In the musical, the song sets the scene for the climactic
sharpshooting contest between
Annie Oakley and
Frank Butler.[2] Its most memorable lines are, "Anything you can do, I can do better; I can do anything better than you." The song was first performed in Annie Get Your Gun by
Ethel Merman and
Ray Middleton.[3]
During the song, they argue playfully about who can, for example, sing softer, sing higher, sing sweeter, and hold a note for longer, and boast of their abilities and accomplishments, such as opening safes and living on bread and cheese, although Annie almost always seems to counter Frank's argument. Neither can "bake a pie," though.[4]
Internet comedy personalities
Smosh performed a parody of the song in 2014 titled "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Dumber", as a tie-in to promote the film Dumb and Dumber To.
In the musical, the song sets the scene for the climactic
sharpshooting contest between
Annie Oakley and
Frank Butler.[2] Its most memorable lines are, "Anything you can do, I can do better; I can do anything better than you." The song was first performed in Annie Get Your Gun by
Ethel Merman and
Ray Middleton.[3]
During the song, they argue playfully about who can, for example, sing softer, sing higher, sing sweeter, and hold a note for longer, and boast of their abilities and accomplishments, such as opening safes and living on bread and cheese, although Annie almost always seems to counter Frank's argument. Neither can "bake a pie," though.[4]
Internet comedy personalities
Smosh performed a parody of the song in 2014 titled "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Dumber", as a tie-in to promote the film Dumb and Dumber To.