"I Could Write a Book" is a show tune from the 1940 Rodgers and Hart musical '' Pal Joey'', where it was introduced by

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

and Leila Ernst. It is considered a standard.

Critical reception

An uncredited critic reviewing "New Plays in Manhattan" for ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' said of ''Pal Joey'' that the musical contains "all the dancing anyone could want and at least three more great Richard Rodgers tunes: 'I Could Write a Book' (sweet), 'Love Is My Friend' (torchy), ' Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered' (catchy)."(No author.) "New plays in Manhattan," ''Time'', 37:1, 6 January 1941.

Cover versions

The song has been

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

by such artists as: * Anita O'Day 1960 *

Frank D'Rone Frank D'Rone (April 26, 1932 – October 3, 2013) was an American jazz singer and guitarist. Biography D'Rone's first album, ''Frank D'Rone Sings'', was released in 1959, and included liner notes penned by Nat "King" Cole, who later helped D' ...

, *

Vince Guaraldi Vincent Anthony Guaraldi (; birth name, né Dellaglio, July 17, 1928 – February 6, 1976) was an American jazz pianist best known for composing music for animated television adaptations of the ''Peanuts'' comic strip. His compositions for this s ...

, *

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

, * Vic Damone 1964 *

Harry Connick Jr. Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr. (born September 11, 1967) is an American singer, pianist, composer, actor, and television host. He has sold over 28million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top60 best-selling male artists in the Uni ...

, *

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

. *

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

In popular culture

*Harry Connick Jr.'s version of "I Could Write a Book" was used in the 1989 film '' When Harry Met Sally...'', appearing on the film's soundtrack, and also appears on the soundtrack of the 1997 film ''

Deconstructing Harry ''Deconstructing Harry'' is a 1997 American black comedy film written, directed by, and co-starring Woody Allen, alongside Caroline Aaron, Kirstie Alley, Bob Balaban, Richard Benjamin, Eric Bogosian, Billy Crystal, Judy Davis and others. The film ...

''. *Dinah Washington's version of "I Could Write a Book", from her 1955 album '' For Those in Love'', was used in the ninth episode of the first season of the television series ''

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''.

References

Sources

* Songs about writers Songs with music by Richard Rodgers Songs with lyrics by Lorenz Hart Songs from Pal Joey (musical) Ella Fitzgerald songs 1940 songs Songs from Pal Joey (film) 1940s jazz standards {{Show-tune-stub