The song of the day for Wednesday, December 10, 2014 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 the lyric 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. I am struck at how modern the song still sounds.

This song is referenced by Ira Gershwin in “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” with this line from the verse (again, let’s hear it for the verse!)

Our romance won’t end on a sorrowful note, though by tomorrow you’re gone. The song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote, ‘the melody lingers on.’ They may take you from me, I’ll miss your fond caress, but though they take you from me I’ll still possess….

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this song in 1987 for his album Bennett/Berlin. The lovely muted trumpet is from Dizzy Gillespie. Tony Bennett arranged the songs on the album and is accompanied by the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Paul Langosch on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums. Danny Bennett produced the album, which features guest musicians Dexter Gordon and George Benson in addition to Gillespie.

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