The song of the day for Wednesday, September 30, 2926, is “Blues in the Night.”

About This Song

“Blues in the Night” was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the 1941 film Blues in the Night, a noir film about a group of jazz musicians. Initially, Arlen was not enthusiastic about Mercer’s lyric. When they talked about it, Arlen noticed a phrase written in the margin: “My mamma done tol’ me, when I was in knee pants.” Arlen suggested he work on a new lyric and to start it with “My mamma done tol’ me, when I was in knee pants.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Blues in the Night”in May 2001 Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues. Rob Mathes wrote the arrangement.

Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues won the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

“Blues in the Night,” as well as Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues, is available on Apple Music.

For the 1941 film Blues in the Night, baritone William Gillespie was hired to sing this song in the film, set in a jail cell, and is overheard by and inspires the musicians, who are all in another cell.