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Friday, May 22, 2009

But Beautiful

By Jimmy Van Heusen & Johnny Burke
1947

This ballad was written for the Bing Crosby/Bob Hope vehicle Road to Rio, and quickly became a favorite of jazz singers, who changed its structure a bit from its original composition. Nancy Wilson used it as the title song for one of her albums.

Lyrics:

Love is funny, or it's sad,
Or it's quiet, or it's mad.
It's a good thing, or it's bad,
But beautiful...

Beautiful to take a chance
And if you fall, you fall,
And I'm thinking, 
I wouldn't mind at all.

Love is tearful, or it's gay,
It's a problem, or it's play.
It's a heartache either way,
But beautiful...

And I'm thinking, if you were mine,
I'd never let you go.
And that would be but beautiful,
I know.


Recorded By:

Barbra Streisand
Johnny Hartman
Stan Getz
Billie Holiday

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