It’s Very Clear…
In a recent post I made some remarks that may have come across as anti-Gershwin. I stand by them. Be that as it may, I happily admit to being fond of a Gershwin song entitled “Our Love Is Here to Stay”, written for a 1938 film called The Goldwyn Follies. I haven’t seen the movie, but if it’s anything like a lot of musical films made around that time, it probably lacks any logical narrative, but contains wonderful tunes. “Our Love Is Here to Stay” is a masterpiece of popular song, and as much as praise is due George Gershwin–who would not live much longer–it’s the lyrics of his brother, Ira, that make it such a brilliant work. The first verse, for instance, could not be improved, especially when Ira asserts that “The radio, and the telephone, and movies that we know, may just be passing fancies and, in time, may go…” That’s fantastic.
Alas, finding a well-performed version of this song is not easy. Bad singers butcher the great American songbook every day, and this song, done poorly, suffers. No recent efforts I know of do the piece justice. Funny as it may seem, I like an up-tempo version from 1962 best, with Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon. That live concert also features two Kurt Weill gems, “Lost in the Stars” and, my personal favorite, “My Ship”, in unbeatable performances. Barbara Hendricks is also good, and much more traditional in style. Frank Sinatra is okay on “Songs for Swingin’ Lovers”.
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