The Greatest Duet Ever? Bob Hope and Shirley Ross Sing “Thanks for the Memory,” in The Big Broadcast of 1938

Re-posted by Nicholas Stix

This standard became Bob Hope’s signature. Every time he appeared on TV, as host or guest, the band played a variation on it. And who could ask for a better theme song?

For my money, the saddest lyric in the English language is,

“But we were intelligent people,
“No tears, no fuss, hooray, for us.”
 

Thanks for the Memory
Music by Ralph Rainger
Words by Leo Robin

As performed by BOB HOPE & SHIRLEY ROSS
in the film The Big Broadcast Of 1938:

HOPE: Thanks for the memory,
Of rainy afternoons,
Swingy Harlem tunes,
Motor trips and burning lips,
And burning toast and prunes,
ROSS: How lovely, it was.

Thanks for the memory,
Of candlelight and wine,
Castles on the Rhine,
The Parthenon,
HOPE: And moments on
The Hudson River line,
ROSS: How lovely, it was.

HOPE: Many's the time that we feasted,
ROSS: And many's the time that we fasted,
HOPE: Oh well, it was swell while it lasted,
We did have fun,
And no harm done.

So, thanks for the memory,
Of crap games on the floor,
ROSS: Nights in Singapore,
You might have been a headache,
But you never were a bore,
HOPE: I thank you so much.

ROSS: Thanks for the memory,
Of China's funny walls,
Transatlantic calls,
HOPE: That weekend at Niagara,
When we hardly saw the Falls,
ROSS: How lovely, that was.
HOPE: Thank you.

ROSS: Thanks for the memory,
Of lunch from twelve to four,
Sunburn at the shore,
That pair of gay pajamas,
That you bought and never wore,
HOPE: Say, by the way, what did happen to those pyjamas. huh?

ROSS: Letters with sweet little secrets,
That couldn't be put in a day wire,
HOPE: Too bad, it all had to go haywire,
That's life, I guess,
I love your dress
ROSS: Do ya?
HOPE: It's pretty
ROSS: Thank you.

For the memory,
Of faults that you forgave,
Rainbows on a wave,
HOPE: And stockings in a basin,
When a fellow needs a shave,
I thank you so much.

ROSS: Thanks for the memory,
Of gardens at Versailles,
HOPE: And beef and kidney pie,
ROSS: The night you worked,
And then came home,
With lipstick on your tie,
HOPE: Uh-huh, how lovely that was
ROSS Huh?

HOPE: For the memory,
Of lingerie with lace,
ROSS: Yes, and Pilsner by the case,
And how I jumped the day you trumped,
My one and only ace,
HOPE: How lo....lovely that was

ROSS: We said goodbye with a highball,
HOPE: And I got as high as a steeple,
ROSS: Did ya?
HOPE: But we were intelligent people,
ROSS: No tears, no fuss,
BOTH: Hooray for us.

ROSS: Strictly entre nous,
Darling, how are you,
HOPE: And how are all the little dreams,
That never did come true,
ROSS: Awfully glad I met you,
HOPE: Cheerio and toodle-oo,
ROSS: Thank you
HOPE Thank you!
 

(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - March 2013)
 


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As recorded by BOB HOPE & SHIRLEY ROSS
for record release:

Thanks for the memory,
Of sentimental verse,
Nothing in my purse,
And chuckles when the preacher said,
For better or for worse,
How lovely it was.

Thanks for the memory,
Of Schubert's Serenade,
Little things of jade,
And traffic jams and anagrams,
And bills we never paid,
How lovely, it was.

We who could laugh over big things,
Were parted by only a slight thing,
I wonder if we did the right thing,
Oh, well, that's life, I guess
I love your dress.

Thanks for the memory,
Of faults that you forgave,
Of rainbows on a wave,
And stockings in the basin,
When a fellow needs a shave,
Thank you so much.

Thanks for the memory,
Of tinkling temple bells,
Alma mater yells,
And Cuban rum and towels from,
The very best hotels,
Oh, how lovely it was.

Thanks for the memory,
Of cushions on the floor,
Hash with Dinty Moore,
That pair of gay pajamas,
That you bought,
And never wore.

We said goodbye with a highball,
Then I got as high as a steeple,
But we were intelligent people,
No tears, no fuss,
Hooray for us.

Strictly entre nous,
Darling, how are you,
And how are all those little dreams,
That never did come true,
Awfully glad I met you,
Cheerio and toodle-oo,
Thank you,
Thank you so much.