Skylark (song)
| "Skylark" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra | |
| Released | 1942 |
| Genre | Pop |
| Length | 3:30 |
| Writer(s) | Johnny Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael |
"Skylark" is an American popular song with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and music by Hoagy Carmichael, published in 1941.[1] Mercer said that he struggled for a year after he got the music from Carmichael before he could get the lyrics right.[2] Mercer recalled Carmichael initially called him several times about the lyric, but had forgotten about it by the time Mercer finally wrote the lyrics.[3] The yearning expressed in the lyrics is Mercer's longing for Judy Garland, with whom Mercer had an affair.[4] This song is considered a jazz standard.[5] Additionally, the song is believed to have inspired a long-running Buick car of the same name that was produced from 1953 to 1998.[6]
Selective list of recorded versions
- 1941, Anita O'Day with the Gene Krupa Orchestra recorded the song on November 25, 1941.[7]
- 1941, Helen Forrest with Harry James.
- 1941, Ginny Simms with the Edgar Fairchild Orchestra (18 December 1941).
- 1942, Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra.[8]
- 1942, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra with vocals by Ray Eberle in 1942,[1] rising to #7 on the charts.
- 1943, Billy Eckstine with the Earl Hines Orchestra.
- 1950, The Clovers recorded as a single.
- 1963, Aretha Franklin released her version on her fifth studio album Laughing on the Outside.
- 1973, Bette Midler, on her second studio LP Bette Midler.
- 1984, Linda Ronstadt - with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra - from her Platinum-plus album Lush Life. Hit #12 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in early 1985. Ronstadt's version was nominated for a Grammy Award.
- 2009, Mark Isham and Kate Ceberano recorded a version for their album, Bittersweet
- 2016, Bob Dylan recorded versions album Fallen Angels.
- 2016, Kristin Chenoweth, on her sixth studio album The Art of Elegance.
References
- 1 2 "Johnny Mercer's Songs on CD", Ralph Mitchell, JohnnyMercer.com, June 2009, webpage: JM-ralph.
- ↑ Wilk, Max (1997). They're Playing Our Song. New York: Da Capo.
- ↑ Gilliland, John (1994). Pop Chronicles the 40s: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40s (audiobook). ISBN 978-1-55935-147-8. OCLC 31611854. Tape 1, side A.
- ↑ Furia, Philip (2003). Skylark: The Life and Times of Johnny Mercer (1st ed.). St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-28720-7.
- ↑ Wilder, Alec (1990). American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.
- ↑ Dennis Adler (2004), Fifties Flashback: The American Car, p. 52, ISBN 0760319278,
The flighty name for Buick's dream car came from a song of the same name recorded in 1942 by Johnny Mercer
- ↑ Malcolm Laycock presents the Golden Age of Swing detailed track info (90511).
- ↑ "A Bing Crosby Discography". A Bing Crosby Discography. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
External links
- "Johnny Mercer's Songs on CD", Ralph Mitchell, JohnnyMercer.com, June 2009, webpage: *JM-ralph: List of singers who have recorded "Skylark"
- "Skylark" at Jazz Standards website
- Lyrics at LyricsTime
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