Thou Swell

Song

"Thou Swell"
Song
Published	1927
Composer(s)	Richard Rodgers
Lyricist(s)	Lorenz Hart

"Thou Swell" is a show tune, a popular song and a jazz standard written in 1927.^[1]

History

The music was written by Richard Rodgers, with words by Lorenz Hart, for the 1927 musical A Connecticut Yankee. The lyric is notable, as indicated by the title, for its mix of archaic English and modern slang as the story takes place in both contemporary times and in King Arthur's court.

Recordings

An early recorded version featured The Broadway Nitelites conducted by Ben Selvin with vocals by Franklyn Baur (Columbia 1928).
Blossom Dearie - Blossom Dearie (1957)^[2]
The Supremes – The Supremes Sing Rodgers & Hart (1967)^[3]
There are many other popular and jazz vocal renditions, including those by: Nat King Cole (and later Natalie Cole), Bing Crosby for his 1976 album At My Time of Life, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Eydie Gormé, Ella Fitzgerald, and Joe Williams. Bix Beiderbecke, Fats Waller, Harry James, J.J.Johnson and Billy May all recorded the song instrumentally.
In the MGM Technicolor biopic about Rodgers and Hart called Words and Music (1948), June Allyson sings and dances to Thou Swell with twin "knights" in an appropriately medieval setting.
An instrumental version was recorded in Oslo on April 29, 1954 by "Verden Rundt's" All Star Band (Rowland Greenberg (trp) - A. Skjold (trombone) - K. Stokke (alt) - K. Bergheim (tenor) - Knut Hyrum (baritone) - I. Børsum (bass) - Scott Lunde (piano) - K. O. Hoff (drums)). Arranger and conductor: Egil Monn-Iversen. It was released on the 78 rpm record Musica RA-9005. The B-side was "Perdido."

Popular culture

The music of the song is featured in the film All About Eve (1950). It is played on the piano at the party when Margo tells her friends to "fasten their seat belts."

References

^ "Thou Swell (1927)". jazzstandards.com. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
^ "www.allmusic.com". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 2, 2024.

External links

Lyrics at LorenzHart.org

Rodgers and Hart

Musicals

Fly with Me
Poor Little Ritz Girl
The Garrick Gaieties
Dearest Enemy
The Girl Friend
Peggy-Ann
A Connecticut Yankee
Present Arms
Chee-Chee
Ever Green
Simple Simon
America's Sweetheart
Jumbo
On Your Toes
Babes in Arms
I'd Rather Be Right
The Boys from Syracuse
I Married an Angel
Too Many Girls
Higher and Higher
Pal Joey
By Jupiter

Songs

"Manhattan"
"Mountain Greenery"
"Here in My Arms"
"Blue Room"
"My Heart Stood Still"
"Thou Swell"
"To Keep My Love Alive"
"You Took Advantage of Me"
"With a Song in My Heart"
"A Ship Without a Sail"
"Dancing on the Ceiling"
"Ten Cents a Dance"
"He Was Too Good to Me"
"I've Got Five Dollars"
"Isn't It Romantic?"
"Lover"
"Mimi"
"You Are Too Beautiful"
"Blue Moon"
"It's Easy to Remember (And So Hard to Forget)"
"The Most Beautiful Girl in the World"
"My Romance"
"Little Girl Blue"
"There's a Small Hotel"
"Glad to Be Unhappy"
"Slaughter on Tenth Avenue"
"Where or When"
"I Wish I Were in Love Again"
"My Funny Valentine"
"Johnny One Note"
"The Lady Is a Tramp"
"Have You Met Miss Jones?"
"I'll Tell the Man in the Street"
"Spring Is Here"
"Falling in Love with Love"
"This Can't Be Love"
"Sing for Your Supper"
"I Like to Recognize the Tune"
"I Didn't Know What Time It Was"
"Give It Back to the Indians"
"You're Nearer"
"It Never Entered My Mind"
"I Could Write a Book"
"Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"
"Ev'rything I've Got"
"Wait till You See Her"

v t e Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Films	A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1921 silent) A Connecticut Yankee (1931) A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949) Knight-mare Hare (1955) Unidentified Flying Oddball (1979) New Adventures of a Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1988) A Kid in King Arthur's Court (1995) A Knight in Camelot (1998)
Musical	A Connecticut Yankee "To Keep My Love Alive" "Thou Swell" "My Heart Stood Still"
Other	"The Once and Future Duck"