As Time Goes By
| PROFILE | |
| Composer and Lyricist | Herman Hupfeld |
| Year Written | 1931 |
| About As Times Goes By | |
| “As Time Goes By” was written for the 1931 Broadway musical Everybody’s Welcome. It was a modest hit, with recordings by Rudy Vallee and Binnie Hale. All that changed in 1942, when it was sung by Dooley Wilson in the film Casablanca. Not only was “As Time Goes By” sung; it was a major point plot, as Rick (Humphrey Bogart) has told his pianist Sam (Dooley Wilson) to never ever play that song. Until Rick’s long-lost love, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) comes to Casablanca and Rick’s American Bar asks Sam to play the song. The song provides one of the most misquoted lines in all of film. Bogart never says “play it again, Sam.” He says “if she can stand it, so can I. Play it Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By.'” The American Film Institute named “As Time Goes By” the second most important song in film, second only to “Over The Rainbow.” Note that Tony Bennett sings the verse for this song, which has seldom been heard, especially since the release of the film Casablanca. | |
Lyrics
This day and age we’re living in
Gives cause for apprehension
With speed and new invention
And things like third dimension
Yet we get a trifle weary
With Mr Einstein’s theory
So we must get down to earth
At times relax, relieve the tension
No matter what the progress
Or what may yet be proved
The simple facts of life are such
They cannot be removed
You must remember this
A kiss is still a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply as time goes by
And when two lovers woo
They still say I love you
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings, as time goes by
Moonlight and love songs never out of date
Hearts full of passion, jealousy, and hate
Woman needs man, and man must have his mate
That no one can deny
It’s still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers as time goes by
The world will always welcome lovers as time goes by
Session / Album Information
1975
“As Time Goes By” 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 45: TB712
- 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: PRO-CJ-0081-2 — The Complete Improv Recordings Sampler
- 2004: Concord CD: CCD4-2255 — The Complete Improv Recordings
- 2006: Concord CD: CCD-6023-2 — Tony Bennett Sings For Lovers
- 2011: Concord CRE-32955-02 – The Best of the Improv Recordings
- 2011: Disc #49 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK48) Tony Bennett’s Sings Life Is Beautiful