Please

By Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin
1932

One of the most iconic recordings of Bing Crosby, the 20th century's most important popular vocalist, "Please" was introduced by Crosby in the Paramount Pictures movies The Big Broadcast. It was Der Bingle's first starring role, and helped make him a national sensation. The song was a product of the successful movie songwriting team of Rainger & Robin, perhaps best known for writing "Thanks for the Memory" for Bob Hope in The Big Broadcast of 1938 some six years later. With an endearingly catchy lyric and utterly hummable melody, the song has been an inspiration to many, including John Lennon, who cited its wordplay as a direct influence on his early Beatles hit, "Please Please Me".

Lyrics: 

Oh, please
Lend your little ear to my pleas
Lend a ray of cheer to my pleas
Tell me that you love me too

Please
Let me hold you tight in my arms
I could find delight in your charms
Every night my whole life through

Your eyes reveal that you have the soul of
An angel white as snow
How long must I play the role of
A gloomy Romeo?

Oh, please
Say you're not intending to tease
Speed that happy ending and please
Tell me that you love me too

Recorded By:

Bing Crosby
Sarah Vaughan
Ray Coniff
Bucky Pizzarelli
Will Osborne and his Orchestra

Blue Hawaii

By Leo Robin & Ralph Rainger
1937

Bing Crosby introduced this breezy, evocative song in both the motion picture Waikiki Wedding (for which it was written), and on record that same year. It would also be the title track of an Elvis Presley movie nearly 25 years later. Part of the Polynesian craze of the 1930s (not to be confused with the Polynesian craze of the 1950s)...

Lyrics:

Night and you,
And blue Hawaii.
The night is heavenly,
And you are heaven to me.

Lovely you,
And blue Hawaii.
With all this loveliness,
There should be love.

Come with me
While the moon is on the sea,
The night is young
And so are we, so are we.

Dreams come true,
In blue Hawaii,
And mine could all come true
This magic night of nights with you.

Recorded By:

Frank Sinatra
David Byrne
Gene Autry
Ray Coniff
Ray Charles

Easy Living

By Ralph Rainger & Leo Robin
1937

Written for the film of the same name, the song was originally performed as an instrumental, but became a big vocal hit for Billie Holiday and the Teddy Wilson orchestra shortly after the pictures' release. It has been popular with jazz artists ever since. The song was re-used in the 1949 movie of the same name (different plot), in which it was sung by Audrey Wilder, wife of director Billy Wilder.

Lyrics:

Living for you is easy living.
It's easy to live when you're in love,
And I'm so in love.
There is nothing in life but you.

I never regret the years that I'm giving,
They're easy to give when you're in love.
I'm happy to do
Whatever I do for you.

For you maybe I'm a fool,
But its fun.
People say you rule me with one wave of your hand.
Darling, its grand.
They just don't understand.

Living for you is easy living.
It's easy to live when you're in love.
And I'm so in love.
There's nothing in life but you.

Recorded By:

Chet Baker
Stan Getz
Ann Hampton Callaway
Dinah Washington
Sarah Vaughan