The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: Last Night When We Were Young

The song of the day for Wednesday, April 8, 2026, is “Last Night When We Were Young.”

About Today

The Year of Tony Bennett remembers E.Y. (Yip) Harburg today; Harburg was born in New York City 130 years ago on April 8, 1896.

About This Song

“Last Night When We Were Young” was written in 1935 by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg. Harold Arlen considered “Last Night When We Were Young” to be one of his favorite songs. In American Popular Song, Alec Wilder calls it a “most remarkable and beautiful song … (that) goes far beyond the boundaries of popular music.” Yip Harburg has said that he doesn’t know exactly where the title came from but that “the juxtaposition of those two phrases is almost a whole world of philosophy.” All in all, it’s a very beautiful and introspective song that is much beloved by singers. Frank Sinatra included on his wonderful album In The Wee Small Hours. It has also been recorded by Judy Garland, Mel Tormé, Carmen McRae, and Tony Bennett.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Last Night When We Were Young” in June 1992 for tribute to Frank Sinatra: Perfectly Frank. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

Perfectly Frank win the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

“Last Night When We Were Young,” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)

The song of the day for Tuesday, February 17i, 2026, is “One For My Baby (And One More For The Road).”

About This Song

“One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)” was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the 1943 film The Sky’s The Limit, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire. Harold Arlen called this song one of his “tapeworms” as at 48 bars, it was longer than the standard 32 bar popular song. Alec Wilder, in American Popular Song, says that “the honors must go the lyric. Just imagine having the acuity and courage to start a song, as Mercer does, with ‘It’s a quarter to three!’.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)” in June 1992 for Perfectly Frank, his tribute to Frank Sinatra. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

“One For My Baby (And One More For The Road),” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available on Apple Music.

We have Sinatra’s 1958 recording of “One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)” from Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely, with an arrangement by Nelson Riddle.

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Song of the Day: Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me

The song of the day for Wednesday, February 11, 2026, is “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me.”

About This Song

“Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me” was written in 1933 by Rube Bloom and Ted Koehler for the Cotton Club Parade – World’s Fair Edition. It’s been widely recorded by artists including Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Williams, Sarah Vaughan, Joni Mitchell, and Frank Sinatra.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me” in June 1992 for the album Perfectly Frank, Bennett’s tribute to Frank Sinatra. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

Perfectly Frank won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

“Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me,” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available on Apple Music.

We’ve got Frank Sinatra‘s recording “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me,” with a Nelson Riddle arrangement, from his 1957 album Where Are You.

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Song of the Day: I Thought About You

The song of the day for Saturday, January 24, 2026, is “I Thought About You.”

About This Song

“I Thought About You” was written in 1939 by Jimmy McHugh and Johnny Mercer. In the biography Portrait of Johnny: The Life of John Herndon Mercer, author Gene Lees quotes Mercer about this song:

I can remember the afternoon that we wrote it. He [Van Heusen] played me the melody. I didn’t have any idea, but I had to go to Chicago that night. I think I was on the Benny Goodman program. And I got to thinking about it on the train. I was awake, I couldn’t sleep. The tune was running through my mind, and that’s when I wrote the song. On the train, really going to Chicago.

“I Thought About You” proved quite popular and has been recorded many times by jazz performers including Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Hartman, Shirley Horn, Dinah Washington, and Mel Tormé.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Thought About You” in June 1992 for Perfectly Frank, his tribute to Frank Sinatra. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

Perfectly Frank won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

“I Thought About You,” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available on Apple Music.

Here’s Frank Sinatra‘s 1956 recording of “I Thought About You” from Songs For Swingin’ Lovers! with an arrangement by Nelson Riddle.

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Song of the Day: I’m Glad There Is You

The song of the day for Wednesday, October 22, 2025, is “I’m Glad There Is You.”

About This Song

“I’m Glad There Is You” was written by Jimmy Dorsey, with lyrics by Paul Madeira, in 1941. This song was originally released by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra in 1941 and featured Bob Eberly on vocals. The song has been widely recorded including recordings by Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Mel Tormé, Tony Bennett, Stan Getz, and Peggy Lee, among many others.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I’m Glad There Is You” in June 1992 for Perfectly Frank, a tribute to Frank Sinatra. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangement.

Perfectly Frank won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

“I’m Glad There Is You,” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available on Apple Music.

Here’s Sinatra’s original recording of “I’m Glad There Is You.”