Charley, My Boy 1924
Vocals: Eddie Cantor
Songwriting: Kahn / Fiorito
Charley is an ordinary fellow to most everyone but Flo, his Flo
She’s convinced that Charley is a very extraordinary beau, some beau
And every evening in the dim light
She has a way of putting him right
Charley, my Boy.
Oh, Charley my Boy
You thrill me, you kill me with shivers of joy
You’ve got the kinda sorta bit of a way
That makes me takes me tell me what shall I say?
And when we dance I read in your glance
Whole pages and ages of love and romance
They tell me Romeo was some lover too
But boy he should have taken lessons from you
You seem to start where others get through
Oh, Charley, my Boy!
Charley!
Charley, my Boy. Oh, Charley my Boy,
You thrill me, you kill me with shivers of joy
You’ve got the kinda sorta bit of a way
That makes me takes me tell me what shall I say?
And when we dance I read in your glance
Whole columns and volumes of love and romance
I know the neighbours hated you at a glance,
And I’ve been warned by cousins, uncles, and aunts,
But like Columbus,
Say I’ll take a chance
Oh, Charley my Boy!
Yes and when we dance
I read in your glance
Just oodles with noodles
Of love and romance
I have a millionaire proposing to me,
I think I’ll marry him though he’s 83,
Think of what a wealthy widow I’ll be
Oh, Charley, my Boy!
From the exhibit, Setting the Story Straight:
This was a popular song for dance band orchestras, which at the time mainly featured male vocalists. With the word ‘boy’ in the title, there is no ambiguity about the object of affection, who the narrator seems to be positively giddy for.
Recordings such as this one that leave the intro verse intact, reveal that the song, despite the use of the gender-neutral “I” pronouns in the chorus, was written from the perspective of Charley’s girlfriend with Eddie Cantor, playing the part of ‘Flo’. Just a few lines give context to the song that would otherwise not be clear, setting up the vocalist as relaying the story of a female character in a heterosexual relationship:
Cantor’s sometimes subtly gendered vocal affectations as he relays Flo’s perspective are clues that he had a penchant for portraying over the top characterisations across race, gender, and ethnicity; like many popular singers of his day Cantor’s pre-radio and recording career started on the vaudeville circuit.
There, he was best known for his comedy skits, portraying stereotypical depictions of Jewish people, spoofing his own heritage. Concurrently, he was an especially big name in the disturbingly enduring American stage tradition of blackface. Although ‘Charley My Boy’ is not specifically racialised, having a third-person verse at the beginning of the song allows listener to understand the context of the singer’s act, and solidifies his role as a comedic storyteller- rather than a queer man in love.