Daily Dose

From The Complete Lyrics of Cole Porter, edited by Robert Kimball

A PICTURE OF ME WITHOUT YOU

From being merely a necessary luxury
And someone sympathetic to have about
Why, now you're nearly a luxurious necessity

I couldn't imagine ever living without
I suppose I'd somehow struggle through
But I'd hate to picture myself without you

Picture Henry Ford without a car
Picture heaven's firmament without a star
Picture Fritzy Kreisler without a fiddle
Picture poor Philadelphia without a Biddle
Picture good cigars without Havana
Picture Huey Long without Louisiana
Mix 'em all together, and what have you got?
Just a picture of me without you

Picture H. G. Wells without a brain
Picture Av'rell Harriman without a train
Picture Tintern Abbey without a cloister
Picture Billy the Oysterman without an oyster
Picture Central Park without a sailor
Picture Mister Lord minus Mister Taylor
Mix 'em all together, and what have you got?
Just a picture of me without you

Picture Ogden Nash without a rhyme
Picture Mister Bulova without the time
Picture Staten Island without a ferry
Picture little George Washington without a cherry
Picture brother Cain without his Abel
Picture Clifton Webb minus Mother Mabel
Mix 'em all together, and what have you got?
Just a picture of me without you

Picture Paul Revere without a horse
Picture love in Hollywood without divorce
Picture Barbara Hutton without a nickel
Picture poor Mister Heinz, my dear, without a pickle
Picture City Hall without boondogglin'
Picture Sunday tea minus Father Coughlin
Mix 'em all together and what have you got?
Just a picture of me without you

Picture Lily Pons without a throat
Picture Harold Vanderbilt without a boat
Picture Billy Sunday without a sinner
Picture dear Missus Corrigan without a dinner
Picture Hamlet's ghost without a darkness
Picture Mother Yale minus Father Harkness
Mix 'em all together and what have you got?
Just a picture of me without you!