A Sleepin’ Bee
| PROFILE | |
| Composer | Harold Arlen |
| Lyricist | Truman Capote, Harold Arlen |
| Year Written | 1954 |
| About A Sleepin’ Bee | |
| “A Sleepin’ Bee” was written for the 1954 musical House of Flowers, based on the Truman Capote novella. Set in Haiti, the production featured a trio of steel drummers (more precisely known as pannists) from Trinidad. | |
Lyrics
When you’re in love and you are wonderin’
If he really is the one
There’s an ancient sign sure to tell you
If your search is over and done
Just catch a bee and if he don’t sting you
You’re in a spell that’s just begun
It’s a guarantee ‘til the end of time
Your true love you have won, have won
When a bee lies sleepin’ in the palm of your hand,
You’re bewitched, and deep in love’s long looked-after land.
Where you’ll see a sun-up sky with a mornin’ moon,
and where the days go laughin’ by, as love comes a callin’ on you.
Sleep on bee, don’t waken, I can’t believe what just passed.
She’s mine for the takin’ I’m so happy at last.
Maybe I dreams, but she seems sweet golden as a crown
A sleepin’ bee done told me, that I’ll walk with my feet off the ground
when my one true love, I has found.
Session / Album Information
1959
A Sleepin’ Bee was recorded on October 28, 1959 and released in 1961 on the album Tony Sings For Two. It was arranged by Ralph Sharon.
This recording released on:
- 1961: Columbia LP 12″: CS 8242 — Tony Sings For Two
- 1961: Columbia LP 12″ (Mono): CL 1446 — Tony Sings For Two
- 1961: Philips LP 12″ (Mono): BBL 7479 — Tony Sings For Two
- 1991: Columbia CD: C4K 46843 — Forty Years – The Artistry Of Tony Bennett
- 1993: CBS/Sony CD: SRCS-6641 — Forty Years: The Artistry Of Tony Bennett
- 1995: Sony Music CD: SMSP A 8242 — Tony Sings For Two
- 2004: Columbia/Legacy CD: C5K 92784 — Fifty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett
- 2006: RPM/Columbia/Legacy CD: 82876 87234 — Tony Sings For Two
- 2011: Disc #19 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK19) Tony Sings For Two
1962
“A Sleepin’ Bee” was recorded live at Tony Bennett’s concert at Carnegie Hall on June 9, 1962, but was not released until 1997 on the album Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall: Complete Concert. Ralph Sharon arranged the song.
This recording released on:
- 1997: Columbia CD: C2K 64609 — At Carnegie Hall June 9, 1962: Complete Concert
- 2011: Disc #24 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK24) Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall