Annie Get Your Gun Lyrics – All Songs from the Musical

Overview: Annie Get Your Gun.

Dorothy Fields is the author of the idea of this musical and the creator of it. The idea itself was born because she wanted to start with her friend, Ethel. The first producer was Mike Todd, but he did not like the idea and totally rejected it. Then Dorothy found another producer, O. Hammerstein & R. Rodgers, who agreed, as they had worked with Fields. The composer Jerome Kern was invited, and Dorothy decided that she would write both music and a book for the production. However, the fate is a big joker sometimes – the composer died in the street from cerebral disease in 1945 without having started it. Irving Berlin was next, who asked to put music together, and he, in addition, took lyrics also. Initially hesitant, Irving began working, writing three test songs in a few days. They matched the plot and the vocal data of Ethel and Glad Irving pretty quickly wrote the remaining songs and words.
One of the songs, which became the only hit of the play, There's No Business Like Show Business, was initially excluded from it, since the composer mistakenly thought the producer did not like it. After successful first performances, was parallel storyline was added about love flaring between two subsidiary artists.
The musical was reworked by Peter Stone in 1999, adapted to current realities and all references to the American Indians were excluded. In addition, intense depth was added and the format of "the play in the play", the same as in Master & Margarita by Bulgakov.

Type of article.

Synopsis and background. With production history, songs, recordings, and recent developments.

Key facts at a glance.

Musical	Year	Creators	Milestones
Annie Get Your Gun	1946	Music and lyrics, Irving Berlin. Book, Dorothy and Herbert Fields.	1,147 Broadway performances. 1950 film adaptation.
1999 Broadway revival	1999	Revised book by Peter Stone.	1,045 performances. Tony Award, Best Revival. Grammy winning album.

Plot summary.

Annie Oakley can shoot better than anyone. Hearts included.

Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show needs a spark. Annie provides fireworks.

She meets Frank Butler, star marksman. Sparks turn into rivalry, then romance.

They duel onstage and off. Ego complicates love, applause complicates truth.

By curtain, partnership matters more than trophies. A tie saves them both.

Creation and evolution.

The idea began with Dorothy Fields. She imagined Merman as Annie.

After Jerome Kern’s death, Berlin took the score. History pivoted overnight.

The 1966 revival reshaped the show. It added An Old Fashioned Wedding.

The 1999 revival reframed everything. A show within a show, shimmering.

Peter Stone’s revision softened stereotypes. Songs were moved or cut.

• “I’m an Indian Too” often removed in modern stagings.
• Tommy and Winnie subplot restored in 1999.
• Opening now features the iconic showbiz anthem.

Signature songs.

• There’s No Business Like Show Business.
• Anything You Can Do.
• They Say It’s Wonderful.
• You Can’t Get a Man with a Gun.
• I Got the Sun in the Morning.
• An Old Fashioned Wedding. 1966 addition, now beloved.

These songs still sound brass bright. They parade like banners.

Major productions and stars.

Original Broadway, 1946. Ethel Merman originated Annie. A landmark run followed.

1966 Lincoln Center to Broadway. Merman returned. The score gained a wedding.

1999 Marquis Theatre revival. Bernadette Peters and Tom Wopat ignited Broadway.

Replacements defined the run’s second wind. Cheryl Ladd joined opposite Patrick Cassidy.

Then came Reba McEntire with Brent Barrett. A roar, deserved awards, packed houses.

Production	Annie Oakley	Frank Butler	Notes
Original Broadway, 1946	Ethel Merman	Ray Middleton	Opened May 16, 1946.
Broadway revival, 1966	Ethel Merman	Bruce Yarnell	Added An Old Fashioned Wedding.
Broadway revival, 1999	Bernadette Peters	Tom Wopat	Tony winning revival.
1999 revival replacements	Cheryl Ladd, Reba McEntire, Crystal Bernard	Patrick Cassidy, Brent Barrett, Tom Wopat	Notable star turns.

Awards and impact.

• Tony Award, Best Revival, 1999.
• Drama Desk, Actress, 1999. Bernadette Peters.
• Drama Desk Special Award, 2001. Reba McEntire.
• Grammy, Best Musical Show Album. 1999 revival recording.

The revival’s sound became definitive. Brassy, witty, radiantly produced.

Recordings and the ASIN you gave.

Amazon ASIN: B00000ID42. That is the 1999 Broadway Revival Cast.

Label: Angel Records, an EMI imprint. Producers, John McDaniel and Stephen Ferrera.

Grammy status: Winner, Best Musical Show Album.

Release window: Spring 1999, widely distributed on CD.

• Includes the revised 1999 song order.
• Peters and Wopat headline with bite and charm.
• Bright orchestration by Bruce Coughlin. Tight vocal arrangements by McDaniel.

Recent developments.

The score keeps touring, regionally and in concerts.

London hosted a starry concert in 2023. Rachel Tucker led with fire.

Frank Butler changed mid prepublicity. Oliver Saville replaced Julian Ovenden.

These concerts favor the streamlined Stone script. It travels cleanly, theatrically.

Licensing and materials.

Most modern productions license the Peter Stone version.

That package reflects contemporary sensitivities. It trims specific numbers.

It restores Tommy and Winnie in vibrant duets. It reframes the opening.

Staging notes for today.

• Lean into the circus framing. It justifies heightened style.
• Costumes should pop, yet skip stereotypes.
• Choreography favors vernacular swagger. Keep transitions swift.
• Let Annie own the finale. Equality reads stronger than surrender.

Why it endures.

Because Berlin writes earworms that march. Tunes you hum home.

Because Annie Oakley feels modern. Competence as charisma, not threat.

Because rivalry becomes intimacy. That paradox never grows old.

Discography highlights.

• 1946 Original Broadway Cast. Merman’s signature blaze.
• 1966 Lincoln Center revival. Includes the new wedding duet.
• 1991 studio set. McGlinn’s complete score approach.
• 1999 Broadway revival cast. Polished, witty, Grammy winning.

SEO summary for editors.

• Target long tail phrases. Example, “Annie Get Your Gun 1999 cast album”.
• Use creators’ names in subheads. Include Berlin and the Fields.
• Mention awards and venues. Marquis Theatre, Angel Records, Tony, Grammy.
• Add recent concert names and dates. Boost freshness signals.

Questions and Answers.

What version do most companies perform today?

The Peter Stone revision is standard. It updates tone and structure.

Which songs were cut in the 1999 revival?

“I’m an Indian Too” and “Colonel Buffalo Bill” were dropped in many stagings.

Who led the 1999 revival on Broadway?

Bernadette Peters and Tom Wopat headlined at the Marquis Theatre.

Is the 1999 cast album the best starting point?

Yes, for modern shape and polish. The 1946 album shows origin power.

Any recent high profile performances?

Yes. A 2023 London Palladium concert starred Rachel Tucker. Oliver Saville joined.

Album and copyrights.

Credits and notes.

Book by Dorothy and Herbert Fields. Music and lyrics by Irving Berlin.

Revised book by Peter Stone for 1999. Orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin.

1999 revival music supervision by John McDaniel. Direction by Graciela Daniele.