Origin:

Introduced in the 1938 Broadway Musical Right This Way.

Style:

Swing, usually played as either a ballad or at a medium slow tempo.

Form:

A1-B-A2-C (32 Bars) [8-8-8-8]

Key:

Most commonly played in Eb Major.

Harmony/Overview:

The  harmony of this composition is very functional and for the most part remains almost entirely diatonic. The initial theme in the A sections begin with the evocative movement of IMaj7 - III7, and both proceed with  a series of diatonic II - V's which move in a predictable fashion. Throughout the entire piece the intial contour of the melody is used as a recurring motif, and the tune finally comes to an end in the final C  section with a momentary stay on IVmi before returning back to the tonic  one last time.

Recordings:

This song has been recorded over 430 times to date. It was first introduced in the 1938 Broadway Musical Right This Way by Tamara Drasin, and the first recording was made in 1940 by Dick Todd  and his Orchestra. It would also later be featured in the 1944 film I'll Be Seeing You. The song initially failed to achieve widespread popularity in the late 1930's, but around the early-mid 1940's it became an anthem of sorts for those separated by World War II. Many notable recording were made that decade from the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Jo Stafford, and  Billie Holiday to name a few. It continues to be performed to this day and remains a popular standard in the repertoire.

JGC Top Picks:

Frank Sinatra, I Remember Tommy, 1961

Brad Mehldau, The Art of the Trio, Vol. 4, 1999

Julian Lage, Live in Los Angeles, 2016