Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra - Let's Call The Whole Thing Off (Verve Records 1957)

"Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" is a song written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin for the 1937 film Shall We Dance where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as part of a celebrated dance duet on roller skates. The song is most famous for its "You like to-may-toes (/təˈmeɪtoʊz/) and I like to-mah-toes (/təˈmɑːtoʊz/)" and other verses comparing their different regional dialects. The differences in pronunciation are not simply regional, however, and serve more specifically to identify class differences. At the time, typical American pronunciations were considered less "refined" by the upper-class, and there was a specific emphasis on the "broader" a sound. This class distinction with respect to pronunciation has been retained in caricatures, especially in the theater where the longer a pronunciation is most strongly associated with the word "darling." The song was ranked No. 34 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs. Billie's accompanied by Harry Edison (trumpet), Ben Webster (tenor saxophone), Jimmy Rowles (piano), Barney Kessel (guitar), Red Mitchell (bass) and Larry Bunker (drums) Recorded in Los Angeles, January 9, 1957. (Verve Records) You say either, and I say either You say neither, and I say neither either, either neither, neither Let's call the whole thing off You like potatoes, and I like potatoes You like tomatoes, and I like tomatoes Potatoes, potatoes tomatoes, tomatoes Let's call the whole thing off But oh if we call the whole thing off Then we must part And oh if we ever part Then that might break my heart So if you like pajamas, and I like pajamas I wear pajamas and give up pajamas For we know we need each other soley Better call the calling off off Let's call the whole thing off You say laughter, and I say laughter You say after, and I say after Laughter, laughter, after, after Let's call the whole thing off You like vanilla, and I like vanilla You Sarsaparilla, and I Sarsaparilla Vanilla, vanilla chocolate strawberry Let's call the whole thing off But oh if we call the whole thing off Then we must part And oh if we ever part Then that might break my heart If you go for oysters, I go for oysters I order oystesr and cancel the oysters For we know we need each other soley Better call the calling off off Let's call the whole thing off?