Let's Call The Whole Thing Off

Words & Music by Ira & George Gershwin
Recorded by Fred Astaire, 1937
From the movie "Shall We Dance?"


D       Bm         G     A-9
You say eether and I say eyether,

D       Bm         G     A-9
You say neether and I say nyther; 

D       D7       G       Gdim
Eether, eyether, neether, nyther - 

F#m            Bm7-5       Em7     A7
Let's call the whole thing off! 


D          Bm       G         A-9
You like potato and I like po-tah-to, 

D          Bm       G         A-9
You like tomato and I like to-mah-to; 

D           D7        G      Gdim
Potato, po-tah-to, tomato, to-mah-to - 

D              A-9    A7    D
Let's call the whole thing off! 



Bridge:

  G#m  F#m            B7          E  
But oh, if we call the whole thing off, 

EM   A        D D7
Then we must part. 

   G#m F#m        B7
And oh, if we ever part, 

E               Em       A-9
Then that might break my heart. 


      D           Bm       G         A-9
So, if you like pajamas and I like pa-jah-mas, 

D            Bm         G        A-9
I'll wear pajamas and give up pa-jah-mas. 

D      D7       G             Gdim
For we know we need each other, so we 

F#m              G6      G  B7
Better call the calling off off. 

Em7             A-9   A7    D
Let's call the whole thing off! 


D       Bm           G     A-9
You say laughter and I say lawfter, 

D       Bm        G     A-9
You say after and I say awfter; 

D          D7       G    Gdim
Laughter, lawfter, after, awfter - 

F#m            Bm7-5       Em7     A7
Let's call the whole thing off! 


D        Bm         G        A-9
You like Havana and I like Havahnah

D       Bm          G       A-9
You eat bananas and I eat banahnahs

D          D7        G       Gdim
Havana, Havahnah, Bananas, banahnahs 

D              A-9    A7    D
Let's call the whole thing off! 



Repeat Bridge: 

       D       Bm          G      A-9
So, if you like oysters and I like ersters, 

D         Bm          G      A-9
I'll take oysters and give up ersters. 

D      D7       G             Gdim
For we know we need each other, so we 

F#m              G6      G  B7
Better call the calling off off. 

Em7             A-9   A7    D
Let's call the whole thing off!



I'm including all of the lyric that I was able to find, against my own gut feeling -- even though attempting to rhyme "oysters" and "ersters," on the heels of rhyming "lawfter" and "awfter" just about makes my skin crawl. "Ersters"???? Ira Gershwin, what were you thinking??


 
The lyric and guitar chord transcriptions on this site are the work of The Guitarguy and are intended for private study, research, or educational purposes only. Individual transcriptions are inspired by and and based upon the recorded versions cited, but are not necessarily exact replications of those recorded versions.