"They Can't Take That Away from Me" is a 1937 popular

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetiti ...

with music by

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

and lyrics by

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 2 ...

. It was introduced by

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

in the 1937 film ''

Shall We Dance Shall We Dance may refer to: Films * ''Shall We Dance'' (1937 film), a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musical * ''Shall We Dance?'' (1996 film), a Japanese film about ballroom dancing * ''Shall We Dance?'' (2004 film), an American remake of the ...

'' and gained huge success.

Overview

The song is performed by Astaire on the lonely foggy deck of a ferry from New Jersey to Manhattan. It is sung to

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

, who remains silent listening throughout. No dance sequence follows, which was unusual for the Astaire-Rogers numbers. Astaire and Rogers did dance to it later in their last movie ''

The Barkleys of Broadway ''The Barkleys of Broadway'' is a 1949 American Technicolor musical comedy film from the Arthur Freed unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that reunited Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers after ten years apart. Directed by Charles Walters, the screenplay is ...

'' (1949) in which they played a married couple with marital issues. The song, in the context of ''Shall We Dance'', notes some of the things that Peter (Astaire) will miss about Linda (Rogers). The lyrics include "the way you wear your hat, the way you sip your tea", and "the way you hold your knife, the way we danced till three". Each verse is followed by the line "no, no, they can't take that away from me". The basic meaning of the song is that even if the lovers part, though physically separated the nostalgic memories cannot be forced from them. Thus, it is a song of mixed joy and sadness. The verse references the song "

The Song Is Ended (but the Melody Lingers On) "The Song is Ended (but the Melody Lingers On)" is a popular song composed by Irving Berlin in 1927. Early hits in 1928 were by Ruth Etting and by Whispering Jack Smith. In 1948, Nellie Lutcher and Her Rhythm briefly charted with the song. The s ...

" by

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

: :''Our romance won't end on a sorrowful note, though by tomorrow you're gone. The song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote, 'the melody lingers on'. They may take you from me, I'll miss your fond caress, but though they take you from me I'll still possess...''. George Gershwin died two months after the film's release, and he was posthumously nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed ...

at the 1937 Oscars but lost out to "

Sweet Leilani "Sweet Leilani" is a song featured in the 1937 film, ''Waikiki Wedding''. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and Bing Crosby's record became one of the biggest hits of 1937. Harry Owens wrote the song on October 20, 1934 for his daugh ...

" which had been made tremendously popular by

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

. The song is featured in

Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus ...

's musical version of Shakespeare's ''

Love's Labour's Lost ''Love's Labour's Lost'' is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s for a performance at the Inns of Court before Queen Elizabeth I. It follows the King of Navarre and his three companions a ...

'' (2000), in

Stephen Herek Stephen Robert Herek (born November 10, 1958) is an American film director. Herek was born in San Antonio, Texas. He attended the University of Texas at Austin. Career His career as a film director took off in 1986 with the cult horror class ...

's '' Mr. Holland's Opus'' (1995), and in

Barry Levinson Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American filmmaker, comedian and actor. Levinson's best-known works are mid-budget comedy drama and drama films such as '' Diner'' (1982); ''The Natural'' (1984); '' Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987); ...

's ''

Rain Man ''Rain Man'' is a 1988 American road movie, road Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass. It tells the story of abrasive, selfish young wikt:wheeler-dealer, wheeler-dealer C ...

'' (1988). The

melodic hardcore Melodic hardcore is a broadly defined subgenre of hardcore punk with a strong emphasis on melody in its guitar work. It generally incorporates fast rhythms, melodic and often distorted guitar riffs, and vocal styles tending towards shouting and ...

band

Strung Out Strung Out is an American punk rock band from Simi Valley, California, formed in 1989. They are known mainly for their musical style, which fuses aspects of melodic punk rock, progressive rock and heavy metal to form their primary sound. The ...

also sampled the song for the intro of "Analog", the opening track on their 2004 album '' Exile in Oblivion''.

Other recordings

with

Johnny Green John Waldo Green (October 10, 1908 – May 15, 1989) was an American songwriter, composer, musical arranger, conductor and pianist. He was given the nickname "Beulah" by colleague Conrad Salinger. His most famous song was one of his earl ...

and His Orchestra – recorded March 14, 1937 *Sarah Vaughan *

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...

– recorded in New York on April 1, 1937 *

Artie Shaw Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky; May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, actor and author of both fiction and non-fiction. Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists", Shaw led ...

– Hollywood, July 14, 1945 *

(recorded November 12, 1947) – included in the album ''

Bing Crosby Sings Songs by George Gershwin ''Bing Crosby Sings Songs by George Gershwin'' is a compilation album of phonograph records by Bing Crosby released in 1949 featuring songs written by George Gershwin. Reception Billboard was enthusiastic: :Crosby singing Gershwin tunes figures t ...

''. *

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

– July 5, 1950, '' Charlie Parker with Strings'' *

Mary Lou Williams Mary Lou Williams (born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs; May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, an ...

– ''The London Sessions'' (1953) *

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad " Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first re ...

– recorded in Carmel-by-the-Sea, 1955 in "Concert By The Sea" *

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

– recorded in 1956 with

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and Singing, vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and se ...

for '' Ella and Louis'' and in 1959 for ''

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook ''Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book'' is a box set by American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald that contains songs by George and Ira Gershwin with arrangements by Nelson Riddle. It was produced by Norman Granz, Fitzgerald' ...

Mel Tormé Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "The Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for " The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roasting on an ...

– ''

Mel Tormé Sings Fred Astaire ''Mel Tormé Sings Fred Astaire'' is a 1956 album by Mel Tormé, recorded in tribute to Fred Astaire. This was Tormé's second recording with Marty Paich and his Dek-Tette. Track listing # " Nice Work If You Can Get It" (George Gershwin, Ira ...

'' (1956) *

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most ...

with Roy Eldridge and Harry "Sweets" Edison – ''

Laughin' to Keep from Cryin' ''Laughin' to Keep from Cryin is a 1958 studio album by Lester Young featuring the trumpeters Harry "Sweets" Edison and Roy Eldridge. Reception Scott Yanow reviewed the album for Allmusic and wrote that "...this date apparently had a lot of ...

'' (1958) *

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

for his 1954 album ''

Songs for Young Lovers ''Songs for Young Lovers'' is the seventh studio album by Frank Sinatra and his first on Capitol Records. It was issued as an 8-song, 10" album (Capitol H-488) and as a 45rpm EP set, but it was the first Sinatra "album" not to have a 78rpm mul ...

'' and for his 1962 album ''

Sinatra and Swingin' Brass ''Sinatra And Swingin' Brass'' is a 1962 studio album by Frank Sinatra. This is the first time Sinatra worked with arranger/composer Neal Hefti on an album project, following a single-only session that took place in April 1962. For ''Sinatra a ...

'' *

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birt ...

– on '' Steppin' Out'' (1993), a

tribute album; a duet with

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in 2020, and has twice been nom ...

on Bennett's ''

MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...

'' (1994); a duet with

Diana Krall Diana Jean Krall (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including over six million in the US. On December 11, 2009, ''Billboard'' maga ...

on Bennett and Krall’s '' Love Is Here to Stay'' (2018) * Tina May – ''It Ain't Necessarily So'' (1995)"Tina May – It Ain't Necessarily So: Overview"
AllMusic. Retrieved April 1, 2022. *

– '' Love Scenes'' (1997) *

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...

with

Rupert Everett Rupert James Hector Everett (; born 29 May 1959) is an English actor, director and producer. Everett first came to public attention in 1981 when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film '' Another Country'' (1984) as a gay pupi ...

– ''

Swing When You're Winning ''Swing When You're Winning'' is a swing cover album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, and his fourth studio album overall. It was released in the United Kingdom on 19 November 2001 and peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart. ...

'' (2001) *

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...

– '' It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook'' (2002) *

Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop music, pop composition, ex ...

– ''

Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin ''Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin'' is the eighth studio album by Brian Wilson, released on August 17, 2010 by Walt Disney Records as part of the Disney Pearl Series. The album consists of covers of ten George and Ira Gershwin songs, bookended by ...

'' (2010) *

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million ...

– '' Bold As Brass'' (2010) *

Stacey Kent Stacey Kent (born March 27, 1965) is an American jazz singer from South Orange, New Jersey. Kent was nominated for a Grammy Award and was awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) by the French Mini ...

– ''

Dreamer In Concert ''Dreamer In Concert'' is a 2011 live album by Stacey Kent. This was Kent's first live album, and was recorded at the La Cigale theatre in Paris. Reception John Fordham writing in ''The Guardian'' gave the album three stars out of five and comme ...

'' (2011) *Cuban-American singer

Gloria Estefan Gloria Estefan (; born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García; born 1 September 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has bee ...

included a cover of this song in her 2013 album ''

The Standards ''The Standards'' is the thirteenth studio album by Cuban-American recording artist Gloria Estefan. The singer's first English-language album since 2011's '' Miss Little Havana'', and her twenty-seventh overall, it was released on September 10, ...

'' *Todd Gordon and

Janet Seidel Janet Seidel (28 May 1955 – 7 August 2017) was an Australian jazz vocalist and pianist. Education Seidel studied at the Elder Conservatorium at the University of Adelaide (BMusic, 1973–1976). Career She worked as a high school music t ...

with the Royal Air Force Squadronaires big band (2012) *

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

covered this song in the album ''Versatile'' (2017) *Piero Cusato – recording from SoundClou

References

{{Authority control Songs about nostalgia 1937 songs 1937 singles 1930s jazz standards Ella Fitzgerald songs Frank Sinatra songs Fred Astaire songs Mildred Bailey songs Lisa Stansfield songs Pop standards Songs about old age Songs about parting Songs with music by George Gershwin Songs with lyrics by Ira Gershwin Songs written for films

Overview

Other recordings

See also

References