From Booksmart Studios, this is Lexicon Valley, a podcast about language.
I'm John McWhorter, and you know, let's open with a song from 1937.
This is Dick Powell singing a song written, actually, by the Wizard of Oz guys.
This is Harold Arlen's music and Yip Harburg's lyrics, and it's about the weather.
Speaking of the weather, speaking of the weather,
speaking of the weather, it isn't the humidity, it's you.
Come Dunner, come Blitzen, come Fitter or Pat.
What in thunder is thunder compared to my heart when it beats like that?
Speaking of the weather, speaking of the thunder, speaking of the lightning,
it's frightening, dear, what your eyes can do.
Let the heavens crash, zoom and swirl.
Let it flash, boy meets girl.
Speaking of the weather, good old weather.
Ain't it lovely weather?
And incidentally, I love you.
You know,
there are times when it feels strange to do a podcast about something fun when the world isn't.
So given what's been happening, in fact,
exactly in the cave that I referred to in the last episode, I decided to just pretend.
Actually, it wasn't me who decided, but my brilliant sweetheart who suggested this.