Anchors Aweigh

Anchors Aweigh is the music played by the band at the Aztec Lounge when Willie Keith and Marty Rubin arrive and discover May Wynn singing. The song briefly brings a Navy sound into the lounge scene, which turns on Willie’s surprise at seeing May onstage.

The Song at the Aztec Lounge

Willie tells Marty Rubin that he needs to talk to May. Marty suggests they check whether she is rehearsing, and they walk to the Aztec Lounge. Before entering, they hear music through the closed doors, which are painted with green-and-yellow feathered serpents: the band is playing Anchors Aweigh. Marty jokes that the music is a special welcome for Willie, and they slip inside.

Dramatic Function

The song establishes the sound of the room before Willie can see its stage. Behind green paper palms screening the doorway, he spots May singing on the orchestra platform and is terrifically startled by her bright blond hair. In this scene, Anchors Aweigh accompanies not a shipboard gathering but Willie’s unexpected encounter with May in a garish lounge; the music’s Navy association gives the moment a distinctive contrast without displacing the personal surprise at its center.