THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

655-Gary Shearston-I Get a Kick out of You.

1974-Number 7 single.

Best Bit-At 3.10. It is not uncommon for comedians to perform in a ‘deadpan’ manner, but there are also singers who do as well. What probably makes this even more striking, is the added ‘monotone’ delivery.

Gary Ghett Shearston was born on January 9th, 1939, in Inverell, New South Wales, Australia, he died on July 1st, 2013, after suffering a stroke. Shearston was at one time the best selling Folk singer in Australia, first charting in his home country in 1965, with the Number 33 single ‘Sydney Town.’ This led to him being given his own national television show called ‘Just Folk’. It was his 1974 Album ‘Dingo’ which brought him his greatest musical success, which included this song, giving him his only international hit, peaking at Number 7 in the UK, and Number 19 in Australia.After several years of touring Shearston returned to Australia in 1989, and became a priest in 1992.

‘I Get a Kick out of You’ was written by Cole Porter (1891-1964) (see also best songs 944-295 and 73) for the 1931 musical ‘Star Dust,’ but it wasn’t used, it was first introduced in the musical ‘Anything Goes,’ and sung by Ethel Merman (1908-1984) in the 1936 film version.Cole Porter’s lyrics have caused controversy over the years, the line ‘Some get a kick from cocaine,’ had to be re-written by Porter as ‘Some like the perfume in Spain,’ as the reference to drugs was not allowed by the Hollywood Films Production Code of 1934. The original lyrics also included the line ‘That’s the fair, Mrs Lindbergh goes through,’ this was changed to ‘Flying too high with some guy in the sky.’ The change was made due to the tragic kidnapping. and murder of Anne Linsbergh’s infant child in 1932.

‘I get a kick every time I see you standing there before me, I get a kick though it’s clear to see, you obviously do not adore me.’