"Making love"

[Jesse Sheidlower]

Frank Abate wrote:

> Blues and rock lyrics, on the other hand, clearly have the "fuck" sense.
> >From the blues, there is "I Just Wanna Make Love To You" (lyrics by Willie
> Dixon, Muddy Waters recording released in 1954; see lyrics at
> http://tracylee.com/rick/I_Just_Wanna.html), the date suggesting that the
> "fuck" sense was by then well enough established to allow the lyrics to make
> sense.  From rock, there is "Feel Like Makin' Love" (Bad Company, 1975).  I
> expect there are many more examples, and probably many earlier than these,
> but these came to mind.

Well, although you can't always be sure (the ambiguity of sexual discussions
in blues lyrics is widely commented on), a few examples from one of our
more prominent composers are

1929 C. Porter _Happy Heaven of Harlem_ (song), There's a happy heaven
of Harlem, twice as nice as heaven above, where you're never blue 'cause
all you do is eat, sleep and make love.

1932 C. Porter _Night & Day_ (song), There's an oh, such a hungry yearning
burning inside of me, And its torment won't be through Till you let me
spend my life making love to you Day and night, night and day.

Jesse Sheidlower
OED