Every time I see this I strongly disagree with @prokopetzâs claim that the main, intentional gag is that the language tutor canât hear the musicâthe joke is that this is simply what itâs like to have a best friend with a joke to share. Cosmo and Don could speak this number and it would have the same intent in the storyâit wouldnât be as incredible or clear, but it would still convey that Cosmo and Don have a tremendous amount of love and fun between them.
Singinâ in the Rain uses its musical numbers one of two ways: they are either songs performed in-universe as real musical numbers by or for Monumental Pictures, or they are used as extra-universe expressions of fondness between characters. Lena doesnât have a big villain number. RF never sings about the weight of running a Hollywood studio. Songsâoutside the ones everyone in-universe knows are being sungâare a secret language between Don, Cosmo, and Kathy. Itâs a subtle meta structure that boosts the narrative impact of Don, Cosmo, and Kathy as people who genuinely like each other and connect in a way outside studio system politics. Look at the purely intimate songs that arenât staged as studio numbers:
Make âEm LaughâCosmo is connecting with Don, trying to cheer him up
You Were Meant For MeâDon is connecting with Kathy, beginning their romance
Moses SupposesâDon and Cosmo are connecting as friends by making fun of the same thing
Good MorningâDon, Cosmo, and Kathy are connecting as friends who just shared an all-nighter and came up with a new idea
Singinâ in the RainâDon is singing because of his connection with Kathy, having just shared a kiss with her
Itâs also important to note that some songs transition from in-universe studio numbers to more personal songsâAll I Do Is Dream of You is seen by everyone at the house party as a planned musical number, but for Don itâs the first time he really sees Kathy past their spat in the car. Would You is in-universe a song from The Dancing Cavalier, but it transforms into a personal connection song as Don sings it to Kathy at the premiere.
Iâm bringing all this up because this is an exceptional way to use musical structure. Itâs de rigueur to insist that every musical song further the story, but thatâs typically taken to mean that the songs contribute to the plot. Singinâ in the Rain doesnât do that. Instead, it uses its musical numbers âwhere it places them, who sings them, who âseesâ themâto convey the emotional story, to subtly clue you in on who in this story really matters, who is really connected and really loving each other. It matters that the Hollywood studios are shifting from a silent system to a musical system that Cosmo, Don, and Kathy already naturally speak with, and it matters that these three are, or become, so comfortable with this change that it saves them. They are the only people in this story who shift easily between numbers planned for them by the studio and singing straight out of nowhere. Their songs are their way of sharing something with each other, to the point that the songs and their love for each other merge into the same thingâwhich is why it feels so right when singing (connecting) becomes the norm for Hollywood by the end of the movie.
Singinâ in the Rain is often thought of as the best musical ever made, and itâs not because the songs are throwaway gagsâif that were true, it would be like every other songbook musical that commits to a joke for one song and then forgets it. The songs in Singinâ in the Rain reinforce the strength and love shared between our main three heroes, and constantly recontextualize what it means to shift from one worldviewâthe artificial lie of the silent movies and singing for other peopleâto a new one, where conveying love for another person is seen and heard by everyone. I said earlier the songs are about showing fondness, or connectionâwhich is trueâbut if Iâm being honest, I think Singinâ in the Rain is really about sharing joy with another person. Itâs about the joy of being with someone you love.
