Too Marvelous for Words

By Richard Whiting & Johnny Mercer
1936

Praised often for its sophisticated synchronization of melody and lyrics, this song was composed for the 1937 Warner Bros. musical Ready, Willing and Able, in which it was introduced by Ross Alexander (pictured), who sadly committed suicide before the film was released. The tune was used again ten years later in the Bogey/Bacall flick Dark Passage, in which it was sung by Jo Stafford. Mercer claimed to have been lyrically influenced by Ira Gershwin on this extremely popular standard, which has at least 50 major recordings to its credit.

Lyrics:

I search for phrases,
To sing your praises,
But there aren't any magic adjectives
To tell you all you are.

You're just too marvelous,
Too marvelous for words
Like glorious, glamorous,
And that old standby, amorous.

It's all too wonderful,
I'll never find the words
That say enough, tell enough,
I mean, they just aren't swell enough.

You're much too much,
And just too very very
To ever be in Webster's Dictionary.

And so, I'm borrowing
A love song from the birds,
To tell you that you're marvelous,
Too marvelous for words.

Recorded By:

Frank Sinatra
Artie Shaw
Ella Fitzgerald
June Christy
Rosemary Clooney