The Shadow of Your Smile

By Johnny Mandel and Paul Francis Webster
1965

One of the last of the great Academy Award winning movie songs of the traditional "songbook" era, this instant classic by arranger/bandleader Mandel and prolific lyricist Webster also won the Grammy for Song of the Year. Introduced in the Liz Taylor/Richard Burton film The Sandpiper by Mandel's orchestra, it was first recorded lyrically by singer Astrud Gilberto. Following the film, there was an explosion of recordings of the song throughout the late 1960s, with many artists of the old-school, lost in the burgeoning rock and roll era, latching on to it for its melodic beauty and poignant words. The one to be most successful with it at the time was Tony Bennett. Today, it remains a popular selection among instrumental groups and jazz bands, and was even recorded in 1992 by British actor Ian McShane.

Lyrics:

One day we walked along the sand
One day in early spring
You held a piper in your hand
To mend its broken wing
Now I'll remember many a day
And many a lonely mile
The echo of a piper's song
The shadow of a smile

The shadow of your smile
When you are gone
Will color all my dreams
And light the dawn
Look into my eyes
My love and see
All the lovely things
You are to me

Our wistful little star
Was far too high
A teardrop kissed your lips
And so did I
Now when I remember spring
All the joy that love can bring
I will be remembering
The shadow of your smile

Recorded By:

Peggy Lee
Ray Conniff
Sammy Davis Jr. & Laurindo Almeida
Ferrante & Teicher
Barbra Streisand