They Can't Take That Away from Me
Encyclopedia
"They Can't Take That Away from Me" is a 1937 song
(see 1937 in music
) written by George Gershwin
and Ira Gershwin
and introduced by Fred Astaire
in the 1937 film Shall We Dance.
The song is performed by Astaire on the foggy deck of the ferry from New Jersey to Manhattan. It is sung to Ginger Rogers
, who remains silent listening throughout. No dance sequence follows, which was unusual for the Astaire-Rogers numbers. Astaire and Rogers did dance to it later in their last movie The Barkleys of Broadway
(1949) in which they played a married couple with marital issues. The song, in the context of Shall We Dance, notes some of the things that Peter (Astaire) will miss about Linda (Rogers). The lyrics include "the way you wear your hat, the way you sip your tea", and "the way you hold your knife, the way we danced till three." Each verse is followed by the line "no, no, they can't take that away from me." The basic meaning of the song is that even if the lovers part, though physically separated the memories cannot be forced from them. Thus it is a song of mixed joy and sadness.
The verse references the song "The Song is Ended (but the Melody Lingers On)
" by Irving Berlin
:
George Gershwin died two months after the film's release, and he was posthumously nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song
at the 1937 Oscars.
The song is featured in Kenneth Branagh's musical version of Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost (2000).
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
(see 1937 in music
1937 in music
-Events:*January 21 – Paul Sacher conducts the world première of Béla Bartók's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta in Basel*June 2 – The incomplete version of Alban Berg's opera Lulu is premièred in Zürich *June 8 – Première of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana in Frankfurt, Germany.*November 30 –...
) written by George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
and Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
and introduced by Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
in the 1937 film Shall We Dance.
The song is performed by Astaire on the foggy deck of the ferry from New Jersey to Manhattan. It is sung to Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
, who remains silent listening throughout. No dance sequence follows, which was unusual for the Astaire-Rogers numbers. Astaire and Rogers did dance to it later in their last movie The Barkleys of Broadway
The Barkleys of Broadway
The Barkleys of Broadway is a 1949 musical film from the Arthur Freed unit at MGM that reunited Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers after ten years apart...
(1949) in which they played a married couple with marital issues. The song, in the context of Shall We Dance, notes some of the things that Peter (Astaire) will miss about Linda (Rogers). The lyrics include "the way you wear your hat, the way you sip your tea", and "the way you hold your knife, the way we danced till three." Each verse is followed by the line "no, no, they can't take that away from me." The basic meaning of the song is that even if the lovers part, though physically separated the memories cannot be forced from them. Thus it is a song of mixed joy and sadness.
The verse references the song "The Song is Ended (but the Melody Lingers On)
The Song is Ended (but the Melody Lingers On)
"The Song is Ended " is a popular song composed by Irving Berlin, with lyrics written by Beda Loehner in 1927.The song's famous lyric is referenced in Ira Gershwin's verse to "They Can't Take That Away from Me", in the line the song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote, the melody lingers...
" by Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
:
- 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....
George Gershwin died two months after the film's release, and he was posthumously nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
at the 1937 Oscars.
The song is featured in Kenneth Branagh's musical version of Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost (2000).
Notable recordings
- Fred AstaireFred AstaireFred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
- recorded March 18, 1937 with Johnny GreenJohnny GreenJohnny Green was an American songwriter, composer, musical arranger, and conductor. He was given the nickname "Beulah" by colleague Conrad Salinger. His most famous song was one of his earliest, "Body and Soul"...
and His Orchestra, LA 1272-B — 3:06 - Billie HolidayBillie HolidayBillie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...
- recorded in New York on June 30, 1937, Columbia C3L 37 — 3:03 - Charlie ParkerCharlie ParkerCharles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
- Charlie Parker with StringsCharlie Parker with StringsCharlie Parker with Strings is a compilation album by jazz musician Charlie Parker, released by Verve Records in January 1995. It is based on recording sessions originally issued as two albums released in 1950 on Mercury Records. The sessions place Parker in the context of a small classical string...
(1949) - Ella FitzgeraldElla FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
and Louis ArmstrongLouis ArmstrongLouis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
- Ella and LouisElla and LouisElla and Louis is a 1956 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, accompanied by the Oscar Peterson Quartet. Having previously collaborated in the late 1940s for the Decca label, this was the first of three albums that Fitzgerald and Armstrong were to record together for Verve Records.-...
(1956) - Anita O'DayAnita O'DayAnita O'Day was an American jazz singer.Born Anita Belle Colton, O'Day was admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appearances shattered the traditional image of the "girl singer"...
- Anita Sings the MostAnita Sings the MostAnita Sings the Most is a 1957 album by Anita O'Day. Its first release was titled Anita Sings for Oscar on the American Recording Society label and also features Oscar Peterson on piano.- Track listing :...
(1957) - Sarah VaughanSarah VaughanSarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
- Swingin' EasySwingin' EasySwingin' Easy is a 1957 album by American jazz singer Sarah Vaughan.On the second chorus of "All of Me" Sarah bops in "a quite extraordinary fashion, covering more than two octaves" "Pennies from Heaven" is taken slower than is usual and Sarah creates a brand new melody the second time around, a...
(1957), Gershwin Live!Gershwin Live!Gershwin Live! is a 1982 live album by Sarah Vaughan, accompanied by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. Vaughan's performance won her the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female at the Grammy Awards of 1983...
(1982) - Ella FitzgeraldElla FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin SongbookElla Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin SongbookElla Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook is a 1959 five album set by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, focusing on the songs of George and Ira Gershwin. It was recorded with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, marking the first time that Ella and Riddle had worked together...
(1959) - Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
- Sinatra and Swingin' BrassSinatra and Swingin' BrassSinatra And Swingin' Brass is a 1962 studio album by Frank Sinatra.This is the first time Sinatra worked with arranger/composer Neal Hefti...
(1962) — 1:58 - Nancy WalkerNancy WalkerNancy Walker was an American actress and comedienne of stage, screen, and television. She was also a film and television director...
performed the song on The Muppet ShowThe Muppet ShowThe Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
(1977/78) - June ChristyJune ChristyJune Christy , born Shirley Luster, was an American singer, known for her work in the cool jazz genre and for her silky smooth vocals. Her success as a singer began with The Stan Kenton Orchestra. She pursued a solo career from 1954 and is best known for her debut album Something Cool...
- A Lovely Way to Spend An EveningA Lovely Way to Spend an Evening (album)A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening # “A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening” # “From This Moment On”...
(1986) - Harry GroenerHarry GroenerHarry Groener is a German-born American actor and dancer, perhaps best known for playing Mayor Wilkins in Buffy the Vampire Slayer .-Early life:...
- Crazy for YouCrazy for YouCrazy for You is a musical with a book by Ken Ludwig, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Billed as "The New Gershwin Musical Comedy", it is largely based on the songwriting team’s 1930 musical, Girl Crazy, but interpolates songs from several other productions as well...
(1992) - Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and Natalie ColeNatalie ColeNatalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...
- DuetsDuets (Frank Sinatra album)Duets is an album by American singer Frank Sinatra, released in 1993.Recorded near the end of Sinatra's career, it consists of duets between Sinatra and other guest star singers from various genres; Sinatra personally chose the performers...
(1993) - Tony BennettTony BennettTony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
- Steppin' OutSteppin' Out (Tony Bennett album)Steppin' Out is an album by Tony Bennett, released in 1993.Backed by the Ralph Sharon Trio and themed as a tribute to Fred Astaire, the album continued Bennett's commercial comeback; like the previous year's Perfectly Frank, it achieved gold record status in the United States and in 1994 won the...
(1993), MTV Unplugged: Tony BennettMTV Unplugged: Tony BennettMTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett is a live album by Tony Bennett, released in 1994.Backed by his usual Ralph Sharon Trio, Bennett appeared on MTV Unplugged, which despite being a superfluous platform , showcased the Great American Songbook. Rock stars Elvis Costello and k.d...
(1995) - John Pizzarelli John PizzarelliJohn Paul Pizzarelli, Jr. is an American jazz guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and bandleader. He has had a lengthy career as a recording artist, performing for a variety of labels that include Telarc Records, RCA Records and Chesky Records, among others...
- After HoursAfter Hours- Television and film :* After Hours , a 1985 movie directed by Martin Scorsese* After Hours , a 1953 Canadian television series* After Hours , a 2007 television drama broadcasted in Singapore...
(1996) - Diana KrallDiana KrallDiana Jean Krall, OC, OBC is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer, known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 6 million albums in the US and over 15 million worldwide; altogether, she has sold more albums than any other female jazz artist during the 1990s and 2000s...
- Love Scenes (1997) - Stacey KentStacey KentStacey Kent is a Grammy nominated American jazz singer.- Background :Kent attended Newark Academy in Livingston, New Jersey. Her paternal grandfather was Russian. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in New York, and moved to England after her graduation...
- "Let Yourself GoLet Yourself Go- Singles :* Let Yourself Go , a single by 808 State* Let Yourself Go , a song by Irving Berlin* Let Yourself Go , a single by Sybil Lynch* Let Yourself Go , a single by T-Connection...
"" (1999) - Jamie CullumJamie CullumJamie Cullum is an English pop and jazz-pop singer-songwriter. Though he is primarily a vocalist/pianist he also accompanies himself on other instruments including guitar and drums. Since April 2010, he has been presenting a weekly jazz show on BBC Radio 2, broadcast on Tuesdays from 19:00.- Early...
- Heard It All BeforeHeard It All BeforeHeard It All Before was released by Jamie Cullum when he was without a record deal and copies are now highly sought after.-Track listing:# "Old Devil Moon"# "They Can't Take That Away from Me"# "Night and Day"# "My One and Only Love"# "Caravan"...
(1999) - Smoke CitySmoke CitySmoke City were an English band, who blended acid jazz and trip hop, borrowing from Brazilian styles such as samba and bossa nova. They are best known for their single "Underwater Love", which was a major hit in 1997, after being used in a Levi's television advertisement, "Mermaids" .In 1997, the...
- Red Hot + Rhapsody (1998) - Robbie WilliamsRobbie WilliamsRobert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
and Rupert EverettRupert EverettRupert James Hector Everett is an English actor. He first came to public attention in 1981, when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film Another Country as an openly gay student at an English public school, set in the 1930s...
- Swing When You're WinningSwing When You're WinningSwing When You're Winning is a swing cover album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams.-Background:After the success of his third studio album, Sing When You're Winning, Williams wanted to take another musical direction...
(2001) - Rod StewartRod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
- It Had to Be You: The Great American SongbookIt Had to Be You: the Great American SongbookIt Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook is Rod Stewart's first album of pop standards, released in 2002.-Chart Performance:It Had To Be You: The Great American Songbook reached a peak position of #4 in the USA, and was certified 2x Platinum. It also went Platinum in the United Kingdom,...
(2002) - Sal Viviano - The Standards Of Love (2008)
- Alison BalsomAlison BalsomAlison Louise Balsom is an English trumpet soloist.-Early life:Balsom was born in Hertfordshire. She attended the Tannery Drift Primary School, then the Greneway Middle School and the Meridian School, all in Royston, Hertfordshire...
(trumpet) and Sarah Connelly (mezzo-soprano) - arrangement by Barry Forgie performed at the Last Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert HallRoyal Albert HallThe Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, London on 12 September 2009 - Brian WilsonBrian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
- Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin (2010)