▁of ▁France , ▁an ▁event ▁which ▁his ▁memory ▁placed ▁in ▁either ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁or ▁ 1 9 3 8 . ▁ ▁The ▁lyr ics ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁st anza ▁are ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁real ▁life ▁experience ▁of ▁Cow ard ▁and ▁L ill ie : ▁ ▁The ▁two ▁were ▁invited ▁to ▁" come ▁as ▁they ▁were ," ▁but ▁on ▁arriv ing ▁they ▁discovered ▁the ▁other ▁guests ▁were ▁formally ▁dressed . ▁ ▁Perhaps ▁this ▁explains ▁why ▁the ▁singer ▁claims ▁it ▁was ▁hell ▁to ▁stay ▁dressed ▁as ▁they ▁were . ▁ ▁" Po or ▁Grace " ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁st anza ▁is ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁Grace ▁Moore , ▁the ▁opera ▁singer ▁and ▁movie ▁actress , ▁who ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁guest . ▁ ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁first ▁s ung ▁by ▁Be a ▁L ill ie ▁in ▁the ▁rev ue ▁Set ▁to ▁Music ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁text ▁is ▁published ▁in ▁various ▁collections ▁of ▁No ël ▁Cow ard ▁songs , ▁Cow ard ' s ▁own ▁recording ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁heard ▁on ▁the ▁No ël ▁Cow ard ▁Album , ▁contains ▁variations ▁from ▁the ▁printed ▁page . ▁ ▁When ▁written ▁out , ▁this ▁version ▁does ▁not ▁scan ▁well . ▁ ▁However , ▁Cow ard ▁maintain s ▁the ▁major ▁text ual ▁str esses ▁in ▁performance ▁and ▁fits ▁added ▁words ▁and ▁phr ases ▁before ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁str esses . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁places ▁the ▁second ▁verse ▁after ▁the ▁second ▁st anza , ▁instead ▁of ▁after ▁the ▁third ,