| Composer | Val Burton, Will Jason |
| Lyricist | Val Burton, Will Jason |
| Year Written | 1931 |
About This Song
“Penthouse Serenade” was written by Will Jason and Val Burton in 1931. It’s one of the classic Depression-era songs with the yearning for the glamorous Manhattan apartment by the poor, yet romantic, couple. The first known use of “Penthouse Serenade” was for the 1933 animated short Betty Boop’s Penthouse, where it was sung by Mae Questel.
View lyrics
Just picture a penthouse
Way up in the sky
With hinges on chimneys
For stars to go by
A slice of Heaven
For just you and I
When we’re alone
From all of society
We’ll stay aloof
And live in propriety
There on the roof
To Heaven, we hermits
We will be in truth
When we’re alone
We’ll see life’s mad pattern
As we view Manhattan
Then we can thank our lucky stars
That we’re living as we are
In our little penthouse
We’ll always contrive
To keep love and romance
Forever alive
In view of the Hudson
Just over the drive
When we’re alone
Sunsets in the village
Paintings left unfinished
Twinkling lights in Central Park
Love is waiting for the dark
In our little penthouse
On top of the town
Each evening we’ll stargaze
We’ll never look down
The Heavens are our rooftop
A shimmering crown
When we’re alone
Just you
Just me
We’ll live in harmony
Enjoying each moment
The rest of our lives
When we’re alone
Recordings
1958
Tony Bennett recorded “Penthouse Serenade” on November 6, 1958. Ralph Burns wrote the arrangement. Ralph Burns wrote the arrangement.
CO 61709
Release History
| 1959 | Columbia LP 12″ (Mono): CL 1301 — Hometown, My Town |
| 1969 | Columbia LP 12″: CS 9891 — Love Story: 20 All-Time Great Recordings |
| 1971 | CBS LP 12″: 66297 — Love Songs (UK) |
| 1991 | Columbia CD: CSK 4083 — Forty Years: The Artistry Of Tony Bennett (Promo) |
| 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 |
| 2008 | Columbia/RPM/Legacy CD: 731397 — The Essential Tony Bennett [Limited Edition 3.0] |
| 2011 | Columbia: The Complete Collection — Disc 15 — Hometown, My Town |
| 2013 | Columbia — Sixty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett |