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"Skylark" is an American popular song with lyrics by Johnny Mercer (1909-1976), and music by Hoagy Carmichael (1899-1981), published in 1941.

Background

Carmichael wrote the melody, based on a Bix Beiderbecke cornet improvisation, as "Bix Licks", for a project to turn the novel Young Man With a Horn into a Broadway musical. After that project failed, Carmichael brought in Johnny Mercer to write lyrics for the song. Mercer said that he struggled for a year after he got the music from Carmichael before he could get the lyrics right. Mercer recalled that Carmichael initially called him several times about the lyrics but had forgotten about the song by the time Mercer finally wrote them. The yearning expressed in the lyrics was based on Mercer's longing for Judy Garland, with whom he had an affair.

Several artists recorded charting versions of the song in 1942, including the Glenn Miller Orchestra (vocal by Ray Eberle), Harry James and His Orchestra (vocal by Helen Forrest), Dinah Shore, and Bing Crosby. The Glenn Miller recording on RCA Bluebird peaked at no. 7 on the Billboard pop singles chart.

This song is considered a jazz standard. Additionally, it is believed to have inspired a long-running Buick car of the same name that was produced from 1953 to 1998.

Cover versions

References

1. ^ "Johnny Mercer's Songs on CD", Ralph Mitchell, JohnnyMercer.com, June 2009, webpage: JM-ralph Archived 2009-10-29 at the Wayback Machine
2. "Bix & Hoagy: Midwestern Romantics of the Jazz Age". The Jim Cullum Riverwalk Jazz Collection. Stanford University. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
3. Wilk, Max (1997). They're Playing Our Song. New York: Da Capo.
4. ^ Gilliland, John (1994). Pop Chronicles the 40s: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40s (audiobook). ISBN 978-1-55935-147-8. OCLC 31611854. Tape 1, side A.
5. Furia, Philip (2003). Skylark: The Life and Times of Johnny Mercer (1st ed.). St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-28720-7.
6. "Hoagy Carmichael ··· Top Songs as Writer". Music VF.
7. Wilder, Alec (1990). American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900–1950. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.
8. Dennis Adler (2004), Fifties Flashback: The American Car, MBI Publishing Company LLC, p. 52, ISBN 0760319278, The flighty name for Buick's dream car came from a song of the same name recorded in 1942 by Johnny Mercer
9. ^ Gioia, Ted (2012). The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire. New York City: Oxford University Press. p. 368. ISBN 978-0-19-993739-4.
10. "A Bing Crosby Discography". A Bing Crosby Discography. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
11. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 109. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
12. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954. Wisconsin: Record Research. p. 579. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
13. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954. Wisconsin: Record Research. p. 312. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
14. Malcolm Laycock presents the Golden Age of Swing detailed track info (90511).
15. "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
16. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954. Wisconsin: Record Research. p. 388. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.

External links

• "Johnny Mercer's Songs on CD", Ralph Mitchell, JohnnyMercer.com, June 2009, webpage: *JM-ralph: List of singers who have recorded "Skylark"
• "Skylark" at Jazz Standards website

• 1940s jazz standards
• 1942 songs
• Aretha Franklin songs
• Bette Midler songs
• Bluebird Records singles
• Bobby Darin songs
• Carmen McRae songs
• Ella Fitzgerald songs
• Glenn Miller songs
• Jazz compositions in E-flat major
• K.d. lang songs
• Linda Ronstadt songs
• Miki Howard songs
• Pop standards
• Songs about birds
• Songs with lyrics by Johnny Mercer
• Songs with music by Hoagy Carmichael
• The Fleetwoods songs