I Hear Music

By Burton Lane & Frank Loesser

1940

A major hit from an obscure musical film entitled Dancing on a Dime. It was introduced in the movie by Robert Paige, Peter Lind Hayes, Frank Jenks and Eddie Quillan. But it became much more of a standard a bit later, when it was taken by post-war jazz performers. It remains one of Loesser's catchier tunes, and perhaps his finest collaboration with Lane (right).

Lyrics:

I hear music,
Mighty fine music.
The murmur of a morning breeze up there,
The rattle of the milkman on the stair.

Sure that's music,
Mighty fine music.
The singing of a sparrow in the sky,
The perking of the coffee right near by.

That's my favorite melody,
You my angel, phoning me.

I hear music,
Mighty fine music.
And anytime I think my world is wrong,
I get me out of bed and sing this song.

Recorded By:

Ella Fitzgerald
Billie Holiday
Carmen McRae
Gene Krupa
Bobby McPherrin

I Hear Music

By Burton Lane & Frank Loesser
1940

This catchy tune was one of a number of Burton's compositions for Dancing on a Dime, a rare musical from Paramount Pictures. It was sung in the picture by Robert Paige, Peter Lind Hayes, Eddie Quillan and Frank Jenks. To my knowledge, the film has never been released on video, and probably hasn't been seen since it used to run on TV in the late 1950s and 1960s. Nevertheless, the popular standard has survived.

Lyrics:

I hear music;
Mighty fine music--
The murmur of a morning breeze up there,
The rattle of the milkman on the stair.

Sure thats music;
Mighty fine music--
The singing of a sparrow in the sky,
The perking of the coffee right nearby.

Thats my favorite melody--
You my angel, phoning me.

I hear music;
Mighty fine music--
And anytime I think my world is wrong,
I get me out of bed and sing this song.

Recorded By:

Billie Holiday
Ella Fitzgerald
Chris Connor
Blossom Dearie
Bobby McFerrin