The Girl Can't Help It

"The Girl Can't Help It" is about a young woman so attractive that she unwittingly captures the attention of every guy she passes. In addition to her siren-like sex appeal, there's a distinctly incendiary element to her superpowers. She turns bread to toast with a wink of an eye and makes "beefsteak become well done" with a smile. She can't be held responsible for the potentially dangerous effects of her fiery presence. The poor girl just can't help it.

"The Girl Can't Help It" is the title track of one of the most significant American musicals ever made. Released in 1956, the film stars bombshell Jayne Mansfield (the girl who couldn't help it), Julie London, Tom Ewell, Edmond O'Brien, and Henry Jones. The movie was originally conceived as a way to build Mansfield's celebrity, but it took on a life of its own and became a rallying point for young people, helping propel rock and roll into its unofficial "first Golden Age." This was also the film the heavily inspired young, pre-Beatle John Lennon to be a rocker. The impact was so significant that, 12 years later, the Beatles took a break from recording "Birthday" to watch the film premiere on British television (Lennon had seen it in theaters).

Bobby Troup wrote the song. He also penned "Route 66."