"I Can Do Without You" is a popular song, with music by

Sammy Fain Sammy Fain (born Samuel E. Feinberg; June 17, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American composer of popular music. In the 1920s and early 1930s, he contributed numerous songs that form part of The Great American Songbook, and to Broadway theatre. ...

and lyrics by

Paul Francis Webster Paul Francis Webster (December 20, 1907 – March 18, 1984) was an American lyricist who won three Academy Awards for Best Original Song, and was nominated sixteen times for the award. Life and career Webster was born in New York City, United St ...

. The song was included in the 1953 film, ''

Calamity Jane Martha Jane Cannary (May 1, 1852 – August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, sharpshooter, and storyteller. In addition to many exploits she was known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok. Late ...

''. It was performed by

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...

and

Howard Keel Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919November 7, 2004), known professionally as Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer, known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice. He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s and in the CBS tel ...

. Doris Day played the lead in the film as

, while Howard Keel played her nemesis and eventual love interest, Bill Hickok. The song proceeds from a scene in which Calamity is thrown off-kilter by apparent praise from Hickok after she promises to bring the actress Adelaid Adams from Chicago to Deadwood City. It turns out that Hickok was being sarcastic and that he trusts her "about as much as I do a blind rattlesnake with a new button on its tail." The song is a comical male-female quarrel, with Calamity and Hickok exchanging comic insults, somewhat reminiscent of " Anything You Can Do" from '' Annie Get Your Gun''.

External links

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IMDB
1953 songs Doris Day songs Songs with music by Sammy Fain Songs with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster Songs written for films {{1950s-song-stub