I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby

(Fields, McHugh)

Transcribed from vocals by Una Mae Carlisle and Fats Waller, recorded November 3, 1939;
From Fats Waller, 1939-1940; Chronological Classics, 1002.

Photograph of Fats Waller
(Plain text: Una Mae Carlisle; italics: Fats Waller)

I can't give you anything but love, baby;
That's the only thing I've plenty of, baby!
Yeah, what am I supposed to do?
Dream awhile,
Yeah!
Scheme awhile,
You're wrong.
You're sure to find
There's lot's of things I'm sure to find.
Happiness,
Um-hm,
And, I guess,
All those things you're sure to pine for.

Gee, I'd love to see you looking swell, baby,
Well, my tailor's waiting right outside the door; you can catch me lookin' swell;
Diamond bracelets Woolworths doesn't sell, my little baby;
I never had a diamond bracelet in my life; what do I want it for?
Till that lucky day, you know darn well,
What happens? What goes on in here?
Oh, baby!
That I can't give you anything but love.

Come here; let me tell you something:
I can't dish out anything but love, babe;
That's the only thing I 've got plenty of, baby!
Talk about dreamin' awhile,
Schemin' awhile,
You're sure to find,
Happiness, yeah, and all those fine Arabian things your little heart pines for, yeah!
Skip 'em.

I'd love to see you looking swell,
Diamond bracelets Woolworths ain't got no business sellin' 'em.
You can go to , go , ah, to well, well, well,
'Cause till that lucky day,
You know darn well, well, baby,
I ain't dishin' out nothin', ain't gettin' off on nothin' but love.
How's that, babe? Here's your diamonds.

Transcribed from vocal by Adelaide Hall with Fats Waller, recorded July 28, 1938;
From Fats Waller, 1938, Chronological Classics 913.

I can't give you anything but love, baby,
Why, that's the only thing I've plenty of, baby,
Dream awhile,
And scheme awhile,
You're sure to find
Happiness, and I guess,
All those things we've always pined for.

Gee, I'd like to see you lookin' swell, baby,
Diamond bracelets Woolworth's doesn't sell, my little baby,
Until that lucky day, you know darn well, baby,
That I can't give you anything but love.

Oh, I can't give you anything but love, my little fat baby,
Oh, baby, don't talk like that!
That's the only thing that I've plenty of, baby,
Are you talking to me, baby?
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
Dream awhile,
Let me dream!
Scheme awhile,
Let me scheme!
You're sure to find
Find what? Find what?
Happiness, happiness, and I guess,
All those things we've always pined for.

Gee, I'd like to see you lookin' swell, baby,
Diamonds, Sunday suits and ties and stuff, my little baby,
Until that lucky day, you know darn well, baby,
That I can't give you anything but love.
Yeah!

Notes on this recording: According to Maurice Waller, in his excellent biography of his father, Fats Waller, Fats hated sentimental songs and clowned around during his performances of them in the hopes that he wouldn't be asked to perform them again. This is one of his most cutting performances of such a song. He must have really hated this one! At least, he hated doing it with Una Mae Carlisle!

Cover of Maurice Waller's biography of his father, Fats Waller.

You can find transcriptions of what Fats Waller actually played in Thomas "Fats" Waller: The Great Solos, 1929-1941, transcribed by Paul Posnak.

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Published 9/20/00.
Updated 11/1/00.

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