I love the insouciant song written for vaudevillian Eva Tanguay in 1906, “I Don’t Care.” It’s my theme song. Here Judy Garland sings it in “I Don’t Care,” from “In the Good Old Summertime” (1943). The anthem is also the arts•meme theme song.
| They say I’m crazy Got no sense But I don’t care They may or may not mean offense But I don’t care You see, I’m sort of independent I am my own superintendent And my star is on the ascendent That’s why I don’t care I don’t care, I don’t care What they may think of me I’m happy-go-lucky, they say that I’m plucky Contented and carefree I don’t care I don’t care If I do get a mean and stony stare If I’m not successful It won’t be distressful Cause I don’t care |
A girl should know her etiquette Alas, alack Propriety demands we walk a narrow track When fellas used to blink at me I’d freeze ’em and they’d shrink at me But now when fellas wink at me I wink at them right back!I don’t care I don’t care If people frown on me Perhaps it’s the lone way But I go my own way That’s my philosophy I don’t care I don’t care if he’s clerk or just a millionaire There’s no doubt about it, I’ll sing and I’ll shout it Cause I don’t careOh, I don’t care, I don’t care When it comes to happiness, I want my share Don’t try to rearrange me There’s nothing can change me ’cause I don’t care! |
Jack Cole super-charged this number for Mitzi Gaynor in the “The I Don’t Care Girl” (1953). What a genius! The song was written for vaudevillian Eva Tanguay, as part of the Ziegfeld Follies of 1909. Tanguay recorded it in 1922 .
That might be the best attitude. Very bold.
Sally forth with bold insouciance in all things.