Song of the Day: The Song is Ended

The song of the day for Friday, January 11, 2019, is “The Song is Ended.”

About This Song

“The Song Is Ended (But the Melody Lingers On)” was written in 1927 by Irving Berlin, with lyrics by Beda Loehner. In his book The Tin Pan Alley Song Encyclopedia, Thomas Hischak calls this song “… an Irving Berlin standard whose title has been called the theme of all popular music, a chilling number in which both the lover and the ballad that was ‘their song’ is gone; yet neither can be forgotten because they remain in one’s memory.” This song was recorded in 1927 by Ruth Etting and has remained popular over the years with recordings by Dick Haymes, Dizzy Gillespie, Jeri Southern, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat “King” Cole, and many more.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this song in 1987 for his album Bennett/Berlin. Bennett wrote the arrangement himself. This recording features Bennett’s good friend Dizzy Gillespie. It’s a very fine recording of an exceptional song.

The Song Is Ended

The Song Is Ended, a song by Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie on Spotify

“The Song is Ended,” as well as Bennett/Berlin, is available from iTunes.