You Oughta Be in Pictures

By Dana Suesse and Edward Heyman
1934

An iconic anthem of show business in the same vein as "Hooray for Hollywood", this song was composed by prolific musical virtuoso Dana Suesse, one of the rare woman standouts of the songbook era, and a person referred to in the press of the time as "the girl Gershwin". She and accomplished lyricist Edward Heyman purportedly wrote the song for an unproduced Columbia Pictures film, New York Town, but it was instead introduced on record by the legendary Rudy Vallee, who made it an instant classic and one of the songs most evocative of the 1930s.

Lyrics:

You oughta be in pictures, 
You're wonderful to see, 
You oughta be in pictures, 
Oh what a hit you would be!

Your voice would thrill a nation, 
Your face would be adored, 
You'd make a great sensation 
With wealth and fame your reward;

And if you should kiss the way you kiss, 
When we're alone, 
You'd make ev'ry girl and man 
A fan worshiping at your throne.

You oughta shine as brightly 
As Jupiter and Mars; 
You oughta be in pictures, 
My star of stars.

Recorded By:

Doris Day
The Boswell Sisters
Al Bowlly
Connie Francis
Joel Grey

Out of Nowhere

By Johnny Green and Edward Heyman (pictured)
1931

From the same team responsible for "Body and Soul" and "I Cover the Waterfront" came this song, which turned out to be Bing Crosby's first solo #1 hit when he recorded it for Brunswick Records in March 1931. It would continue to be closely associated with Bing, although it eventually became a widely recorded jazz standard. Interestingly, the harmonic progression of this tune can be found in several other compositions, including Gigi Gryce's "Sans Souci" and Alexander Courage's classic theme to the original Star Trek TV series. It is also a favorite of Woody Allen's, popping up in three of his films: 1993's Manhattan Murder Mystery (Coleman Hawkins version), 1997's Deconstructing Harry (Django Reinhardt version) and 1999's Sweet and Lowdown (Dick Hyman version).

Lyrics:

You came to me from out of nowhere 
you took my heart and found it free
Wonderful dreams, wonderful schemes from nowhere
Made every hour sweet as a flower to me

And if you should go back to your nowhere 
Leaving me with a memory
I'll always wait for your return out of nowhere
Hoping you'll bring your love to me

When I least expected, kindly faith directed
You to make each dream of mine come true
And if it's clear or raining, there is no explaining
Things just happened and so did you

You came to me from out of nowhere
You took my heart and you found it free
Wonderful dreams, wonderful schemes from nowhere
Made every hour sweet as a flower to me

Recorded By:

Dave Brubeck
Lena Horne
Ella Fitzgerald
Vic Damone
Art Tatum

Body and Soul

By Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour and Frank Eyton
1930

The jazz standard of all jazz standards, "Body and Soul" actually began its life as a London concert hall number, written for British actress and singer Gertrude Lawrence. It was soon brought to Broadway for Libby Holman to sing in the revue Three's a Crowd. With its rich, complex melody from Green, it was immediately taken up by jazz bands, beginning with Louis Armstrong's, and has remained a top favorite ever since, known for its easy adaptability by improvisational musicians. Perhaps the most highly regarded of all jazz takes on this immortal tune is the recording by tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins.

Lyrics:

My heart is sad and lonely 
For you I sigh, for you dear only 
Why haven't you seen it 
I'm all for you body and soul 
I spend my days in longin' 
And wondering why it's me you're (ogling)

I tell you I mean it 
I'm all for you body and soul 
I can't believe it 
It's hard to conceive it 
That you turn away romance 
Are you pretending 
It looks like the ending 
And less I could have one more chance to prove, dear

My life a wreck you're making 
You know I'm yours for just the taking 
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul 
My life a wreck you're making 
You know I'm yours for just the taking 
I would gladly surrender myself to you body and soul

Recorded By:

Billie Holiday
Billy Eckstine
Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse
Stan Kenton
Benny Goodman

Love Letters

By Victor Young and Edward Heyman

1945

Written by Victor Young for the film of the same name starring Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten, it first appeared as an instrumental only. It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Song, losing out to Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic "It Might as Well Be Spring" from the movie State Fair. Soon after, Edward Heyman added lyrics, and the tender ballad was introduced on record by vocalist Dick Haymes, who accompanied composer Young's own orchestra. It has since been recorded by countless artists, including an unlikely rendition by the King of rock 'n' roll, Elvis Presley.

Lyrics: 

Love letters straight from your heart,
Keep us so near while we're apart,
I'm not alone in the night,
When I can have all the love you write,

I memorize every line,
I kiss the name that you sign,
And darling,
Then I read,

Again from the start,
Love letters straight from your heart.

Recorded By:

Elvis Presley
Dick Haymes
Alison Moyet
Ketty Lester
Peggy Lee

When I Fall in Love

By Victor Young & Edward Heyman
1952

The Robert Mitchum war picture One Minute to Zero yielded this timeless classic, in which Young's melody was included in the score. That same year, Doris Day fully introduced it using Heyman's lyric, and one of the most popular wedding songs of all time was born (my own in-laws used it in 1967!).

Lyrics:

When I fall in love,
It will be forever,
Or I'll never fall in love.

In a restless world like this is,
Love is ended before its begun.
And too many moonlight kisses
Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun.

When I give my heart,
It will be completely,
Or I'll never give my heart.

And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too,
Is when I fall in love with you.

Recorded By:

Johnny Mathis
Nat King Cole
Chris Botti
Chet Baker
Tony Bennett

I Cover the Waterfront

By Johnny Green & Edward Heyman
1933

Journalist Max Miller's 1932 book I Cover the Waterfront was an instant hit, filled as it was with Miller's captivating reminiscences of the San Diego waterfront from his days on the San Diego Sun. The book proved so popular that just a year later, it had inspired both a pop song and a movie, made independently of each other (although Reliance Pictures had the foresight to include the tune in its Claudette Colbert vehicle). A heap of artists recorded it that first year, with the initial hit belonging to Joe Haymes' orchestra.

Lyrics:

Away from the city that hurts and knocks,
I'm standing alone by the desolate docks.
In the still and the chill of the night
I see the horizon, the great unknown.
My heart has an ache,
Its as heavy as stone.
With the dawn coming on, make it last.

I cover the waterfront.
I'm watching the sea.
Will the one I love
Be coming back to me?

I cover the waterfront,
In search of my love.
And I'm covered
By a starlit sky above.

Here am I,
Patiently waiting.
Hoping and longing--
Oh, how I yearn.
Where are you?
Are you forgetting?
Will you remember?
Will you return?

Will the one I love
Be coming back to me?

Recorded By:

Billie Holiday
Eddy Duchin
Sam Cooke
Louis Armstrong
Lester Young, Nat Cole & Buddy Rich