Cole Porter was basically the smartest guy in the room, and he knew it. When you listen to the I Got a Kick Out of You lyrics, you’re not just hearing a love song; you’re hearing a masterclass in urban cynicism and Great Depression-era rebellion. It’s a song about being bored with everything—even the illegal stuff—except for that one person who ruins your day in the best possible way.
Originally written for the 1934 musical Anything Goes, the track was first belted out by Ethel Merman. Think about that for a second. 1934. The United States was struggling through the dust bowl and economic collapse, yet Porter was writing about the "ennui" of high-society folks who found cocaine and champagne boring. It was provocative then, and honestly, the way the lyrics have been censored and tweaked over the decades tells a whole different story about American culture.
Most people recognize the Frank Sinatra version. It’s smooth. It’s cool. But if you look at the original sheet music, there’s a much sharper edge to the words than Ol' Blue Eyes usually let on.
The Scandalous History of the Cocaine Line
Let's talk about the elephant in the room. Or rather, the powder in the room.
The first verse contains one of the most famous drug references in the Great American Songbook. Porter wrote: "Some get a kick from cocaine / I’m sure that if I took even one sniff / That would bore me terrifically, too." In the 1930s, this was edgy. It wasn't just about the drug; it was about the boredom. Porter was suggesting that the ultimate "high" of the era wasn't even enough to move the needle for his protagonist.
But Hollywood and radio stations weren't having it. By the time the 1936 film version of Anything Goes rolled around, the Hays Code (the industry's strict moral censorship) was in full effect. You couldn't just mention "coke" on the silver screen. So, the lyrics were often changed. Suddenly, "Some get a kick from cocaine" became "Some like the perfume from Spain." Spain? It doesn't even make sense in context, but it kept the censors happy.
Even Sinatra struggled with this. In some of his earlier recordings and live performances, he’d swap the drug reference for "Some like the bop-type refrain" or other variations. It’s kind of funny how a song about being unimpressed by everything was the very thing that made everyone so nervous.
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Why the Rhyme Scheme is Pure Genius
Cole Porter was a Yale and Harvard-educated songwriter who spent his time in Paris. He didn't write like the other guys. While his contemporaries were sticking to simple "moon/June/spoon" rhymes, Porter was layering internal rhymes that make singers sweat.
Look at the structure of the I Got a Kick Out of You lyrics. He rhymes "flying too high" with "guy in the sky," but then he pulls a fast one by rhyming "terrifically" with "specifically." Nobody does that. It’s hyper-intellectual but sounds effortless when it's sung right.
The song is built on a series of "nots."
- I don't get a kick from champagne.
- I don't get a kick from a plane.
- I don't get a kick from cocaine.
He’s stripping away every common vice of the 1930s elite to leave only the object of his affection. It’s a high-class version of "nothing matters but you," but with a lot more sarcasm. The protagonist is basically saying, "Look, I’m a jaded, wealthy, over-traveled snob who has tried everything, and you’re the only thing that doesn't make me want to yawn." It’s romantic in a very dark, dry way.
Flying High and the Lindbergh Context
When Porter wrote "I get no kick in a plane / I shouldn't care to be flying too high / With some guy in the sky," he was tapping into a very specific cultural moment. Aviation was the "space race" of the 1930s. Charles Lindbergh had crossed the Atlantic just seven years prior. Flying was the ultimate thrill.
By saying that even flying with a "guy in the sky" (a pilot) was boring, Porter was asserting a level of sophistication that was almost untouchable. He was saying his character had "been there, done that" with the greatest technological feat of the century.
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Different Versions, Different Vibes
Every singer who touches these lyrics changes the DNA of the song.
- Ethel Merman: The original. She sang it with a brassy, almost defiant tone. In the context of the play, her character, Reno Sweeney, is a former evangelist turned nightclub singer. The lyrics feel like a confession from someone who has seen it all and isn't impressed by the flashy life she leads.
- Frank Sinatra: He turned it into a swing staple. When Frank sings it, the "kick" feels like a literal physical reaction. He emphasizes the rhythm, making the boredom feel like a cool, detached choice rather than a depression.
- Ella Fitzgerald: Her version is arguably the most technically perfect. She treats the lyrics like a jazz instrument, playing with the "b" sounds in "bore me terrifically" and making the whole thing feel like a sophisticated conversation over a very expensive martini.
- Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett: A modern revival. Gaga brings back some of that Merman-esque theatricality, reminding us that the song is, at its heart, a theater piece.
The Ennui of the Lyrics
"Ennui" is a fancy word for a specific kind of listless boredom, and Porter was the king of it.
The song starts with "My story is much too sad to be told / But practically everything leaves me totally cold." This sets the stage. It’s an admission of emotional numbness. In a world that was literally falling apart, the characters in Porter's plays were insulated by money but dying of boredom.
The irony, of course, is that the music is incredibly catchy. The melody "kicks" even if the lyrics claim the singer doesn't. This juxtaposition is what makes it a masterpiece. You're humming along to a song about a guy who thinks champagne is "lowly" and "only makes me a bore."
Common Misconceptions About the Words
A lot of people think the song is a straightforward love ballad. It really isn't. If you read the I Got a Kick Out of You lyrics closely, they are quite self-deprecating. The singer is admitting they are a difficult, bored person.
There's also a persistent myth that the song was written for Sinatra. Not even close. Sinatra didn't record his most famous version (the Nelson Riddle arrangement) until 1953, nearly twenty years after the song premiered on Broadway. By then, the song had already survived the Great Depression, World War II, and several rounds of censorship.
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Another thing: people often mishear the line "I get no kick from champagne." They think it’s a temperance song. It’s the opposite. Porter loved a good party. The line isn't about the alcohol being bad; it's about the singer's tolerance being too high. They’ve had so much of the good life that the bubbles don't tickle anymore.
How to Truly Appreciate the Song Today
To get the most out of this track, you have to stop thinking of it as "oldies" music.
Imagine it as a modern-day social media post from someone who is "over it." It’s the 1934 version of "everything is mid." Once you see the humor and the saltiness in Porter’s writing, the song stops being a museum piece and starts being a vibe.
The lyrics are a reminder that human nature hasn't changed much. We still get bored with the latest tech (the "plane"), we still look for escapes (the "cocaine"), and we still find ourselves completely undone by one specific person who doesn't fit into our cynical worldview.
Actionable Ways to Explore Cole Porter’s Work
If this song has stuck in your head, don't stop here. The world of 1930s songwriting is a rabbit hole worth falling down.
- Listen to the 1934 original cast recording: Hear how Ethel Merman handled the "cocaine" line before it was sanitized. It’s much more aggressive than you’d expect.
- Compare the "Perfume from Spain" version: Find a recording from the 1940s or a radio edit. It’s a fascinating look at how US media used to "clean up" art for the public.
- Read a biography of Cole Porter: His life was as scandalous and complex as his lyrics. He lived a double life in many ways, and that tension is baked into every word he wrote.
- Look up the internal rhymes: Print out the lyrics and highlight the rhymes that happen inside the lines. It’ll change how you hear the rhythm of the song.
The genius of the song is that it remains relevant. Whether it's a "kick," a "vibe," or a "rush," that feeling of finding someone who cuts through the noise of a boring world is timeless. Porter just happened to find the perfect way to rhyme it with "champagne."