I Thought About You

By Jimmy Van Heusen & Johnny Mercer
1939

Among the first collaborations by Jimmy Van Heusen & Johnny Mercer, the song came about when Van Heusen played Mercer the music, right before Mercer caught his train to Chicago, where he was appearing on a radio show with Benny Goodman. Inspired by the ride, Mercer wrote the exceptional words to the tune. It would be none other than Goodman, with Mildred Bailey on vocals, who introduced the song in 1939 with a record that went to #17.

Lyrics:

Seems that I read, or somebody said,
That out of sight is out of mind.
Maybe that's so, but I tried to go
And leave you behind, what did I find...

I took a trip on the train,
And I thought about you.
I passed a shadowy lane,
And I thought about you.

Two or three cars
Parked under the stars,
A winding stream.
Moon shining down
On some little town,
And with each beam,
The same old dream.

At every stop that we made,
I thought about you.
But when I pulled down the shade,
Then I really felt blue.

I peeked through the crack,
And looked at the track--
The one going back to you.
And what did I do?
I thought about you.

Recorded By:

Frank Sinatra
Nancy Wilson
Diana Krall
Billie Holiday
Johnny Hartman

River, Stay 'Way from My Door

By Harry Woods & Mort Dixon
1931

From the same duo responsible for "I'm Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover" some four years earlier, this Tin Pan Alley ditty was in the then-common sub-genre of "Negro spiritual"-type tunes written by white composers. Ironically, it would be legendary African-American actor/singer Paul Robeson who introduced it with a hit record in 1931.

Lyrics:

You keep goin' your way,
I'll keep goin' my way.
River, stay 'way from my door.

I just got a cabin,
You don't need my cabin.
River, stay 'way from my door.

Don't come up any higher,
I'm so all alone.
Leave my bed and my fire,
That's all I own.

I ain't breakin' your heart,
Don't start breakin' my heart.
River, stay 'way from my door.

Lord, ain't I been faithful?
Ain't I worked, ain't I toiled in the sweat and sun?
Lord, ain't I come to you?
Ain't I come to you and thank you?
Thank you for all the good things you've done?
Listen Lord, I know you made that river,
But won't you please try to remember that you made me?
Oh Lord, can't you hear me pray to you?
Make that river, make that river hear my plea.

No, I ain't breaking your heart,
So don't start breaking my heart.
Oh, river stay away from my door.

Recorded By:

Kate Smith
Frank Sinatra
Charlie Rich
Sammy Davis Jr.
Fiona Apple

Laura

By David Raksin & Johnny Mercer
1945

The haunting melody was written by Raksin as the main theme of Otto Preminger's 1944 film noir classic of the same name, starring Gene Tierney. Preminger had wanted to use "Sophisticated Lady", but Raksin insisted it was wrong. The following year, Mercer added equally haunting lyrics. The song was a major hit, with five top-ten recordings that year alone, the first of which was by Woody Herman. Raksin was reportedly inspired by a "Dear John" letter written to him by his wife.

Lyrics:

You know the feeling of something half remembered?
Of something that never happened, yet you recall it well?
You know the feeling of recognizing someone
That you've never met, as far as you could tell? Well...

Laura
Is the face in the misty light,
Footsteps that you hear down the hall.
The laugh that floats on a summer night,
That you can never quite recall.

And you see Laura
On the train that is passing through.
Those eyes, how familiar they seem.
She gave your very first kiss to you
That was Laura,
But she's only a dream.

Recorded By:

Frank Sinatra
Ella Fitzgerald
Dick Haymes
Julie London
Charlie Parker

I'll See You Again

By Noel Coward
1929

OK, so it's not an American song. I'll be making exceptions from time to time, especially for excellent tunes like this one--a bittersweet gem written by Coward for an operetta aptly titled Bitter Sweet. The musical was filmed twice, the more notable version being a 1940 Nelson Eddy-Jeanette McDonald MGM production which Coward allegedly found so awful it brought him to tears. The song is rare for having an intro that is even longer than its verses. Listen to the Maude Maggart recording below to hear the full lyrics.

Lyrics:

I'll see you again,
Whenever spring breaks through again.
Time may lay heavy between,
But what is mean,
Is past forgetting.

This sweet memory
Across the years will come to me.
Though my world may go awry,
In my heart will ever lie,
Just the echo of a sigh--
Goodbye.

I'll see you again,
Whenever spring breaks through again.
Time has lain heavy between,
But what is mean,
Can leave me never.

Your dear memory,
Throughout my life will come to me.
Though my world has gone awry,
Though the years my tears may dry,
I shall love you 'til I die--
Goodbye.

Recorded By:

Maude Maggart
Frank Sinatra
Glenn Miller
Mario Lanza
Bryan Ferry

I Only Have Eyes for You

By Harry Warren & Al Dubin
1933

The film musical Dames is mainly known for introducing this sweet ballad, as sung by the incomparable Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler. It would also be made into a #2 single the same year by bandleader Ben Selvin. But the 1959 doo-wop version by The Flamingos is the one best remembered today. It was included at #157 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (shouldn't that have been "Greatest Records"?).

Lyrics:

My love must be a kind of blind love.
I can't see anyone but you.

Are the stars out tonight?
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright.
I only have eyes for you, dear.

The moon may be high,
But I can't see a thing in the sky.
I only have eyes for you.

I don't know if we're in a garden,
Or on a crowded avenue.
You are here, and so am I.
Maybe millions of people go by,
But they all dissappear from view,
And I only have eyes for you.

Recorded By:

Frank Sinatra & Count Basie
Art Garfunkel
The Lettermen
Peggy Lee
Ella Fitzgerald

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

Pick Yourself Up

By Jerome Kern & Dorothy Fields
1936

One of so many memorable standards written for Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers, this one comes from Swing Time, considered by most to be their finest musical film. Kern & Fields composed all the songs for the movie, including "A Fine Romance" and the Oscar-winning "The Way You Look Tonight".

Lyrics:

Nothing's impossible, I have found,
For when my chin is on the ground,
I pick myself up, dust myself off, start all over again.

Don't lose your confidence, if you slip.
Be grateful for a pleasant trip,
And pick yourself up, dust yourself off, start all over again.

Work like a soul inspired,
Till the battle of the day is won.
You may be sick and tired,
But you'll be a man, my son.

Don't you remember the famous men,
Who had to fall to rise again?
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, start all over again.

Recorded By:

Anita O'Day
Frank Sinatra
Diana Krall
Nat King Cole
Benny Goodman

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

By Harold Arlen & Ted Koehler
1931

Composed for Rhyth-Mania, the first of four Cotton Club revues by Arlen & Koehler, this clever, uptempo tune was introduced on stage by Aida Ward, and first recorded by Cab Calloway (who was also in the show) later in 1931. It has remained a popular standard among jazz performers ever since. Among the other classics the duo wrote for the Harlem hot spot were "Stormy Weather", "I've Got the World on a String", "Ill Wind" and "I Got a Right to Sing the Blues".

Lyrics:

I don't want you,
But I hate to lose you.
You've got me in between
The devil and the deep blue sea.

I forgive you,
'Cause I cant forget you.
You've got me in between
The devil and the deep blue sea.

I ought to cross you off my list,
But when you come a-knocking at my door,
Fate seems to give my heart a twist,
And I come running back for more

I should hate you,
But I guess I love you.
You've got me in between
The devil and the deep blue sea.

Recorded By:

Ella Fitzgerald
Thelonious Monk
George Harrison
Frank Sinatra
Louis Armstrong

Days of Wine and Roses

By Henry Mancini & Johnny Mercer
1962

A late addition to the popular songbook, "Days of Wine and Roses" was written for the Blake Edwards film of the same name (starring Lee Remick and Jack Lemmon), in which it was played by Mancini's orchestra. It won the 1962 Oscar for Best Original Song. And in case you were wondering, the title phrase originates from the 1896 poem "Vitae Summa Brevis" by English writer Ernest Dowson.

Lyrics:

The days of wine and roses
Laugh and run away--
Like a child at play--
Through a meadowland toward a closing door,
A door marked "nevermore,"
That wasn't there before.

The lonely night discloses
Just a passing breeze,
Filled with memories
Of the golden smile that introduced me to
The days of wine and roses, and you.

Recorded By:

Andy Williams
Perry Como
Frank Sinatra
Diana Krall
Nancy Wilson

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

Joe Cocuzzo 1937-2008

Standard of the Day recognizes the passing last Wednesday of respected jazz drummer Joe Cocuzzo, the one-time regular drummer for Rosemary Clooney who also played with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Harry James, Lena Horne, Vic Damone and Peggy Lee. He had recently been appearing regularly with Michael Feinstein, and just finished work on the CD Keely Smith Live at Feinstein's, due out later this year.

You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me

By Harry Warren & Al Dubin
1932

Written for the classic Warner Bros. musical 42nd Street, the song was first sung by Bebe Daniels in the role of Dorothy Brock. Legend has it the title was inspired by a woman working on the Warner Bros. lot, who was asked why she was still involved with her boyfriend. The lyrics make heavy usage of the popular phraseology of drug addiction, an example of what could be gotten away with in pre-Hayes Code Hollywood.

Lyrics:

Every kiss, every hug,
Seems to act just like a drug--
You're getting to be a habit with me.
Let me stay in your arms,
I'm addicted to your charms--
You're getting to be a habit with me.

I used to think your love was something that I
Could take, or leave alone.
But now I couldn't do without my supply,
I need you for my own.

No, I can't break away,
I must have you every day--
As regularly as coffee or tea.
You've got me in your clutches,
And I can't get free--
You're getting to be a habit with me.

Recorded By:

Frank Sinatra
Dick Powell
Mel Torme
Diana Krall
Julie London

Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

By Cole Porter
1944

A classic Porter tune, this ode to parting lovers was written for the unsuccessful Broadway revue The Seven Lively Arts, in which it was introduced by popular big band singer Nan Wynn (best known as the dubbed singing voice of Rita Hayworth in several films.) The earliest hit record of it came from the Benny Goodman Quintet, which also appeared in the original show. In a classic bit of Porter wittiness, when the lyrics mention a change "from major to minor," the chord shifts accordingly.

Lyrics:

Ev'ry time we say goodbye,
I die a little.
Ev'ry time we say goodbye,
I wonder why a little.
Why the gods above me,
Who must be in the know,
Think so little of me,
They allow you to go.

When you're near, theres such an air
Of spring about it.
I can hear a lark somewhere,
Begin to sing about it.
There's no love song finer,
But how strange the change,
From major to minor,
Ev'ry time we say goodbye.

Recorded By:

John Coltrane
Sarah Vaughan
Nina Simone
Annie Lennox
Ella Fitzgerald

Midnight Sun

By Lionel Hampton, Sonny Burke & Johnny Mercer
1947

The title of this jazz composition is a reference to the phenomenon that takes place in northern Norway for one month during each summer, in which the sun does not fully set, but rather hovers over the horizon through the night. Originally an instrumental by the Hampton Orchestra, this song got its very own lyrics in 1954 when Mercer, hearing the tune on his car radio while motoring down an L.A. freeway, wrote words for it as he drove.

Lyrics:

Your lips were like a red and ruby chalice,
Warmer than the summer night.
The clouds were like an alabaster palace,
Rising to a snowy height.
Each star, its own aurora borealis,
Suddenly you held me tight.
I could see the midnight sun.

I can't explain the silver rain that found me--
Or was that a moonlit vale?
The music of the universe around me,
Or was that a nightingale?
And then your arms miraculously found me,
Suddenly the sky turned pale.
I could see the midnight sun.

Was there such a night?
It's a thrill I still don't quite believe.
But after you were gone,
There was still some stardust on my sleeve.

The flame of it may dwindle to an ember,
And the stars forget to shine.
And we may see the meadow in December,
Icy white and crystalline.
But oh, my darling always I'll remember
When your lips were close to mine.
And we saw the midnight sun.

Recorded By:

Ella Fitzgerald
Jo Stafford
Sarah Vaughan
Lionel Hampton
Carmen McRae