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.
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