Today we head back to 1941, a few months before Pearl Harbor. It is another great example of two people collaborating and creating a hit song. For this week’s song, It was composer Harold Arlen who wrote the music, while Johnny Mercer came up with the lyrics. The song would be the title track for the film, Blues in the Night.
John Lahr wrote in his biography of Arlen, that Arlen said:
“The whole thing just poured out. And I knew in my guts, without even thinking what Johnny would write for a lyric, that this was strong, strong, strong! When Mercer wrote “Blues in the Night”, I went over his lyric and I started to hum it over his desk. It sounded marvelous once I got to the second stanza but that first twelve was weak tea. On the third or fourth page of his work sheets I saw some lines—one of them was “My momma done tol’ me, when I was in knee pants.” I said, “Why don’t you try that?” It was one of the very few times I’ve ever suggested anything like that to John.”
Lahr goes on to say that when they song was finished, Johnny Mercer called up singer Margaret Whiting and asked if they could come play the song for her. She was hosting a dinner with Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Martha Raye, and Mel Torme’ and told them to come over later. Arlen and Mercer didn’t listen and when over anyway. Lahr says that Margaret said:
“They came in the back door, sat down at the piano and played the score of “Blues in the Night”. I remember forever the reaction. Mel got up and said, “I can’t believe it.” Martha couldn’t say a word. Mickey Rooney said, “That’s the greatest thing I’ve ever heard.” Judy Garland said, “Play it again.” We had them play it seven times. Judy and I ran to the piano to see who was going to learn it first. It was a lovely night.“
The song was song acapella in the film by actor/singer William Gillespie. It would go on to get nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song.
The song was first recorded by Artie Shaw and his orchestra. Others who recorded it include Cab Calloway, Peggy Lee (with Benny Goodman), Rosemary Clooney, Jo Stafford, Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. The best known version, however, was recorded by Dinah Shore in 1942.
Actress and singer Lynda Carter turned 75 yesterday. To celebrate, here is her version from her 2009 album, At Last:
My mama done told me
When I was in pig tails
My mama done told me, hon
A man’s gonna sweet talk
And he’ll give you the big eye
But when that sweet talkin’s done
A man is a two-faced
A worrisome thing
Who’ll leave you to sing the blues in the night
Now the rains are fallin’
I hear the trains a-callin’
Ooh-wee, my mama done told me
Hear that lonesome whistle
A-blowin’ ‘cross the trestle
Ooh-wee, my mama done told me
A-hooey da hooey
Oh, clickety-clack’s
A-echoin’ back the blues in the night
The evenin’ breeze’ll start
The trees to cryin’
And the moon will hide its light
When you get the blues in the night
Oh, take my word
The mockin’ bird’ll sing
The saddest kind of song
He knows things are wrong
And he’s right
From Manchester Mobile
From Memphis to San Antone
Wherever the four winds blow
I’ve been in some big towns
I’ve heard me some big talk
But there is one thing I know
A man is a two-faced
A worrisome thing
Who’ll leave you to sing the blues in the night
My mama done told me
There’s blues in the night
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 