The Song Is Ended (But the Melody Lingers On)
| PROFILE | |
| Composer | Irving Berlin |
| Lyricist | Beda Loehner |
| Year Written | 1927 |
| About The Song Is Ended | |
| In his book The Tin Pan Alley Song Encyclopedia, Thomas Hischak calls this song “… an Irving Berlin standard whose title has been called the theme of all popular music, a chilling number in which both the lover and the ballad that was ‘their song’ is gone; yet neither can be forgotten because they remain in one’s memory.” This song was recorded in 1927 by Ruth Etting and has remained popular over the years with recordings by Dick Haymes, Dizzy Gillespie, Jeri Southern, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat “King” Cole and many more. | |
Lyrics
The song is ended
But the melody lingers on
You and the song are gone
But the melody lingers on
The night was splendid
And the melody seemed to say
“Summer will pass away
Take your happiness while you may”
There ‘neath the light of the moon
We sang a love song that ended too soon
The moon descended
And I found with the break of dawn
You and the song had gone
But the melody lingers on
Session / Album Information
1987
“The Song Is Ended” was recorded in May 1987 and was released that year on Bennett/Berlin. This song was arranged by Tony Bennett and features Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet.
This recording released on:
- 1987: Columbia LP 12″: FC 44029 — Bennett/Berlin
- 1987: Columbia LP 12″: C 44029 — Bennett/Berlin
- 1987: CBS LP 12″: 4604501 — Bennett/Berlin (Neth.)
- 1987: CBS LP 12″: 4604501 — Bennett/Berlin (UK)
- 1987: Columbia CD: CK 44029 — Bennett/Berlin
- 1988: CBS/Sony CD: 32DP-893 — Bennett/Berlin [Japan]
- 2011: Disc #56 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK55) Bennett/Berlin