Song of the Day: I Wanna Be Around

The song of the day for Saturday, March 26, 2021, is “I Wanna Be Around.”

About This Song

“I Wanna Be Around” was written in 1959 by Johnny Mercer and Sadie Vimmerstedt.

The story of “I Wanna Be Around” is legendary in the music business. Sadie Vimmerstedt, who lived in Youngstown, Ohio, was a big fan of Johnny Mercer’s music. She wrote the opening line ‘I want to be around to pick up the pieces when somebody breaks your heart’ and felt it sounded like a Johnny Mercer song. She mailed a letter to ‘Johnny Mercer, Songwriter, New York.’ The post office forwarded the letter to ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers), who got the letter to Mercer. Mercer wrote the melody himself and completed the lyrics for “I Wanna Be Around” in 1959 and asked Tony Bennett to record it, which he did in 1962. Mercer gave 50% of the profits to Ms. Vimmerstedt, which made her a wealthy woman and enabled her to retire and travel the world. It is one of the great songs in the American Songbook.

About This Version

Tony Bennett r3ecorded “I Wanna Be Around” in 1962 for the album I Wanna Be Around, released in 1963. Marty Manning wrote the arrangement.

I Wanna Be Around…

Listen to I Wanna Be Around… on Spotify. Tony Bennett · Song · 1963.

“I Wanna Be Around,” as well as the album I Wanna Be Around, is available from Apple Music.