The song of the day for Thursday, October 23, 2025, is “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing).”
About This Song
“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” was written in 1931 by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Irving Mills. This song was one of the first songs to use the word “swing” in the title and this song certainly defined what it meant to swing. Ellington recorded the song with Ivie Anderson on vocals and it was an immediate hit. It has been widely recorded since it was written and the song is a lot of fun to play and to listen to. Significant recordings include those by Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt, Gigi Gryce, Tony Bennett, and Thelonious Monk.
About This Version
Tony Bennett recorded “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” in May 1999 for Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool, his tribute to Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington. Ralph Burns wrote the arrangement.
“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” as well as Bennett Sings Ellington Hot & Cool, is available on Apple Music.
We’ve also got the first recording of this song with Ivie Anderson and Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. This recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.
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