What Great American Songbook-style songs should I learn next?
December 4, 2024 8:52 AM Subscribe
I sing to myself when I'm doing housework. I like Great American Songbook songs, especially ballady songs like "Don't Go To Strangers" and "I Walk A Little Faster." What should I learn next? And what are some good sources and resources to find my next songs?
Songs I like:
slow songs, especially "I'm actually happily in love" songs that still sound a bit mournful, like:
Time After Time (Ella)
Why Did I Choose You
Why Try to Change Me Now
I'm Glad There Is You
also some faster songs:
The More I See You
The Best is Yet to Come
also witty songs:
Experiment
Preferences:
semi-obscure is good
songs don't HAVE to be Great American Songbook songs but should have that feel
I really like a clever turn of phrase and beautiful lyrics
Please note I am already familiar with the best-known of these songs, so best answers will go beyond the top 50 or 100 standards.
Links to online audio greatly appreciated; bonus points for links to lyrics, chords, or sheet music if you have them handy.
Thank you!
Songs I like:
slow songs, especially "I'm actually happily in love" songs that still sound a bit mournful, like:
Time After Time (Ella)
Why Did I Choose You
Why Try to Change Me Now
I'm Glad There Is You
also some faster songs:
The More I See You
The Best is Yet to Come
also witty songs:
Experiment
Preferences:
semi-obscure is good
songs don't HAVE to be Great American Songbook songs but should have that feel
I really like a clever turn of phrase and beautiful lyrics
Please note I am already familiar with the best-known of these songs, so best answers will go beyond the top 50 or 100 standards.
Links to online audio greatly appreciated; bonus points for links to lyrics, chords, or sheet music if you have them handy.
Thank you!
Best answer: Obscurity is relative but these are some I like that I think would fall outside of the Top 100:
Some Other Time (Comden/Green)
No Moon at All (Mann/Evans)
That’s All (Brandt/Haymes)
Now at Last (Haymes)
Give Me the Simple Life (Bloom/Ruby)
All Over Nothing at All (Tinturin/Lawrence)
posted by bcwinters at 10:32 AM on December 4, 2024
Some Other Time (Comden/Green)
No Moon at All (Mann/Evans)
That’s All (Brandt/Haymes)
Now at Last (Haymes)
Give Me the Simple Life (Bloom/Ruby)
All Over Nothing at All (Tinturin/Lawrence)
posted by bcwinters at 10:32 AM on December 4, 2024
Best answer: Confession.
Whatever Happened To You?
My Gentleman Friend.
This Time the Dream's On Me.
posted by misteraitch at 10:52 AM on December 4, 2024
Whatever Happened To You?
My Gentleman Friend.
This Time the Dream's On Me.
posted by misteraitch at 10:52 AM on December 4, 2024
Best answer: The recent FPP on Blossom Dearie will be of interest to you.
posted by Daily Alice at 11:00 AM on December 4, 2024
posted by Daily Alice at 11:00 AM on December 4, 2024
Best answer: As far as places to find new songs, may I recommend: The Great American Songbook Foundation
A non-profit that's dedicated to preservation of the "songbook" and education of young singers in the American standards. Their Youtube channel is a fantastic resource for some crazy talented young adult performers (and finding new songs you might not know). The also have a library and archives, and the librarian there is super helpful in identifying material of interest for performers.
posted by griffey at 1:12 PM on December 4, 2024 [2 favorites]
A non-profit that's dedicated to preservation of the "songbook" and education of young singers in the American standards. Their Youtube channel is a fantastic resource for some crazy talented young adult performers (and finding new songs you might not know). The also have a library and archives, and the librarian there is super helpful in identifying material of interest for performers.
posted by griffey at 1:12 PM on December 4, 2024 [2 favorites]
Best answer: A couple I love that are a bit off the beaten path:
-Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most
-The Ballad of the Sad Young Men
(both Fran Landesman and Tommy Wolf)
-The Night We Called it a Day
-Everything Happens to Me
(both by Matt Dennis)
-Something Cool (Billy Barnes)
(Yes if there's a theme here it's that I love June Christie.)
posted by less-of-course at 8:11 PM on December 4, 2024 [1 favorite]
-Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most
-The Ballad of the Sad Young Men
(both Fran Landesman and Tommy Wolf)
-The Night We Called it a Day
-Everything Happens to Me
(both by Matt Dennis)
-Something Cool (Billy Barnes)
(Yes if there's a theme here it's that I love June Christie.)
posted by less-of-course at 8:11 PM on December 4, 2024 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Riseupandsing.org has more than a few songs like this - the website has the songs organized by topic along with links to the performed song.
posted by childofTethys at 8:24 PM on December 4, 2024
posted by childofTethys at 8:24 PM on December 4, 2024
Best answer: It's really hard to name specific songs, so many would fit your criteria, but here are some of the first that come to mind that haven't already been mentioned:
So In Love (Cole Porter) for your 'mournful but actually in love vibe, also For You, For Me Forevermore (Gershwin), and Under a Blanket of Blue, That Old Feeling, Folks who live on the Hill and Glad To Be Unhappy, and Change Partners, He Loves and She Loves, and What Is There To Say, How Deep Is The Ocean, I've Grown Accustomed To His/Her Face, Love Walked in, Midnight Sun.
A bit more upbeat with clever lyrics: Always True to You In My Fashion would be fun while doing housework, as would Anything Goes or You're The Top, both of which have several verses. All of those are Cole Porter. Everything Happens to Me. If I Were A Bell. Rhode Island Is Famous for You. Thanks for the Memory. They All Laughed.
It's an endless collection. For every song I learn I seem to add another 5 on my list to do. I would explore the various composer 'songbook' albums that were popular in the 50's/60's. Ella did the most but she wasn't the only one. They'll have a mix of both well known tunes as well as ones that weren't as popular.
posted by snowymorninblues at 8:30 PM on December 4, 2024
So In Love (Cole Porter) for your 'mournful but actually in love vibe, also For You, For Me Forevermore (Gershwin), and Under a Blanket of Blue, That Old Feeling, Folks who live on the Hill and Glad To Be Unhappy, and Change Partners, He Loves and She Loves, and What Is There To Say, How Deep Is The Ocean, I've Grown Accustomed To His/Her Face, Love Walked in, Midnight Sun.
A bit more upbeat with clever lyrics: Always True to You In My Fashion would be fun while doing housework, as would Anything Goes or You're The Top, both of which have several verses. All of those are Cole Porter. Everything Happens to Me. If I Were A Bell. Rhode Island Is Famous for You. Thanks for the Memory. They All Laughed.
It's an endless collection. For every song I learn I seem to add another 5 on my list to do. I would explore the various composer 'songbook' albums that were popular in the 50's/60's. Ella did the most but she wasn't the only one. They'll have a mix of both well known tunes as well as ones that weren't as popular.
posted by snowymorninblues at 8:30 PM on December 4, 2024
Best answer: You Go To My Head
Basically every song on Ella and Louis.
posted by saladin at 5:56 AM on December 5, 2024 [1 favorite]
Basically every song on Ella and Louis.
posted by saladin at 5:56 AM on December 5, 2024 [1 favorite]
Best answer: All The Things You Are
This Nearly Was Mine
Where or When
On the Street Where You Live
Embraceable You
posted by emelenjr at 2:40 PM on December 5, 2024
This Nearly Was Mine
Where or When
On the Street Where You Live
Embraceable You
posted by emelenjr at 2:40 PM on December 5, 2024
Best answer: Rather than give you a list, I recommend you buy (perhaps second hand) some Fake Books. One or two of those will give you hundreds of songs and a great deal of the Songbook.
posted by Hypatia at 7:12 PM on December 5, 2024
posted by Hypatia at 7:12 PM on December 5, 2024
Response by poster: YOU ALL ARE THE BEST.
Whenever I ask a question like this - listing some things I like and asking for your great suggestions - several suggestions are things I already know and like, which is how I know you are perfectly tuned in to me.
Some songs you all recommended that I've already loved and learned:
That’s All
This Time the Dream's On Me
For You, For Me Forevermore
That Old Feeling
How Deep Is The Ocean
All The Things You Are
On the Street Where You Live
Songs I started learning once and need to relearn:
If I Were A Bell
Rhode Island Is Famous for You
Where or When
My new to learn list:
June is busting out all over
Is that all there is?
Songs from 42nd Street musical
Hey Big Spender
Some Other Time
No Moon at All
Now at Last
Give Me the Simple Life
All Over Nothing at All
Confession
Whatever Happened To You?
My Gentleman Friend
Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most
The Ballad of the Sad Young Men
The Night We Called it a Day
Everything Happens to Me
Something Cool
So In Love
Under a Blanket of Blue
Folks who live on the Hill
Glad To Be Unhappy
Change Partners
He Loves and She Loves
What Is There To Say
I've Grown Accustomed To His/Her Face
Love Walked in
Midnight Sun
Always True to You In My Fashion
Anything Goes
You're The Top
Everything Happens to Me
Thanks for the Memory
They All Laughed
You Go To My Head
This Nearly Was Mine
Embraceable You
I have added all these great suggestions to my spreadsheet, and I've started learning "No Moon at All," which is one of those I'd meant to learn and forgotten to get around to.
Daily Alice, I love Blossom Dearie. Thank you for reminding me that I need to learn more of her songs, especially the ones in French.
griffey, the Great American Songbook Foundation site is FANTASTIC, and I will be spending LOTS of time there. Thank you!
less-of-course, I have some great June Christie albums - thanks for reminding me to go re-listen to them for songs I might like to learn.
snowymorningblues, thank you for your spot-on suggestions, especially So In Love and Everything Happens to Me, which I have put high on my list.
childofTethys, I used your link to find Julie London songs, which led me to "Two Sleepy People," which is perfect.
Hypatia, I do indeed have some fake books. Thank you for reminding me to spend some more time paging through them to look for songs I'd like. The suggestions in this thread will give me a great start on that.
Thank you all, so very much! I'm glad my new year will be filled with these songs.
posted by kristi at 11:09 PM on December 9, 2024
Whenever I ask a question like this - listing some things I like and asking for your great suggestions - several suggestions are things I already know and like, which is how I know you are perfectly tuned in to me.
Some songs you all recommended that I've already loved and learned:
That’s All
This Time the Dream's On Me
For You, For Me Forevermore
That Old Feeling
How Deep Is The Ocean
All The Things You Are
On the Street Where You Live
Songs I started learning once and need to relearn:
If I Were A Bell
Rhode Island Is Famous for You
Where or When
My new to learn list:
June is busting out all over
Is that all there is?
Songs from 42nd Street musical
Hey Big Spender
Some Other Time
No Moon at All
Now at Last
Give Me the Simple Life
All Over Nothing at All
Confession
Whatever Happened To You?
My Gentleman Friend
Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most
The Ballad of the Sad Young Men
The Night We Called it a Day
Everything Happens to Me
Something Cool
So In Love
Under a Blanket of Blue
Folks who live on the Hill
Glad To Be Unhappy
Change Partners
He Loves and She Loves
What Is There To Say
I've Grown Accustomed To His/Her Face
Love Walked in
Midnight Sun
Always True to You In My Fashion
Anything Goes
You're The Top
Everything Happens to Me
Thanks for the Memory
They All Laughed
You Go To My Head
This Nearly Was Mine
Embraceable You
I have added all these great suggestions to my spreadsheet, and I've started learning "No Moon at All," which is one of those I'd meant to learn and forgotten to get around to.
Daily Alice, I love Blossom Dearie. Thank you for reminding me that I need to learn more of her songs, especially the ones in French.
griffey, the Great American Songbook Foundation site is FANTASTIC, and I will be spending LOTS of time there. Thank you!
less-of-course, I have some great June Christie albums - thanks for reminding me to go re-listen to them for songs I might like to learn.
snowymorningblues, thank you for your spot-on suggestions, especially So In Love and Everything Happens to Me, which I have put high on my list.
childofTethys, I used your link to find Julie London songs, which led me to "Two Sleepy People," which is perfect.
Hypatia, I do indeed have some fake books. Thank you for reminding me to spend some more time paging through them to look for songs I'd like. The suggestions in this thread will give me a great start on that.
Thank you all, so very much! I'm glad my new year will be filled with these songs.
posted by kristi at 11:09 PM on December 9, 2024
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Peggy Lee, Is that all there is?
Songs from 42nd Street musical
Hey Big Spender from Sweet Charity
posted by Czjewel at 9:54 AM on December 4, 2024