American Popular Song 3

Cole Porter (9 June 1891 – 15 October 1964) was known for his erudite, witty, and sometimes risqué lyrics. Unlike some other of the famous composers of American Popular Song, he wrote both words and music.

He wrote shows for the stage (Broadway and London) and scores for Hollywood movie musicals, some more successful than others. His best known were mostly from the 20s and 30s, but his biggest hit came in 1948 with Kiss Me Kate. It ran for a combined 1400+ performances in New York and London and was made into a popular motion picture in 1953. Many of his songs from these shows became instant hits in their day and were recorded by all the biggest singers of the jazz and pop field. 

Ella Fitzgerald recorded the Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook in 1956. One of the songs she did was “In the Still of the Night,” a short, smooth styling of the song. Written for Nelson Eddy in the 1937 movie Rosalie, it was not the basic AABA format and Eddy found it difficult to sing, asking for a replacement. Eddy lost that battle because it stayed in the film and he even sang it in his concerts. So did a lot of other people.

I like the song because it isn’t the standard form and uses an internal rhyming scheme that could be juvenile in other hands, but becomes crisply sentimental with Porter’s talent. 

Here are the lyrics and the 1956 Ella Fitzgerald performance. Enjoy!

In the Still of the Night

In the still of the night

As I gaze from my window

At the moon in its flight

My thoughts all stray to you

 

In the still of the night

While the world is in slumber

All the times without number

Darling when I say to you

 

Do you love me, as I love you

Are you my life to be, my dream come true

Or will this dream of mine fade out of sight

Like the moon growing dim, on the rim of the hill

In the chill, still of the night