You and the Night and the Music

By Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz
1934

With today being the birthday of the legendary songwriter Arthur Schwartz (father of longtime radio legend Jonathan Schwartz), it seems only right to spotlight a classic Schwartz song. This is one of the most famous collaborations Schwartz made with his regular lyricist partner, Howard Dietz. Although today it's considered one of Schwartz' great triumphs, the song came from a show that was mostly unremarkable: Revenge with Music, in which it was introduced by Georges Metaxa and Libby Holman. But there was certainly something special about the haunting tune, which was later brought back in the 1953 movie musical The Band Wagon, which featured a cavalcade of Schwartz/Dietz songs.

Lyrics:

You and the night and the music
Fill me with flaming desire
Setting my being completely on fire
You and the night and the music
Thrill me but will we be one
After the night and the music are done?

Until the pale light of dawning and daylight 
Our hearts will be throbbing guitars
Morning may come without warning
And take away the stars

If we must live for the moment
Love till the moment is through
After the night and the music die
Will I have you?

Recorded By:

Mel Torme
Frank Sinatra
Julie London
Jackie Gleason Orchestra
Vic Damone

Rhode Island Is Famous For You

By Arthur Schwartz & Howard Dietz
1948

A ridiculously cute and catchy number from the obscure Schwartz/Dietz musical revue Inside the U.S.A. The show only ran for a few months, and only produced one hit, "Haunted Heart". Most attribute this to the ASCAP strike that prevented the recording of a proper cast album or radio version. This particular number was introduced in the show by Jack Haley, best known as the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz. Like the rest of the numbers/sketches in the show, it spotlights a particular state--although in this case, it also includes many others in a classic "list-song" format.

Lyrics: 

Copper comes from Arizona
Peaches come from Georgia
And lobsters come from Maine
The wheat fields
Are the sweet fields of Nebraska
And Kansas gets bonanzas from the grain

Old whiskey comes from old Kentucky
Ain't the country lucky
New Jersey gives us glue
And you, you come from Rhode Island
And little old Rhode Island
Is famous for you

Cotton comes from Lou-siana
Gophers from Montana
And spuds from Idaho
They plow land
In the cow land of Missour-a
Where most beef meant
For roast beef seems to grow

Grand canyons come from Colorad-a
Gold comes from Nevada
Divorces also do
And you, you come from Rhode Island
Little old Rhode Island
Is famous for you

Pencils come from Pennsylvania
Vest from Vest Virginia
And Tents from Tent-esee
They know mink where they grow
Mink in Wyo-mink
A camp chair in New Hamp-chair
That's for me

And minnows come Minnesota
Coats come from Dakota
But why should you be blue?
For you, you come from Rhode Island
Don't let them ride Rhode Island
It's famous for you

Recorded By:

John Pizzarelli
Blossom Dearie
Jack Haley
Nancy Lamott
Layla Solomon (my daughter's own rendition, which I hope you enjoy!)

That's Entertainment

By Arthur Schwartz & Howard Dietz
1952

Along with "Hooray for Hollywood" and "There's No Business Like Show Business," this nostalgic classic has become a true anthem for the entire moviemaking business, particularly the golden age of the 1930-1950s. A large reason for this is its usage as the title and theme song of the unforgettable 1974 compilation tribute to MGM musicals, followed by sequels in 1976 and 1994. Originally, it was written by Schwartz & Dietz for the MGM musical The Band Wagon, in which it was performed by Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray, Oscar Levant and India Adams (singing for Cyd Charisse).

Lyrics:

Everything that happens in life
Can happen in a show
You can make 'em laugh
You can make 'em cry
Anything
Anything can go....

The clown with his pants falling down
Or the dance that's a dream of romance
Or the scene where the villain is mean
That's entertainment!

The lights on the lady in tights
Or the bride with the guy on the side
Or the ball where she gives him her all
That's entertainment!

The plot and the hot simply teeming with sex
A gay divorcee who is after her ex
It could be Oedipus Rex
Where a chap kills his father
And causes a lot of bother

The clerk who is thrown out of work
By the boss who is thrown for a loss
By the skirt who is doing him dirt
The world is a stage,
The stage is a world of entertainment.
That's entertainment!
That's entertainment!

The doubt while the jury is out
Or the thrill when they're reading the will
Or the chase for the man with the face
That's entertainment!

The dame who is known as the flame
Of the king of an underworld ring
He's an ape
Who won't let her escape
That's entertainment!

It might be a fight like you see on the screen
A swain getting slain for the love of a queen
Some great Shakespearean scene
Where a ghost and a prince meet
And everyone ends in mincemeat.

The gag may be waving the flag
That began with a mystical hand
Hip hooray!
The American way
The world is a stage,
The stage is a world of entertainment.

Recorded By:

Judy Garland
Rufus Wainwright
Liza Minnelli
Fred Astaire
Bing Crosby

I See Your Face Before Me

By Arthur Schwartz & Howard Dietz
1937

From the sublime pairing of Schwartz and Dietz came this breezily melodic chestnut, introduced in the stage musical Between the Devil by Jack Buchanan, Evelyn Laye and Adele Dixon. The composer's son, renowned radio personality Jonathan Schwartz, recalled in his memoir, All in Good Time, that his parents were particularly fond of singing him this song as a lullaby.

Lyrics:

I see your face before me,
Crowding my every dream.
There is your face before me,
You are my only theme.

It doesn't matter where you are,
I can see how fair you are.
I close my eyes and there you are,
Always.

If you could share the magic,
If you could see me, too,
There would be nothing tragic
In all my dreams of you.

Would that my love could haunt you so,
Knowing I want you so.
I can't erase,
Your beautiful face before me.

Recorded By:

Jack Jones
Johnny Hartman
Dave Brubeck
Mildred Bailey
Sonny Rollins

I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan

By Arthur Schwartz & Howard Dietz
1929

With its catchy tune and lyric, this sophisticated song was written for the Broadway revue The Little Show. It was introduced by Clifton Webb, the actor who would gain great acclaim decades later for his roles in movies like Laura, The Razor's Edge, Cheaper By the Dozen and the "Mr. Belvedere" films. The Little Show also produced the hit song "Can't We Be Friends", written by Kay Swift & Paul James. Fred Astaire would bring the song back nearly 25 years later in The Band Wagon. Trivia note: this tune came to be popularly known as "The Blue Pajama Song".

Lyrics:

I guess I'll have to change my plan.
I should have realized there'd be another man.
I overlooked that point completely,
Until the big affair began.

Before I knew where I was at,
I found myself upon the shelf, and that was that.
I tried to reach the moon,
But when I got there,
All that I could get was the air.
My feet are back upon the ground--
I lost the one girl I'd found.

I guess I'll have to change my plan,
I should have realized there'd by another man.
Why did I buy those blue pajamas,
Before the big affair began?

My boiling point is much too low,
For me to try to be a fly Lothario.
I think I'll crawl right back into my shell,
Dwelling in my personal hell.
I'll have to change my plan around--
I lost the one girl I'd found.

Recorded By:

Frank Sinatra
Bobby Darrin
Ella Fitzgerald
Stacey Kent
Tony Bennett

Dancing in the Dark

By Arthur Schwartz & Howard Dietz
1931

The greatest and most well-known of the works of Schwartz and Dietz, this one came from their 1931 Broadway revue The Band Wagon, in which it was introduced by John Barker. The original show would be the last time Fred Astaire and his sister Adele would appear together--Astaire appeared instead with the gorgeous Cyd Charisse in the 1953 film version.

Lyrics:

Dancing in the dark,
'Til the tune ends.
We're dancing in the dark,
And it soon ends.
We're waltzing in the wonder
Of why we're here.
Time hurries by, we're here,
And we're gone.

Looking for the light
Of a new love
To brighten up the night.
I have you, love,
And we can face the music together,
Dancing in the dark.

What though love is old?
What though song is old?
Through them we can be young.
Hear this heart of mine,
Wailing all the time.
Dear one, tell me that we're one.

Looking for the light
Of a new love
To brighten up the night.
I have you, love,
And we can face the music together,
Dancing in the dark.

Recorded By:

Fred Astaire
Artie Shaw
Frank Sinatra
Diana Krall
Bing Crosby