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The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

January 17, 2017 By Suzanne Leave a Comment

Song of the Day: The Right To Love

The song of the day for Wednesday, January 18, 2017 is “The Right To Love.”

About This Song

Today’s song, “The Right To Love,” was written in 1963 by Lalo Schifrin with lyrics by Gene Lees. According to the website filmscoremonthly, this song has an interesting history. It was first recorded, without lyrics, in 1963 on an album called Reflections by Stan Getz and Lalo Schifrin. Tony Bennett liked the song from the beginning and suggested that Gene Lees write the lyrics. The resulting song is an anthem for “forbidden” love. At that time, most people associated the song with interracial relationships; in later years, it has also been sung by gay singers. In addition to Bennett’s recording, this song has been recorded by Peggy Lee, Carmen McRae and k.d. lang.

“The Right To Love” is most searched-for song title on both this website as well as our sister site The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “The Right To Love” in 1965 for his album If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set. Don Costa scored the arrangement.

The Right To Love

Listen to The Right To Love on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1965.


“The Right To Love,” as well as If I Ruled The World: Songs For the Jet Set, is available from iTunes.

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Filed Under: Song of the Day Tagged With: Don Costa, Gene Lees, If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set, Lalo Schifrin, Tony Bennett

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