If I Had You

By James Campbell, Reginald Connelly & Ted Shapiro
1928

This song has special significance for me, because it was the song I sang to my newborn daughter the first time I held her in my arms. It's a beautiful, underrated English ballad, composed by the songwriting team of Campbell & Connelly under the combined pseudonym of "Irving King", and introduced by the great Rudy Vallee. In recent years, it was sung by actor Edward Norton in the Woody Allen film, Everyone Says I Love You.

Lyrics:

I could show the world how to smile,
I could be glad all of the while,
I could turn the gray skies to blue,
If I had you.

I could leave the old days behind,
Leave all my pals,
They'd never mind.
I could start my life anew,
If I had you.

I could climb a snow-capped mountain,
Sail the mighty ocean wide.
I could cross the burning desert,
If I had you by my side.

I could be a king, dear, uncrowned.
Humble or poor,
Rich or renowned.
There is nothing I couldn't do,
If I had you.

Recorded By:

Sarah Vaughan
Frank Sinatra
Judy Garland
Dinah Washington
Joe Williams