Tangerine

By Victor Schertzinger & Johnny Mercer
1941

Director Schertzinger collaborated with Mercer on this song for his 1942 musical film The Fleet's In, in which it was introduced by Jimmy Dorsey's orchestra, featuring Helen O'Connell & Bob Eberly on vocals. Schertzinger and Mercer teamed to write several numbers for the movie, also including "I Remember You". The tune is a classic example of Mercer's delightfully playful way with a lyric.

Lyrics:

South American stories
Tell of a girl who's quite a dream,
The beauty of her race.
Though you doubt all the stories,
And think that the tales are just a bit extreme,
Wait till you see her face.

Tangerine--
She is all they claim,
With her eyes of night and lips as bright as flame.
Tangerine--
When she dances by,
Senoritas stare and caballeros sigh.

And I've seen
Toasts to Tangerine
Raised in every bar across the Argentine.
Yes, she has them all on the run,
But her heart belongs to just one.
Her heart belongs to Tangerine.

Recorded By:

Frank Sinatra
Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
Dave Brubeck
Chet Baker
Harry Connick Jr.