Style:

Initially introduced as a waltz, it has come to be most commonly played in 4/4.

Form:

A-B1-A-B2 (32 Bars) [8-8-8-8]

Verse:

A-B (16 Bars) [8-8]

Rarely played. Peggy Lee’s recording from 1960 features a concise interpretation of the verse.

Key:

Most commonly played in C Major.

Harmony/Overview:

The  diatonic pattern of the melody in conjunction with the cyclical nature of the harmony gives this song a strong sense of inevitability. The harmony is very functional throughout and along with the melody remains  almost entirely diatonic. The main theme in the A sections revolves  around the movement of VImi7 - IImi7 - V7 - IMaj7 - IVMaj7 before a minor II - V to the relative minor. The B sections are also very  conventional, continuing with a series of predictable II - V - I's.

Recordings:

This  song has been recorded over 650 times to date. Originally titled "In  Other Words", Howard premiered this song in 1954 with Felicia Sanders at the Blue Angel in New York City. Kaye Ballard was the first to record  this composition in 1954 and it was introduced as a slow waltz. Frank Sinatra’s legendary recording from Sinatra At The Sands demonstrates the epitome of this song as approached in a 4/4 swing, and this  recording has been particularly influential in how musicians have come to approach the tune for generations ever since.

JGC Top Picks:

Roy Haynes, Out of the Afternoon, 1962

Sarah Vaughan, Sassy Swings the Tivoli, 1963

Frank Sinatra, Sinatra At the Sands, 1966