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Puttin' on the Ritz is a popular jazz standard written by Irving Berlin in 1927. The title comes from the slang expression "to put on the Ritz," which means to dress very fashionably and was inspired by the opulent Ritz Hotel in London.
Iconic Versions And Adaptation.
The song has been a cultural staple for nearly a century, with several notable iterations.
🔹️ The Original (1930):
▪️ Originally popularized by Harry Richman in the musical film of the same name.
Fred Astaire:
Particularly associated with the song, Astaire performed it in the 1946 film Blue Skies. Berlin revised the lyrics for this version, changing the setting from Harlem to Park Avenue.
• Young Frankenstein (1974): Mel Brooks' comedy film featured a memorable performance by Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle, where the Monster (Boyle) shouts the title line.
Taco (1982):
The Dutch musician Taco released a synth-pop cover that became a global Top 10 hit and is widely remembered for its stylized 1980s music video.
Lyrical Evolution
1929 Version:
Included references to well-dressed "Harlemites" strolling down Lenox Avenue.
1946 Revision:
Updated by Berlin to describe affluent whites strutting on Park Avenue to make it more applicable to the film Blue Skies.
Sleeping With Fish as a metaphor
Sleeping with the fishes is a widely recognized idiomatic metaphor meaning that a person is dead, often murdered and disposed of in a body of water. It is primarily associated with Mafia or gangster slang, functioning as a euphemism for a victim whose body is hidden, typically at the bottom of a river, lake, or ocean.
Origins and Popularization.
The Godfather: While the phrase is indelibly linked to the 1972 movie The Godfather and Mario Puzo’s 1969 novel, it did not originate there. In the film, Clemenza uses the phrase to explain that Luca Brasi was killed and his body disposed of, describing it as an "old Sicilian message".
Earlier Usage: Similar expressions date back much earlier, potentially to Homer's Iliad (approx. 8th century BC), where Achilles tells Lycaon to "make your bed with the fishes". An exact match appears in Edmund Spencer's 1836 book Sketches of Germany and the Germans, where villagers threaten an angler.
Real-Life Mafia History: The phrase was used in real-life gangster contexts, such as in 1961 when a Mob hitman referred to a victim in this manner.
Metaphorical Significance.
Murder and Concealment: It implies a violent death, often involving the mafia, where the victim's body is weighted down to hide it.
Warning: Sending a dead fish, as in The Godfather (a fish wrapped in a bulletproof vest), is a signal that someone has been killed and is "sleeping on the bottom of the ocean".
Downfall or Failure: While usually referring to death, it can be applied metaphorically to a career or business that has failed completely, akin to being "dead in the water".
Cultural Impact.
It is considered a "dark or sinister" idiom used to convey a tragic demise without being entirely explicit.
It is sometimes confused with "swimming with the fishes".
Why 'Fishes'?
While "fish" is the common plural, "fishes" is often used in this idiomatic phrase, similar to its usage in "loaves and fishes," highlighting the plural nature of the ocean life around the deceased.