Too Marvelous for Words

Infobox Standard
title = Too Marvelous for Words
english_title =
comment = Featured in the 1937 Warner Brothers film "Ready, Willing and Able"


image_size =
caption =
writer =
composer = Richard Whiting
lyricist = Johnny Mercer
published = 1937
written =
language = English
form =
original_artist = Ross Alexander
recorded_by = Many artists; see #Recorded versions
performed_by = "Too Marvelous for Words" is a popular song written in 1937. Johnny Mercer wrote the lyrics for music composed by Richard Whiting. It was featured in the 1937 Warner Brothers film "Ready, Willing and Able", as well as a production number in a musical revue on Broadway. It then became the love theme in the 1947 film noir "Dark Passage" directed by Delmer Daves, first in a version sung by Jo Stafford, then just instrumental as the love that finally reunites Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart is "Too Marvelous for Words" indeed.

Alec Wilder praised the song as a "model of pop song writing, musically and lyrically". [cite book
first= Alec
last= Wilder
authorlink=
coauthors=
year= 1990
title= American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950
edition=
publisher= Oxford University Press
location= Oxford, New York
isbn = 0195014456 ] He cites its surprising shifts in rhythm and key.

The lyrics are sophisticated and perfectly synchronized with the tune. Mercer successfully borrowed some lyric techniques from Ira Gershwin, and like Gershwin, he writes more about language than about love. [cite book
first= Phillip
last= Furia
authorlink=
coauthors=
year= 1990
title= The Poets of Tin Pan Alley
edition=
publisher= Oxford University Press
location= Oxford, New York
isbn = 0-19-506408-9 ]
Margaret Whiting said of the lyrics, that the song was an enormously original approach to saying "I love you, honey". [cite book
first= Max
last= Wilk
authorlink=
coauthors=
year= 1997
title= They're Playing Our Song
edition=
publisher= Da Capo
location= New York
isbn = 0-306-80746-7 ]

Recorded versions

*Ross Alexander (1937, Film Soundtrack)
*Ambrose and his orchestra (vocal: Sam Browne) (1937)
*Gene Ammons
*Ray Anthony
*Tex Beneke and The Glenn Miller orchestra (1948)
*Chu Berry (1949)
*Pat Boone
*Dave Brubeck
*June Christy (1949)
*Rosemary Clooney (1959)
*Nat King Cole Trio (1947)
*Bing Crosby with Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra (1937)
*Billy Daniels
*Doris Day (1949)
*Eddy Duchin and his orchestra (1937)
*Eileen Farrell
*Michael Feinstein
*Ella Fitzgerald (1956)
*Helen Forrest (1949)
*Judy Garland
*Stan Getz
*Carroll Gibbons and Savoy Orphans (vocal: George Melachrino) (1937)
*Coleman Hawkins
*Dick Haymes
*Billie Holliday
*Helen Humes
*Harry James and his orchestra (1943)
*Joni James (1959)
*Frankie Laine (1961)
*Abbe Lane
*Dean Martin
*Marian McPartland
*Johnny Mercer (1971)
*Helen Merrill
*Red Norvo and The Overseas Spotlight Band (1943)
*Johnnie Ray (1958)
*Leo Reisman and his orchestra (1937)
*Lita Roza (1956)
*Andy Russell
*Artie Shaw
*Frank Sinatra (1956)
*Jeri Southern
*Jo Stafford
*Margaret Whiting
*Joe Williams
*Lester Young
*Art Tatum

References

ee also

*Tin Pan Alley
*Musical theatre