What Will I Tell My Heart

tellmyheart2
PROFILE
ComposerPeter Tinturin Peter Tinturin
Lyricist Jack Lawrence, Irving Gordon
Year Written 1938
About What Will I Tell My Heart
Jack Lawrence  wrote the lyric based on a title suggested by his partner Peter Tinturin. What Tinturin didn’t mention was that he had gotten the title originally from Irving Gordon. So when the song became a huge hit, Gordon sued through ASCAP and got partial credit for the song. Due to Lawrence’s connections at Decca Records, the song was introduced by Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy, with charts by Mary Lou Williams, before they even had a publisher signed up. Other notable recordings include those by Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Billy Eckstein, Fletcher Henderson, Kay Starr and Art Tatum.

Lyrics

I’ll try to explain to friends, dear
The reason we two are apart
I know what to tell our friends, dear
But what will I tell my heart

It’s easy to say to strangers
That we played a game from the start
It’s easy to lie to stranger
But what will I tell my heart

When I smile to hide all the tears inside
What an ache it will bring
Then I’ll wander home to a telephone
That forgot how to ring

I could say you’ll soon be back, dear
To fool the whole town may be smart
I’ll tell them you’ll soon be back, dear
But what will I tell my heart

I’ll try to explain to friends, dear
The reason we two are apart
I know what to tell our friends, dear
But what will I tell my heart

Oh, baby, what will I tell my heart

Session / Album Information

1955

“What Will I Tell My Heart” was recorded on January 4, 1955 and released that year as a single. It was arranged by Percy Faith.

What Will I Tell My Heart

Listen to What Will I Tell My Heart on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 2011.

This recording released on:

  • 1955: Columbia 78: 40491
  • 1955: Columbia 45: 4-40491
  • 2011: Disc #5 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK5) The Columbia Singles, Volume 3

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