Gus Kahn wrote the lyrics and Walter Donaldson composed the music for the song as well as for the entire musical.

Eventually "making whoopee" became a euphemism for intimate sexual relations.

[1] The song has been called a "dire warning", largely to men, about the "trap" of marriage.

[2] "Makin' Whoopee" begins with the celebration of a wedding, honeymoon and marital bliss, but moves on to babies and responsibilities, and ultimately on to affairs and possible divorce, ending with a judge's advice.

The original lyrics and music of the song entered the public domain in the United States in 2024.