The song of the day for Wednesday, December 11, 2024, is “I Wanna Be Around.”

About This Song

“I Wanna Be Around” was written in 1959 by Johnny Mercer and Sadie Vimmmerstedt.

The “I Wanna Be Around” story is legendary in the music business. Sadie Vimmerstedt, who lived in Youngstown, Ohio, was a big fan of Johnny Mercer’s music. She wrote the opening line ‘I want to be around to pick up the pieces when somebody breaks yours heart’ and felt it sounded like a Johnny Mercer song. She mailed a letter to ‘Johnny Mercer, Songwriter, New York.’ The post office forwarded the letter to ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers), who got the letter to Mercer.

Mercer wrote the melody himself, completed the lyrics for “I Wanna Be Around” in 1959, and asked Tony Bennett to record it, which he did in 1962. Mercer gave 50% of the profits to Ms. Vimmerstedt, which made her a wealthy woman and enabled her to retire and travel the world. It is one of the great songs in the American Songbook.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “I Wanna Be Around” on October 19, 1962, for the album I Wanna Be Around, released in 1963, Marty Manning wrote the arrangement.

“I Wanna Be Around,” as well as I Wanna Be Around, is available on Apple Music.