Jeepers Creepers

By Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer
1938

One of the catchiest songs of the World War II generation, and a song that remains in the mainstream consciousness to this day, "Jeepers Creepers" was written for the movie, Going Places, in which Louis Armstrong is the trainer of a horse named Jeepers Creepers (an old slang euphemism for Jesus Christ), who can only get the horse under control by playing the song for him. It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Song, losing to "Thanks for the Memory". Since then it has been revisited countless times, in Warner Bros. cartoons, and in later films (including Yankee Doodle Dandy, in which a bunch of teens sing it, much to the chagrin of James Cagney's old-fashioned James M. Cohan). It even had an unlikely renaissance in the 2001 horror film of the same name, in which the song heralds the appearance of the murderous creature known as "The Creeper". With its bouncy Warren tune and irresistible Mercer lyrics, it's not tough to see why it has endured so long.

Lyrics:

Oh, jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those peepers?
Jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those eyes?
Oh, gosh all, git up, how'd they get so lit up?
Gosh all, git up, how'd they get that size?

Oh, golly gee, when you turn those heaters on
Woe is me, got to put my cheaters on

Jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those peepers?
Oh, those weepers, how they hypnotize!
Oh, where'd ya get those eyes?

Recorded By:

Johnny Mercer
Frank Sinatra
Al Caiola
Dave Brubeck
Tony Bennett

Hooray for Hollywood

By Richard A. Whiting and Johnny Mercer
1937

The unofficial theme song of the entire film industry, much of the song's enduring popularity can be attributed to Mercer's clever lyric lampooning the notion of celebrity. Since being introduced by Johnnie Davis and Frances Langford (with the Benny Goodman Orchestra) in the musical comedy Hollywood Hotel, it has gone on to become the regular soundtrack for the Academy Awards and other movie award shows. It was also notably the closing theme of Jack Benny's enormously popular radio show.

Lyrics:

Hooray for Hollywood
That screwy ballyhooey Hollywood
Where any office boy or young mechanic can be a panic
With just a good looking pan
And any barmaid can be a star maid
If she dances with or without a fan

Hooray for Hollywood,
Where you're terrific if you're even good
Where anyone at all from Shirley Temple to Aimee Semple
Is equally understood
Go out and try your luck, you might be Donald Duck
Hooray for Hollywood

Hooray for Hollywood
That phoney super-Coney Hollywood
They come from Chillicothes and Paducas with their bazookas
To get their names up in lights
All armed with photos from local rotos
With their hair in ribbon and legs in tights

Hooray for Hollywood
You may be homely in your neighbourhood
But if you think that you can be an actor, see Mr. Factor
He'll make a monkey look good
Within a half an hour you'll look like Tyrone Power
Hooray for Hollywood!

Recorded By:

Doris Day
Anita O'Day
Rosemary Clooney
Nancy Sinatra
Don Swan

I Got Out of Bed on the Right Side

By Arthur Schwartz and Johnny Mercer
1952

One of several songs Schwartz and Mercer wrote for the M-G-M musical Dangerous When Wet, a vehicle for celebrity swimmer Esther Williams that also starred Fernando Lamas and William Demarest. One of the catchier tunes produced by the very productive Schwartz/Mercer teaming, it was even used twice more by M-G-M in two of the studios' Tom & Jerry short cartoons, "Baby Butch" (1954) and "Muscle Beach Tom" (1956). This was a common practice of the time, as studios looked to repurpose songs that they owned. Interestingly, half a century later, the song would also pop up in another cartoon Disney's "Phineas and Ferb". Although not as often recorded as many other Schwartz/Mercer compositions, its bouncy tune and clever lyric make it an instant classic.

Recorded By:

John Pizzarelli
Philip Chaffin
Joyce Breach
Esther Williams

P.S. I Love You

By Gordon Jenkins & Johnny Mercer
1934

No, this is not the Beatles song. Years before the Fab Four were ever born, superb arranger/composer (and future Sinatra collaborator)
Jenkins and ingenious lyricist Mercer would team up to produce this utterly charming song about domestic bliss communicated over long distance. With a lyric that comprises a communication made to a significant other who is away from home, the number has a witty, quaint appeal that's easy to understand. It was introduced by none other than Rudy Vallee, but later enjoyed revivals in the 1940s, '50s and '60s. Most recently, the Bobby Vinton version was featured in an episode of Mad Men.

Lyrics:

Dear, I thought I'd drop a line
The weather's cool, the folks are fine
I'm in bed each night at nine
P.S. I love you.

Yesterday we had some rain
But all in all, I can't complain
Was it dusty on the train?
P.S. I love you.

Write to the Browns just as soon as you're able
They came around to call
And I burned a hole in the dining room table
Now let me think, I guess that's all

Nothing else for me to say
And so I'll close, but by the way
Everybody's thinking of you
P.S. I love you.

Recorded By:

Billie Holiday
Frank Sinatra
Bing Crosby
The Vogues
Nancy LaMott

Day In, Day Out

By Rube Bloom & Johnny Mercer
1939

Another example of Mercer's fantastic lyrics, taking a tired phrase and making it shine. The words go along with a gorgeous, soaring melody by Bloom which musicologist Alec Wilder rightly described as passionate yet unpretentious. The song was introduced by Bob Crosby's Orchestra (pictured), with Helen Ward on vocals. It was a popular song with the big bands which survived into the post-Big Band era as well.

Lyrics:

Day in - day out
That same old voodoo follows me about
That same old pounding in my heart, whenever I think of you
And baby I think of you
Day in and day out

Day out - day in
I needn't tell you how my days begin
When I awake I get up with a tingle
One possibility in view
That possibility of maybe seeing you

Come rain - come shine
I meet you and to me the day is fine
Then I kiss your lips, and the pounding becomes
An oceans roar, a thousand drums
Can't you see it's love, can there be any doubt
When there it is, day in - day out

Recorded By:

Nat King Cole
Billie Holiday
Ella Fitzgerald
Frank Sinatra
Judy Garland

Satin Doll

By Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn & Johnny Mercer
1953

A late standard known for its unusual chord progression, "Satin Doll" was already a big hit as an instrumental by Ellington & Strayhorn before Mercer ever added a lyric. In fact, the Mercer lyric is generally not considered one of his best, and Ella Fitzgerald notably recorded a scat version which didn't even make use of it. Still, the song remains popular in both versions.

Lyrics:

Cigarette holder,
Which wigs me.
Over her shoulder,
She digs me.
Out cattin'
That satin doll.

Baby, shall we go
Out skippin'?
Careful, amigo,
You're flippin'
Speaks Latin,
That satin doll.

She's nobody's fool,
So I'm playin' it cool as can be.
I'll give it a whirl,
But I ain't for no girl catchin' me.

Telephone numbers,
Well, you know.
Doin' my rhumbas
With uno,
And that's my satin doll.

Recorded By:

101 Strings
The Gaylords
Nancy Wilson
Frank Sinatra
Ella Fitzgerald

In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening

By Hoagy Carmichael & Johnny Mercer
1951

The formidable duo of Carmichael and Mercer teamed up to create this irresisibly jaunty tune--which won the Academy Award--for the film Here Comes the Groom. It was introduced in the movie by the two stars, the incomparable Bing Crosby and then-Mrs. Ronald Reagan, Jane Wyman. A fine merger of a Carmichael melody and Mercer lyric.

Lyrics:

In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
Tell 'em I'll be there
In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
Save your pappy a chair
When the party's getting a glow on
And singin' fills the air
In the shank of the night
When the doin's are right
Well you can tell em I'll be there

I like a barbecue
I like to boil a ham
And I vote for bola baste stew
What's that?
I like a weenie bake, steak and a layer cake
And you'll get a tummy ache too
We'll rent a tent or a teepee
Let the town crier cry
"All's well!"
And if it's RSVP
This is what I'll reply

In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
Tell 'em we'll be there
If you need a pair of freeloaders
To fracture your affair
I may even give them Pagliacci
Now stand back and give him air
If one can relax and we'll have a few yaks
And you can tell them we'll be there

"Oui," said the bumblebee
"Let's have jubilee."
"When?" said the prairie hen, "Soon?"
"Sure," said the dinosaur
"Where?" said the grisly bear
"Under the light of the moon."
"How about your brother, jackass?"
Everyone gaily cried
"Are you coming to the fracas?"
Ain't gonna blow it
"And all the respects," he sighed

In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
Tell 'em I'll be there
In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
Stick 'em on my hair
If perchance we look a bit peeked
Remember se la guerre
If we're still on our feet
And there's something to eat
Well you can tell them we'll be there

In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
Tell 'em I'll be there
In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
Better save a chair
When the party's getting a glow on
And singin' fills the air
If there's gas in my hack
and my laundry is back
If there's room for one more
And you need me
Why sure
If you need a new face or a tenor or base
If I can climb out of bed and put a head on my head
Well you can tell 'em we'll be there.

Recorded By:

Frank Sinatra
Bette Midler
Dean Martin
Frankie Laine & Jo Stafford
Ray Conniff

Too Marvelous for Words: The Genius of Johnny Mercer

This was originally run earlier this month at Emma's Music, the blog of recording artist Emma Wallace. I wanted to share it with my Standard of the Day readers...

Set ‘em up Joe…

I’ve got a little story I think you should know…

In 1941, the father of Johnny Mercer, one of America’s finest songwriters of all time, lay dying, the money accrued during his many years as a prominent Savannah, Georgia attorney and real estate developer depleted on medical bills. It was Johnny who supported his father as the end neared, using the vast fortune he had acquired in the career his father had so fervently disapproved of just a dozen or so years prior. Because Johnny was independent enough to refuse his father’s demands that he continue in the family business, he was able to provide his father with the care he so desperately needed as death approached. And he was able to provide the nation, and the world, with a musical gift that will never die.

Last year, the man who may very well have been the finest popular lyricist who ever lived, was celebrated for the centennial anniversary of his birth; an event that occurred in the American south—a land whose traditions and culture shaped the art he would later create. The Johnny Mercer Centennial allowed for a very welcome rediscovery of the work of this great man, brilliant composer and all-around unique American personality.

When we met,

I felt my life begin.

So open up your heart,

And let this fool rush in.

As with many of the great songbook composers, Mercer brought something very special to the table. Whereas Cole Porter was known for his genteel sophistication; Irving Berlin for the Jewish-American experience through which his music was filtered; Jerome Kern for the influence of European musical theatre, and so forth; Mercer was perhaps the most distinctly American of them all. He brought a folksy, breezy, down-home sensibility that was a breath of fresh air and a never-ending source of delight.

More than the rest, his music was influenced by the “race music” of his youth, the hot jazz and blues that was becoming all the rage in the 1920s, his formative years. The Great American Songbook tradition has often been called the last gasp of the European art music tradition, and this is certainly true; but in Mercer’s case, perhaps more than anyone else’s, there was a very American, folk music flavor that permeated the music and lyrics—a precursor to the kind of influence that would later give rise to rock ‘n roll and other genres.

Then I kiss your lips,

And the pounding becomes

The ocean’s roar; a thousand drums.

Can’t you see that it’s love? Can there be any doubt?

When here it is, day in, day out.

But make no mistake about it—the songs of Johnny Mercer were no mere folk/pop baubles, but rather, powerful, deeply moving and heartwarming pieces of work that resonate to this day, and epitomize what the term “pop standard” means. A competent tunesmith, he was even better known for his sublime lyrics, as much inspired by his upbringing as by his immersion in literature and poetry during his school years.

A Johnny Mercer lyric is a thing of beauty like very few things in this life are. For many, the brilliance of what he did derived from the graceful structure he employed, introducing a simple, poignant concept, developing it, and then cleverly bringing it full circle to a conclusion that was always sure to floor the listener. Often combining his lyrical talents with songwriters like Harold Arlen, Henry Mancini and Hoagy Carmichael, he could always be relied upon to deliver something that was about as far from clichéd, hackneyed or insincere as possible.

Things never are as bad as they seem,

So dream, dream, dream…

Composing for stage, screen, and the Tin Pan Alley publishing machine, he churned out classic after classic: “One for My Baby,” the consummate saloon song, composed for Fred Astaire but immortalized by Frank Sinatra. “That Old Black Magic,” an infectious gem of insistent beauty. “Goody, Goody,” that playful anthem of petty retribution. “Come Rain or Come Shine,” a later ode to obsessive adoration, allegedly inspired by his legendary love affair with Judy Garland. “Blues in the Night,” perhaps his most successful tune, and one directly inspired by the music of his youth. “I Remember You,” whose heartbreaking lyric distills the pure melancholy of love into verbal form. The brooding, vindictive “I Wanna Be Around.” “Jeepers Creepers”; “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby”; “Day In, Day Out”; “Fools Rush In”; “I’m Old-Fashioned”; “Laura”. The list of unforgettable masterpieces goes on and on.

On four different occasions, his work in movies was recognized with an Oscar for Best Original Song, back when that award actually meant something important. “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe” in 1946 and “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening” in 1951, followed by two of his later and most well-remembered hits, “Moon River” from 1961’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s and “Days of Wine and Roses” the following year. Those last two proved the staying power of this musical juggernaut, lasting well into the era when rock and be-bop had begun to erode interest in the songbook tradition.

Days may be cloudy or sunny,

We’re in or we’re out of the money.

But I’m with you always,

I’m with you, come rain or shine.

Unlike many songwriters, who either lacked the ability or the outgoing personality, Mercer was also able to distinguish himself as a popular singer, both of his own songs and those of others. From the 1930s through the 1950s, he was a common fixture on radio and record, even dueting with the likes of Sinatra and Billie Holiday. Given his larger-than-life image and general enthusiasm, it was easy to see why this would be so. It wasn’t so much that his singing matched his songwriting ability; it didn’t. Rather, Mercer was an irresistible force, whose passion for what he did was evident to all that heard it.

The Great American Songbook has given us many fine lyricists: Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, E.Y. Harburg, Lorenz Hart… And yet, in the opinion of this writer—and many others—Mercer surpassed them all. The man had an ear for music, make no mistake about it; but when all is said and done, it is the words he gave us, the thoughts and feelings he expressed alongside those aching melodies, for which he will always be best remembered. Clever, frank, mischievous, wistful and morose—Johnny Mercer was all of these things. His art remains as a testament to all that. And all those who listen are better for it.

When my life is through,

And the angels ask me to recall the thrill of them all,

Then I shall tell them, I remember you.

* I'd like to thank the official Johnny Mercer Centennial committee for recognizing this piece. It truly is an honor.

One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)

By Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer
1943

Arguably the finest product of the legendary teaming of Arlen and Mercer, two songwriters of equally titanic stature. It has become the all-time classic saloon song, thanks in great part to its iconic interpretation by Frank Sinatra, who turned it into something of a performance piece. However, it was originally written for Fred Astaire, who introduced it in the musical film The Sky's the Limit. It doesn't get any better than Arlen's laconic, smoky melody paired up with Mercer's timeless, aching lyric...

Lyrics:

Its quarter to three,
There's no one in the place, except you and me.
So set 'em up, Joe,
I got a little story I think you oughtta know.

We're drinking my friend
To the end of a brief episode.
So make it one for my baby,
And one more for the road.

I know the routine,
Put another nickel in the machine.
I'm feeling so bad,
Won't you make the music easy and sad?

I could tell you a lot,
But you gotta to be true to your code.
So make it one for my baby,
And one more for the road.

You'd never know it,
But buddy I'm a kind of poet,
And Ive got a lot of things I wanna say.
And if I'm gloomy, please listen to me
Till it's all all talked away.

Well, that's how it goes,
And Joe, I know you're getting anxious to close.
So thanks for the cheer,
I hope you didn't mind
My bending your ear.

But this torch that I found,
Its gotta be drowned,
Or it soon might explode.
So make it one for my baby,
And one more for the road.

Recorded By:

Tony Bennett
Perry Como
Billie Holiday
Frankie Laine
Iggy Pop

That Old Black Magic

By Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer
1942

Lyricist Mercer, deeply in love with Judy Garland, and an on-and-off paramour of the iconic singer/actress, allegedly wrote the lyrics to this Arlen tune for her. One of the finest products of the legendary Arlen/Mercer collaboration, it was actually introduced on record by Garland herself. It remains one of the most recognizable standards to this day.

Lyrics:

That old black magic has me in its spell, that old black magic that you weave so well.
Those icy fingers up and down my spine,
That same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine.

The same old tingle that I feel inside, and then that elevator starts its ride,
And down and down I go, round and round I go, like a leaf that's caught in the tide.

I should stay away, but what can I do?
I hear your name and I'm aflame.
Aflame with such a burning desire that only your kiss can put out the fire.

For you're the lover I have waited for, the mate that fate had me created for.
And every time your lips meet mine, darling, down and down I go, round and round I go,
In a spin, loving the spin I'm in, under that old black magic called love.

Recorded By:

Frank Sinatra
Ella Fitzgerald
Glenn Miller
Sammy David Jr.
Louis Prima & Keely Smith

Come Rain or Come Shine

By Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer
1946

One of the all-time classic songs Arlen composed with various partners for African-American musical revues, this one was written for St. Louis Woman. However, it was actually introduced on record by the Tommy Dorsey orchestra (Sy Oliver vocalist) two months before the show opened. Martin Scorsese would twist the Mercer lyric into an ode to obsessive fandom for his 1983 film The King of Comedy.

Lyrics:

I'm gonna love you,
Like nobody's loved you,
Come rain, or come shine.
Happy together, unhappy together,
Now won't that be fine?

Days may be cloudy or sunny,
We're in or we're out of the money,
But I'm with you always,
I'm with you, come rain or shine.

I'm gonna love,
Like nobody's loved you,
Come rain, or come shine.
High as a mountain, deep as a river,
Now won't that be fine?

I guess when you met,
It was just one of those things.
But don't ever bet me,
Cause I'm gonna be true, if you let me.

You're gonna love me,
Like nobody's loved me,
Come rain, or come shine.
Happy together, unhappy together,
And won't it be fine?

Days may be cloudy or sunny,
We're in or we're out of the money,
But I'll love you always,
I'm with you, rain or shine.

Recorded By:

Billie Holiday
Frank Sinatra
Ray Charles
Dinah Washington
Dexter Gordon

And the Angels Sing

By Ziggy Elman & Johnny Mercer
1939

Benny Goodman's trumpeter Elman came up with this melody in 1938 as an instrumental for his own band, called "Frailach in Swing". But once Mercer added lyrics to it, it became a massive hot for Goodman's orchestra. Six years later, it became the title song of a movie musical starring Fred MacMurray and Dorothy Lamour.

Lyrics:

We meet, and the angels sing
The angels sing the sweetest song I ever heard
You speak, and the angels sing
Or am I breathing music into every word

Suddenly, the setting is strange
I can see water and moonlight beaming
Silver waves that break on some undiscovered shore - Then
Suddenly, I see it all change
Long winter nights with the candles gleaming
Through it all your face that I adore.

You smile, and the angels sing
And though it's just a gentle murmur at the start
We kiss, and the angels sing
And leave their music ringing in my heart.

Recorded By:

Glenn Miller
Count Basie
Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass
Louis Armstrong
Ella Fitzgerald

Goody Goody

By Matt Malneck & Johnny Mercer
1936

This clever melody, with even cleverer lyrics from the irrepressible Mercer, was introduced by the Benny Goodman orchestra, with Helen Ward on vocals. Some 20 years later, doo-wop crooner Frankie Lyman had a minor hit with it that returned it to the spotlight for a bit. A very catchy number, it remains highly recognizable.

Lyrics:

Do you remember me sitting all alone, waiting for the tinkle of the telephone?
Now the action, Jackson's turned right around, goody goody!
Yes you remember me, I was all for you, sitting, waiting, hoping like you told me to.
Now the action, Jackson's turned right around.

So you met someone who set you back on your heels,
Goody Goody!
So you met someone and now you know how it feels,
Goody Goody!

Well you gave her your heart too, just as I gave mine to you.
And she broke it in little pieces, now how do you do?

So you lie awake just singing the blues all night,
Goody Goody!
And you found that loves a barrel of dynamite!
Hurray and hallelujah, you had it coming to ya.
Goody goody for you! Goody goody for me!
And I hope you're satisfied, you rascal you!

Recorded By:

Ella Fitzgerald
Frank Sinatra
Chicago
Della Reese
Julie London

You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby

By Harry Warren & Johnny Mercer
1938

Sung by Dick Powell in the movie Hard to Get, in which it first appeared, the song actually became huge thanks to its first studio recording, by Bing Crosby. Although recorded many, many times over the years, it's Bing's version that remains the most instantly identifiable. Cartoon fans will also recognize the tune as a popular one incorporated often by composer Carl Stallings into Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes.

Lyrics:

Does your mother realize
The stork delivered quite a prize
The day he left you on the family tree?
Does your dad appreciate
That you're merely supergreat,
The miracle of any century?
If they don't just send them both to me.

You must have been a beautiful baby,
You must have been a wonderful child.
When you were only starting to go to kindergarten,
I bet you drove the little boys wild.

And when it came to winning blue ribbons,
You must have shown the other kids how.
I can see the judges' eyes as they handed you the prize,
You must have made the cutest bow.

You must've been a beautiful baby,
'Cause baby, look at you now.

Recorded By:

Russ Morgan
Tommy Dorsey
Bobby Darrin
Perry Como
Vic Damone

Moon River

By Henry Mancini & Johnny Mercer
1961

Winning the Oscar for Best Original Song (in one of the last years in which that meant something), this tune was responsible for rejuvenating Mercer's career after the rise of rock 'n' roll had derailed it some years earlier. Introduced in Breakfast at Tiffany's by Audrey Hepburn, it became Andy Williams' theme song after the crooner sang it at the 1962 Academy Awards ceremony. An inlet in Mercer's hometown of Savannah, Georgia was named Moon River in his honor.

Lyrics:

Moon river, wider than a mile,
I'm crossing you in style some day.
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way

Two drifters, off to see the world.
There's such a lot of world to see.
We're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend,
My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me.

Recorded By:

Paul Anka
Louis Armstrong
Vic Damone
Vince Guaraldi
Johnny Mathis

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.

Hit the Road to Dreamland

By Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer
1942

If ever there was a movie intended to warm the hearts of Americans shocked by the onset of war, it was The Star-Spangled Rhythm, and if ever there was a song intended to do that as well, it was this one, the centerpiece of the picture. Sung in the film by Dick Powell and Mary Martin, it's a classic example of both Arlen's mastery of jazz rhythms and Mercer's expert feel for colloquial language.

Lyrics:

Bye, bye baby,
Time to hit the road to dreamland.
You're my baby--
Dig you in the Land of Nod.

Hold tight, baby,
We'll be swinging up in dreamland.
All night baby,
Where the little cherubs trod.

Look at that knocked-out moon.
You been a-blowing his top in the blue--
Never saw the likes of you,
What an angel!

Bye, bye baby,
Time to hit the road to dreamland.
Don't cry, baby,
It was divine,
But the rooster has finally crowed--
Time to hit the road.

Recorded By:

Dean Martin
Dr. John
Jane Monheit
Betty Hutton
Perry Como

I Remember You

By Victor Schertzinger & Johnny Mercer
1941

Proof that even the most beautiful song can be horrifying under the right circumstances, Slim Whitman's country-style recording of this standard was used to great effect in Rob Zombie's film House of 1,000 Corpses. It was originally written for quite a different movie--1942's The Fleet's In, in which it was introduced by Cass Daley. It can also be heard in Star Trek III, and Uncle Junior even quoted a bit of it on a Sopranos episode.

Lyrics:

Was it in Tahiti?
Were we on the Nile?
Long, long ago,
Say an hour or so
I recall that I saw your smile.

I remember you,
You're the one who made
My dreams come true
A few kisses ago.

I remember you,
You're the one who said
"I love you, too," I do.
Didn't you know?

I remember, too,
A distant bell,
And stars that fell like rain
Out of the blue.

When my life is through,
And the angels ask me to recall
The thrill of them all,
Then I shall tell them
I remember you.

Recorded By:

Nat King Cole
Frank Ifield
Diana Krall
Chet Baker
Bjork

Autumn Leaves

By Joseph Kosma & Johnny Mercer

1947

Yet another song of French origin, this one was first written in 1945 with French lyrics by poet Jacques Prevert. Originally titled "Les feuilles mortes" ("The Dead Leaves"), it was composed for the film Les Portes de la Nuit, in which it was introduced by Yves Montand. Nat King Cole sang the American version in the 1956 movie Autumn Leaves. One year prior, a piano version by Roger Williams became the only piano instrumental to become a number-one hit. Ah, different times...

Lyrics:

The falling leaves drift by the window,

The autumn leaves of red and gold.

I see your lips, the summer kisses,

The sun-burned hands I used to hold.

Since you went away the days grow long,

And soon I'll hear old winter's song.

But I miss you most of all, my darling,

When autumn leaves start to fall.

Recorded By:

Frank Sinatra

Ella Fitzgerald

Ferrante & Teicher

Eva Cassidy

Miles Davis

Too Marvelous for Words

By Richard Whiting & Johnny Mercer
1936

Praised often for its sophisticated synchronization of melody and lyrics, this song was composed for the 1937 Warner Bros. musical Ready, Willing and Able, in which it was introduced by Ross Alexander (pictured), who sadly committed suicide before the film was released. The tune was used again ten years later in the Bogey/Bacall flick Dark Passage, in which it was sung by Jo Stafford. Mercer claimed to have been lyrically influenced by Ira Gershwin on this extremely popular standard, which has at least 50 major recordings to its credit.

Lyrics:

I search for phrases,
To sing your praises,
But there aren't any magic adjectives
To tell you all you are.

You're just too marvelous,
Too marvelous for words
Like glorious, glamorous,
And that old standby, amorous.

It's all too wonderful,
I'll never find the words
That say enough, tell enough,
I mean, they just aren't swell enough.

You're much too much,
And just too very very
To ever be in Webster's Dictionary.

And so, I'm borrowing
A love song from the birds,
To tell you that you're marvelous,
Too marvelous for words.

Recorded By:

Frank Sinatra
Artie Shaw
Ella Fitzgerald
June Christy
Rosemary Clooney