ent ▁to ▁a ▁Mar v ell ous ▁Party " ▁( s ometimes ▁known ▁as ▁I ' ve ▁Be en ▁to ▁a ▁Mar v ell ous ▁Party ) ▁is ▁a ▁song ▁with ▁words ▁and ▁music ▁by ▁No ël ▁Cow ard , ▁written ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁and ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁rev ue , ▁Set ▁to ▁Music . ▁ ▁Although ▁a ▁mel ody ▁exists , ▁the ▁text ▁is ▁most ▁often ▁rec ited ▁over ▁a ▁piano ▁accompan iment . ▁ ▁Out ▁of ▁No ël ▁Cow ard ' s ▁approximately ▁ 3 0 0 ▁songs , ▁this ▁piece ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁most ▁popular , ▁ranking ▁among ▁the ▁top ▁ 3 0 ▁in ▁royal ty ▁potential . ▁ ▁Description ▁The ▁lyr ics ▁of ▁I ▁W ent ▁to ▁a ▁Mar v ell ous ▁Party ▁are ▁a ▁first - person ▁description ▁of ▁five ▁parties ▁attended ▁by ▁the ▁singer ▁on ▁the ▁French ▁Riv iera . ▁ ▁The ▁character ▁of ▁the ▁song ▁is ▁hum orous ▁and ▁g idd y . ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁activities ▁described ▁in ▁the ▁lyr ics ▁were ▁typical ▁of ▁the ▁" fr antic , ▁add le head ed ▁search ▁for ▁am usement " ▁of ▁the ▁Train ▁ble u ▁society , ▁which ▁f locked ▁to ▁the ▁Riv iera ▁each ▁summer ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁and ▁' 3 0 s . ▁▁ ▁No ël ▁Cow ard ▁composed ▁this ▁song ▁after ▁he ▁and ▁Be atrice ▁L ill ie ▁attended ▁a ▁beach ▁party ▁given ▁by ▁El sa ▁Max well ▁in ▁the ▁south