You Go To My Head

You Go To My Head
PROFILE
Composer J. Fred Coots
Lyricist Haven Gillespie
Year Written 1938
About You Go To My Head
Written by the same songwriting team that gave us “Santa Claus is Coming To Town,” “You Go to My Head” is a well-respected popular song. In American Popular Song, Alec Wilder called it “a phenomenon” and “a minor masterpiece.” Al Gioia in The Jazz Standards notes that “this song comes closer than any tune I know to capturing in musical form the feeling of losing control.”

Lyrics

You go to my head and you linger like a haunting refrain
And I find you spinning ’round in my brain
Like the bubbles in a glass of champagne
You go to my head like a sip of sparkling Burgundy brew
And I find the very mention of you
Like the kicker in a julep or two

The thrill of the thought that you might give a thought to my plea
Cast a spell over me
Still I say to myself get a hold of yourself
Can’t you see that it never can be

You go to my head with a smile that makes my temperature rise
Like a summer with a thousand Julys
You intoxicate my soul with your eyes
Though I’m certain that this heart of mine
Hasn’t a ghost of a chance in this crazy romance
You go to my head
You go to my head

Session / Album Information

1957

This song was recorded on October 14, 1957, but was not released on the album The Beat of My Heart. It was included on the 1997 re-release on CD (Columbia CD: CK 66502). It was arranged by Ralph Sharon.

You Go To My Head

Listen to You Go To My Head on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1957

This recording released on:

  • 1997:  Columbia CD: CK 66502 — The Beat Of My Heart
  • 2011:  Disc #11 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK11) The Beat of My Heart

1992

“You Go To My Head” was recorded in June 1992 and was released that year on Perfectly Frank. It was arranged by Ralph Sharon.

You Go to My Head

Listen to You Go to My Head on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1992

This recording released on:

  • 1992: Columbia CD: CK 52965 — Perfectly Frank
  • 1992: CBS/Sony CD: SRCS-6565 — Perfectly Frank [Japan]
  • 2007: Sony Music CD: 715320 — Tony Bennett Sings the Ultimate American Songbook, Vol. 1
  • 2011: Disc #58 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK57) Perfectly Frank

When a Woman Loves a Man

Photo of Billie HOLIDAY
PROFILE
Composer Bernie Hanighen, Gordon Jenkins
Lyricist Johnny Mercer
Year Written 1938
About When a Woman Loves a Man
In his liner notes for Fifty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett, Bennett writes about this song: “I think this is one of the best songs every written about love — it is one of the most humanistic songs ever written.”

Lyrics

Maybe he’s not much, just another man
Doing what he can
But what does she care
When a woman loves a man
She’ll just string along
All through thick and thin
Till his ship comes in
It’s always that way
When a woman love a man
She’ll be the first one to praise him
When he’s goin’ strong
The last one to blame him
When everything’s wrong
It’s such a one-sided game that they play
But women are funny that way
Tell her she’s a fool
She’ll say yes, I know
But I love him so
And that’s how it goes
When a woman loves a man
Tell her she’s a fool
She’ll say yes, I know
But I love him so
And that’s how it goes

Session / Album Information

1996

“When A Woman Loves A Man” was recorded in June 1996 and released in 1997 on the album Tony Bennett On Holiday. It was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli.

When a Woman Loves a Man

Tony Bennett · Tony Bennett On Holiday: A Tribute To Billie Holiday · Song · 1997

This recording released on:

  • 1997: Columbia CD: CK 67774 — On Holiday
  • 2004: Columbia/Legacy CD: C5K 92784 — Fifty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett
  • 2011: Disc #63 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK61) On Holiday
  • 2013: Columbia/Legacy – Sixty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett

What Will I Tell My Heart

tellmyheart2
PROFILE
ComposerPeter Tinturin Peter Tinturin
Lyricist Jack Lawrence, Irving Gordon
Year Written 1938
About What Will I Tell My Heart
Jack Lawrence  wrote the lyric based on a title suggested by his partner Peter Tinturin. What Tinturin didn’t mention was that he had gotten the title originally from Irving Gordon. So when the song became a huge hit, Gordon sued through ASCAP and got partial credit for the song. Due to Lawrence’s connections at Decca Records, the song was introduced by Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy, with charts by Mary Lou Williams, before they even had a publisher signed up. Other notable recordings include those by Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Billy Eckstein, Fletcher Henderson, Kay Starr and Art Tatum.

Lyrics

I’ll try to explain to friends, dear
The reason we two are apart
I know what to tell our friends, dear
But what will I tell my heart

It’s easy to say to strangers
That we played a game from the start
It’s easy to lie to stranger
But what will I tell my heart

When I smile to hide all the tears inside
What an ache it will bring
Then I’ll wander home to a telephone
That forgot how to ring

I could say you’ll soon be back, dear
To fool the whole town may be smart
I’ll tell them you’ll soon be back, dear
But what will I tell my heart

I’ll try to explain to friends, dear
The reason we two are apart
I know what to tell our friends, dear
But what will I tell my heart

Oh, baby, what will I tell my heart

Session / Album Information

1955

“What Will I Tell My Heart” was recorded on January 4, 1955 and released that year as a single. It was arranged by Percy Faith.

What Will I Tell My Heart

Listen to What Will I Tell My Heart on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2011

This recording released on:

  • 1955: Columbia 78: 40491
  • 1955: Columbia 45: 4-40491
  • 2011: Disc #5 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK5) The Columbia Singles, Volume 3

Spring Is Here

Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

PROFILE
Composer Richard Rodgers
Lyricist Lorenz Hart
Year Written 1938
About Spring Is Here
“Spring Is Here” was written for the 1938 film “I Married An Angel,” where it was introduced by Dennis King and Vivienne Segal. It’s one of Hart’s saddest lyrics, where the coming of Spring has no meaning, as his love is gone. But rather than a sad, depressing song, with the lovely melody by Rodgers, the song has sweet poignancy.

Lyrics

Once there was a thing called spring
when the world was writing verses
like yours and mine.

All the lads and girls would sing
when we set a little tables
and drank May wine.

Now April May and June
are sadly out of tune
life has stuck the pin in the balloon.

Yes, spring is here!
Why doesn’t my heart go dancing?
Spring is here!
Why isn’t the waltz entrancing?
No desire, no ambition leads me,
Maybe it’s because nobody needs me.

Spring is here!
Why doesn’t the breeze delight me?
Stars appear,
Why doesn’t the night invite me?
Maybe it’s because nobody loves me.
Spring is here I hear

Session / Album Information

1973

“Spring Is Here” was recorded in July, 1973 and released in 1976 on Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs.

Spring Is Here

Listen to Spring Is Here on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2004

This recording released on:

  • 1976: Improv LP 12″: 7113 — Tony Bennett Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs
  • Disky CD: BX 883552 — As Time Goes By
  • 1990: King CD: KICP-2046 — The Rodgers and Hart Songbook [Japan]
  • 1991: Improv LP 12″: DARC2-2102 — The Rodgers And Hart Songbook
  • 1991: DRG CD: CDXP 2102 — The Rodgers And Hart Songbook
  • 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
  • 2005: Concord CD: 2243 — Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook
  • 2006: Universal CD: 3122432 — Sings The Rodgers & Hart Songbook (UK)
  • 2011: Disc #50 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK49) Tony Bennett’s Sings 10 Rodgers & Hart Songs

September Song

September Song

PROFILE
Composer Kurt Weill
Lyricist Maxwell Anderson
Year Written 1938
About September Song
“September Song” was written for the Broadway musical Knickerbocker Holiday, which opened in 1938 starring Walter Huston. Huston had requested to have a solo song in the production and so Weill and Anderson wrote “September Song” with careful attention to Huston’s limited singing skills. In spite of a limited range, the poignant quality of the lyrics and the charming tune make for a quite pleasant song that has found great popularity among singers, including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and even Lou Reed.

Lyrics

When I was a young man
Courting the girls
I played me a waiting game
If a maid refused me with tossing curls
I let the old Earth take a couple of whirls
While I plied her with tears in lieu of pearls

And as time came around
She came my way
As time came around
She came

But, it’s a long, long while from May to December
But the days grow short when you reach September
When the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame
One hasn’t got time for the waiting game

Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few
September, November
And these few precious days I’ll spend with you
These precious days I’ll spend with you

And the wine dwindles down to a precious brew
September, November
And these few vintage years I’ll spend with you
These precious years I’ll spend with you

Session / Album Information

1959

September Song was recorded on November 11, 1959 and was released in 1960 on the album To My Wonderful One. It was arranged by Frank DeVol.

September Song

Listen to September Song on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1960

This recording released on:

  • 1960: Columbia LP 12″: CS 8226 — To My Wonderful One (1960)
  • 1960: Columbia LP 12″ (Mono): CL 1429 — To My Wonderful One
  • 1969: Columbia LP 12″: CS 9891 — Love Story: 20 All-Time Great Recordings
  • 1971: CBS LP 12″: 66297 — Love Songs (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
  • 2004: Columbia/Legacy CD: C5K 92784 — Fifty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett
  • 2011: Disc #16 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK16) To My Wonderful One

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