Just One of Those Things

By Cole Porter
1935

A classic example of the style and sophistication that characterized much of the standards era, this extremely popular song was originally composed by Porter for the musical Jubilee. Doris Day included it in two of her 1950s movies, Lullaby of Broadway and Young at Heart, and Nat Cole named a 1957 album for it. A mature reflection on an ended love affair, the song also features prominently in The Catcher in the Rye, in which it is a favorite of Holden Caulfield. Can you imagine a contemporary pop song referencing Abelard and Heloise?

Lyrics:

As Dorothy Parker once said to her boyfriend,
Fare thee well.
As Columbus announced, when he nearly was bounced,
It was swell, Isabelle, swell.
As Abelard said to Heloise,
Don't forget to drop a line to me, please.
As Juliet cried in her Romeo's ear,
"Romeo, why not face the fact, my dear?"

It was just one of those things,
Just one of those crazy flings.
One of those bells that now and then rings,
Just one of those things.

It was just one of those nights,
Just one of those fabulous flights.
A trip to the moon on gossamer wings,
Just one of those things.

If we'd thought a bit
By the end of it,
When we started painting the town,
We'd have been aware
That our love affair
Was too hot not to cool down.

So good-bye, dear, and amen,
Here's hoping we meet now and then.
It was great fun,
But it was just one of those things.

Recorded By:

Ella Fitzgerald
Maurice Chevalier
Frank Sinatra
Peggy Lee
Louis Prima