Song of the Day: I Thought About You

In the continuation of Johnny Mercer Week at the Year of Tony Bennett, the song of the day for Tuesday, November 20, 2012 is I Thought About You.

About I Thought About You

This song was written in 1939, with music by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Recounted in Gene Lee’s biography of Johnny Mercer, Portrait of Johnny: The Life of John Herndon Mercer:

I can remember the afternoon that we wrote it. He [Van Heusen] played me the melody. I didn’t have any idea, but I had to go to Chicago that night. I think I was on the Benny Goodman program. And I got to thinking about it on the train. I was awake, I couldn’t sleep. The tune was running through my mind, and that’s when I wrote the song. On the train, really going to Chicago.

The song has been recorded by many artists, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Shirley Horn.

About This Version

To my knowledge, Mr. Bennett has only recorded this song once, for the 1992 album Perfectly Frank.