In “Anything You Can Do”, Annie Oakley and Frank Butler playfully claim they can outdo each other with increasingly complex tasks. From singing softly to buying cheaply, Annie and Frank assure the other that they can complete the given task(s) best (with the exception of baking a pie).

This song connects to the introductory economics concept of absolute and comparative advantages. Although both Annie and Frank claim to be better than the other in practically anything (and everything), if they came to terms with their actual strengths and weaknesses, both of them could benefit via specialization and trade.

Discussion Questions for “Anything You Can Do”

Link to Lyrics for “Anything You Can Do”