The song of the day for Sunday, August 30, 2015 is “I Fall In Love Too Easily.”

About This Song

“I Fall In Love Too Easily” was written by Jule Styne, with lyrics by Sammy Cahn,for the 1945 movie Anchors Away, where it was introduced by Frank Sinatra. It nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, but lost to “It Might As Well Be Spring” by Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is a well-respected jazz standard, with recordings by Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Anita O’Day and Johnny Hartman.

About These Versions

“I Fall In Love Too Easily” is one of those perfect ballads–it has a beautiful melody and the lyrics are direct and effective.

I chose this song today because I found the contrast of Bennett’s performance of this song, nearly 40 years apart, quite fascinating. The 1954 version, arranged by Chuck Wayne, the young singer freely admits to falling in love frequently and, yes too fast, and while there is a certain bit of introspection and thoughtfulness about this tendency, our young man accepts it all and we have no doubt that he will fall in love again soon–maybe even deeply and forever. But love again and again he will.

In 1992, however, there is a strong sense of regret of all those years of falling in love too easily, too fast and a strong sense of sadness that this love never lasts. There is a strong sense that the deep, true love might never come–it’s simply been so easy to fall in love and out of love too fast. We wake up one day and realize that we may be missing something in our life because of this.

Anyway–my feelings about the emotional content of these versions aside–the contrast is wonderful to hear. Both are excellent and both carry great meaning and emotion.

1954

“I Fall In Love Too Easily,” as well as Cloud 7, is available from iTunes.

1992

“I Fall In Love Too Easily,” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available from iTunes.