordings
  • Show History
They All Laughed
1937
Ira Gershwin (w)
, George Gershwin (m)
Shall We Dance, 1937
VERSE
The odds were a hundred to one against me.
The world thought the heights were too high to climb.
But people from Missouri never incensed me.
Oh, I wasn’t a bit concerned,
For from hist’ry I had learned
How many, many times the worm had turned.
REFRAIN 1
They all laughed at Christopher Columbus
When he said the world was round.
They all laughed when Edison recorded sound.
They all laughed at Wilbur and his brother
When they said that man could fly.
They told Marconi wireless was a phony.
It's the same old cry.
They laughed at me wanting you.
Said I was reaching for the moon.
But oh, you came through.
Now they'll have to change their tune.
They all said we never could be happy,
They laughed at us and how!
But ho, ho, ho! Who's got the last laugh now?
REFRAIN 2
They all laughed at Rockefeller Center,
now they're fighting to get in.
They all laughed at Whitney and his cotton gin.
They all laughed Fulton and his steamboat,
Hershey and his chocolate bar.
Ford and his Lizzie, kept the laughers busy.
That's how people are.
They laughed at me wanting you.
Said it would be, "Hello, Goodbye."
But oh, you came through.
Now they're eating humble pie.
They all said we'd never get together--
Darling, let's take a bow.
For ho, ho, ho!
Who's got the last laugh--
Hee, hee, hee!
Let's at the past laugh--
Ha, ha, ha!
Who's got the last laugh now?
2002
Aug 8OFAM 2002Shall We DanceRecital
2008
Aug 1OFAM 2008Shall We DanceRecital
2009
Aug 6OFAM 2009SummertimeJaqua
2010
Apr 30-May 9JK 2009-10'S Wonderful
Jul 29OFAM 2010Man Bites DogJaqua
2011
Aug 2OFAM 2011Embraceable YouJaqua
Aug 4OFAM 2011Let's Do ItJaqua
2015
Jul 2SW 2014-15Fred & Ginger!Jaqua
2017
Aug 4OFAM 2017Shall We DanceRecital
Aug 4OFAM 2017They All LaughedJaqua
Aug 11OFAM 2017They All LaughedJaqua
2022
Jul 30-Aug 4OFAM 2022Pick Yourself UpJaqua
Jul 30OFAM 2022Pick Yourself UpJaqua
Aug 4OFAM 2022Pick Yourself UpJaqua
RecordedPerformersLabelCat.#Matrix
Larry AdlerHarmony1027CO25933
Fred Astaire With Jazz At The PhilharmonicMercury11097
03/10/1937Tommy Dorsey & His OrchestraVictor2554406619
03/12/1937Ozzie Nelson & His OrchestraBluebirdB6873-B6636
03/13/1937Nat Brandwynne & His OrchestraMelotone7-05-1620802
03/17/1937Jimmy Dorsey's OrchestraDecca1204DLA759
03/18/1937Fred AstaireBrunswick7856LA1273
03/18/1937Fred AstaireColumbia3165-DLA1273
10/08/1954Carmen McraeDecca2939886916
YearTitleMediumTypeUsage
1937Shall We Dancefilmfilm originalintroduced
They All Laughed film still (Shall We Dance) They All Laughed
Collis Wealth Management
Jazz Kings Title Sponsor
The Eye Center
Shedd Presenting Sponsor