Song Character Analysis Worksheet - The University of North ...

The song appears twice more as a plot device for Magnolia. It is used as a
production number for the wedding in the Act I finale and as her audition song at the
Trocadero Club in Act II. The audition reprise is sung first to a simple guitar accompani-
ment as an old-fashioned “coon” song. Then it is modernized with a new ragtime beat
accompaniment, as illustrated in Figure 2.
a.
b.
Figure 2. “Can’t Help Lovin’ ‘dat Man” reprise, mm. 3-4 and 32-33. 55
The original eighth-note rhythm pattern (a.) is sung in performance practice with a swing
triplet feel that adheres to the blues style. This singing approach provides a languid
quality to the text that reinforces the inevitability of the text metaphors–the woman
cannot control her emotions or desires for they are a natural biological fact. The modern
ragged rhythmic pattern (b.) demands a more frenetic, instrumental style of articulation.
This approach trivializes the text with a non-committal attitude, like that of the 1920s
New Woman. Though it is technically a “prop” song, Kern used it to good effect to
summarize the emotional life and hegemonic ties of the two lead female characters to
55 Show Boat Vocal/Piano score, 166, 169.
106