Song of the Day 3/14: Bobby Darin, “Call Me Irresponsible”

Donald Trump, at his mulligan coronavirus news conference yesterday, uttered the line Joe Biden should use in every campaign ad from now to November: “I don’t take responsibility at all.” If I had the skills I’d put one together myself, with this song as the soundtrack over a series of photos of the Marmalade Menace.

The tune is by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by the legendary Sammy Cahn, was introduced in the 1963 film “Papa’s Delicate Condition” by its star, Jackie Gleason. Here’s the scene; the song begins about 1:42. Despite the style of his delivery — it’s not so much that Gleason is no vocalist as that he’s pretending to be drunk — it won the Oscar for original song in 1964.

Sammy Cahn once told Dave Davies of “Fresh Air” that it was his favorite lyric. “The one I’m very, very proud of is ‘Call Me Irresponsible.’ Simply because — I want to say and it’s not as facetious as it sounds — it has five-syllable words in it. … Five-syllable words from a fellow who came from a one-syllable neighborhood.”