Lost in the Stars
| PROFILE | |
| Composer | Kurt Weill |
| Lyricist | Maxwell Anderson |
| Year Written | 1949 |
| About Lost in the Stars | |
| “Lost in the Stars” is from the 1949 musical of the same name, based on the 1948 novel by Alan Paton, Cry, the Beloved Country. Set in South Africa in an era when apartheid seemed as if it would never end, the plot concerns a black priest whose son kills, in a robbery attempt, a white man who is a friend of his father. The priest sings this song at the end of the first act, in a complete crisis of faith. | |
Lyrics
Before Lord God made the sea and the land,
He held all the stars in the palm of his hand.
And they ran through his fingers like grains of sand,
And one little star fell alone.
Then the Lord God hunted through the wide night air
For the little dark star on the wind down there.
And he stated and promised he’d take special care
So it wouldn’t get lost again.
Now a man don’t mind if the stars grow dim
And the clouds blow over and darken him,
So long as the Lord God’s watching over them,
Keeping track of how it all goes on.
But I’ve been walking all the night and the day,
Till my eyes get weary and my head turns gray.
And sometimes it seems maybe God’s gone away,
Forgetting his promise and words he’d say.
And we’re lost out here in the stars.
Little stars, big stars, blowing through the night,
And we’re lost out here in the stars.
Little stars, big stars, blowing through the night,
And we’re lost out here in the stars.
Session / Album Information
1956
Lost in the Stars was recorded on June 6, 1956 and released in 1957 on the album Tony. It was arranged by Percy Faith.
This recording was also released on:- 1995: Smithsonian Collection CD: A 24154 — American Songbook Series: Kurt Weill
- 1995: Smithsonian Collection CD: 4817 — American Songbook Series: Kurt Weill
- 1995: Smithsonian CD: RD 048-17 — American Songbook Series: Kurt Weill
- 2007: Proper CD: PROPERBOX 121 — Young Tony
- 2008: Not Now Music CD: NOT3CD010 — Three Original Hit Albums [UK]
- 2011: Disc #10 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK10) Tony
1958
Lost in the Stars was recorded on December 22, 1958 and released in 1959 on the album In Person! . It was arranged by Ralph Sharon.
This recording was also released on:
- Columbia LP 12″: LE 10125 — In Person! With Count Basie
- CBS LP 12″: 35DP159 — In Person! With Count Basie [Japan]
- CBS LP 12″: 20AP1418 — In Person! With Count Basie [Japan]
- Philips LP 12″: 840059BY — In Person! With Count Basie [UK]
- 1959: CBS LP 12″: BPG 62250 — In Person! [UK]
- 1959: Columbia LP 12″: CS 8104 — In Person! With Count Basie
- 1959: Columbia LP 12″ (Mono): CL 1294 — In Person! With Count Basie
- 1959: Philips LP 12″: BBL 7398/SBBL 542 — In Person! With Count Basie [UK]
- 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
- 1994: Columbia CD: CK 64276 — In Person! With Count Basie
- 1999: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab CD: UDCD743 — In Person!
- 2004: Columbia/Legacy CD: C5K 92784 — Fifty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett
- 2006: RPM/Columbia/Legacy CD: 84786 — Tony Bennett’s Greatest Hits Of The ’50s
- 2008: Columbia/RPM/Legacy CD: 731397 — The Essential Tony Bennett [Limited Edition 3.0]
- 2008: Jasmine CD: JASCD482 — Together At Last/A Perfect Combination
- 2011: Disc #14 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK14) In Person!
1962
“Lost in the Stars” was recorded live at Tony Bennett’s concert at Carnegie Hall on June 9, 1962 and was initially released in 1962 on the album Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall. Ralph Sharon arranged the song.
This recording released on:
- 1962: CBS LP 12″: BPG62116 — At Carnegie Hall – Part 1 (UK)
- 1962: Columbia LP 12″: CS 8705 — At Carnegie Hall – vol.1
- 1962: Columbia LP 12″: C2L 23 — Tony Bennett At Carnegie Hall
- 1962: Columbia LP 12″: C2S 823 — Tony Bennett At Carnegie Hall
- 1993: Sony Music Special Products CD: 15056 — Tony Bennett Sings for You
- 1995: Sony Music CD: WK 75012 — Tony Bennett At Carnegie Hall
- 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
1975
“Lost in the Stars” was recorded in 1975 and was released on Tony Bennett Sings Life Is Beautiful. It was arranged by Torrie Zito.
This recording released on:
- 1975: Improv LP 12″: IMP 7112 — Life Is Beautiful
- Disky CD: BX 883552 — As Time Goes By
- 1979: DRG CD: CDMRS 801 — The Special Magic Of Tony Bennett
- 2000: Horatio Nelson CD: HNRCD9001 — The Essential Tony Bennett (UK)
- 2002: Recall CD: RECA 353 — Have You Met Miss Jones? [UK]
- 2004: Concord CD: CCD4-2255 — The Complete Improv Recordings
- 2011: Disc #49 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK48) Tony Bennett’s Sings Life Is Beautiful