It Was Me
Norman Gimbel
| PROFILE | |
| Composer | Gilbert Bécaud |
| Lyricist (French) | Maurice Vidalin |
| Lyricist (English) | Norman Gimbel |
| Year Written | 1960 |
| About It Was Me | |
| “It Was Me” was written by Gilbert Becaud as “C’etait Moi,” with English lyrics by Norman Gimbel. It’s a beautiful love song that brings memories of summers past and, maybe, to come. In 2009, Tony Bennett named this as his favorite summer song on NPR; you can listen to the interview here. | |
Lyrics
Who’s the one you would find on the beach every day
Lying there on the shore while his friends swim away
Lying there in the sand only inches from you
Watching you every day til the summer was through
It was me
Who would help gather shells for the bracelet you made
Who would find you the cups for the pink lemonade
Who was always beside you whenever you’d swim
When you sat by the sea as the daylight grew dim
It was me
It was me
Now that summer is gone
And the warm skies are cold
And the soft winds are crisp
With their wintery chill
Do you ever think back on the night when we kissed
Can you ever forget
I know I never will
Who’s the one next to you in the group photograph
Who’s the one with the face too unhappy to laugh
Standing there looking down so uncertain and shy
Like a boy who’s in love, so in love he could cry
It was me
It was me
Me finding out
It was you
Session / Album Information
1962
“It Was Me” was recorded on December 19, 1962 and released in 1963 on the album I Wanna Be Around. It was arranged by Marty Manning. and produced by Ernie Altschuler.
This recording released on:
- 1963: Columbia LP 12″: P 13575 — I Wanna Be Around
- 1963: Columbia LP 12″ (Mono): CL 2000 — I Wanna Be Around
- 1963: CBS LP 12″: SBPG 62149 — I Wanna Be Around (UK)
- 1963: Columbia LP 12″: CS 8800 — I Wanna Be Around
- 1972: Columbia LP 12″: C 31219 — Summer Of ’42
- 1972: CBS LP 12″: S64848 — Summer Of ’42
- 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: Columbia CD: CK 66504 — I Wanna Be Around
- 2004: Columbia/Legacy CD: C5K 92784 — Fifty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett
- 2006: RPM/Columbia/Legacy CD: 82876 87234 — I Wanna Be Around
- 2011: Disc #26 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK25) I Wanna Be Around
- 2011: Disc #43 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK42) Summer of 42