The Song of the Day for September 25, 2012 is Smile.

About Smile

The music for the song Smile was written by the film artist Charles “Charlie” Chaplin for his 1936 film Modern Times. The lyrics were added in 1954 by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons.

About This Version

In the last three concerts of Mr. Bennett’s that I have attended, at the end of the concert, he sings Smile, followed by When You’re Smiling, the Louis Armstrong favorite. I love this sweet and poignant end to his concerts.

Mr. Bennett first recorded this song as a single in 1959 and again in 1962 for I Left My Heart in San Francisco. Today’s version comes from the 1966 The Movie Song Album, which also includes The Shadow of Your Smile, another song that Mr. Bennett frequently sings in his performances.

This version of Smile was arranged by Al Cohn and conducted by Johnny Mandel, with Tommy Flanagan on piano.