The Boy Next Door (song)

Last updated

"The Boy Next Door" is a 1944 popular song by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. It was introduced in the musical film Meet Me in St. Louis, where it was performed by Judy Garland to an arrangement of Conrad Salinger conducted by Georgie Stoll. It has been praised as a perfect example of how to advance story and reveal a character’s emotions efficiently on screen. [1]

In 1954, Vic Damone sang it in the first minutes of the film Athena. It has subsequently become a popular standard, performed by many artists. It is sometimes performed and recorded under the title "The Girl Next Door".

Other recordings

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vic Damone</span> American singer and actor (1928–2018)

Vic Damone was an American traditional pop and big band singer, actor, radio and television presenter, and entertainer. He was best known for his performances of songs such as the number one hit "You're Breaking My Heart", and other hits like "On the Street Where You Live" and "I Have But One Heart".

Hugh Martin was an American musical theater and film composer, arranger, vocal coach, and playwright. He was best known for his score for the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis, in which Judy Garland sang three Martin songs, "The Boy Next Door," "The Trolley Song," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." The last of these has become a Christmas season standard in the United States and around the English-speaking world. Martin became a close friend of Garland and was her accompanist at many of her concert performances in the 1950s, including her appearances at the Palace Theater.

<i>Athena</i> (1954 film) 1954 film by Richard Thorpe

Athena is a 1954 American romantic musical comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Jane Powell, Edmund Purdom, Debbie Reynolds, Vic Damone, Louis Calhern, Steve Reeves, and Evelyn Varden. It was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

"Tzena, Tzena, Tzena", sometimes "Tzena, Tzena", is a song, written in 1941 in Hebrew. Its music is by Issachar Miron, a Polish emigrant in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine, and the lyrics are by Yechiel Chagiz.

"This Can't Be Love" is a show tune and a popular song from the 1938 Rodgers and Hart musical The Boys from Syracuse when it was sung by Eddie Albert and Marcy Westcott. The lyrics poke fun at the common depiction of love in popular songs as a host of malignant symptoms, saying, "This can't be love because I feel so well."

"Who Cares?" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, written for their 1931 musical Of Thee I Sing. It was introduced by William Gaxton and Lois Moran in the original Broadway production.

"Everybody Loves My Baby", also known as "Everybody Loves My Baby, but My Baby Don't Love Nobody but Me", is a popular and jazz standard song composed by Spencer Williams in 1924. Lyrics were written by Jack Palmer.

"Get Happy" is a song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics written by Ted Koehler. It echoes themes of a Christian evangelical revivalist meeting song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Why Was I Born?</span> 1929 song by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II

"Why Was I Born?" is a 1929 song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II.

"Just in Time" is a popular song with the melody written by Jule Styne and the lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. It was introduced by Judy Holliday and Sydney Chaplin in the musical Bells Are Ringing in 1956. Judy Holliday and Dean Martin sang the song in the 1960 film of Bells Are Ringing. Martin then recorded it for his 1960 album, This Time I'm Swingin'!. Tony Bennett recorded the song in 1956 and continued performing it until his retirement, at Radio City Music Hall, in 2021 at the age of 95.

"Do I Love You?" is a 1939 popular song written by Cole Porter, for his musical Du Barry Was a Lady, where it was introduced by Ronald Graham and Ethel Merman.

"Johnny One Note" is a 1937 show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes in Arms, where it was introduced by Wynn Murray. Judy Garland sang it in the Rodgers & Hart biopic Words and Music (1948).

"The Sweetest Sounds" is a popular song, with words and music written by Richard Rodgers for the 1962 musical No Strings. The song opens and closes the show for characters Barbara Woodruff and David Jordan, performed by Diahann Carroll and Richard Kiley in the original Broadway theatre production and subsequent cast recording.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Costanzo</span> American musician

Jack Costanzo was an American percussionist.

I Hadn't Anyone Till You" is a popular song written by Ray Noble in 1938. It has been recorded by many artists and is regarded as a standard.

"Alone Together" is a song composed by Arthur Schwartz with lyrics by Howard Dietz. It was introduced in the Broadway musical Flying Colors in 1932 by Jean Sargent.

"Last Night When We Were Young" is a 1935 popular song about nostalgia and young love composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics by Yip Harburg. Arlen regarded it as the favourite of the songs that he had written.

"Younger Than Springtime" is a show tune from the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific. It has been widely recorded as a jazz standard.

"Where Are You?" is a popular song composed by Jimmy McHugh, with lyrics by Harold Adamson. The song was written for the 1937 film Top of the Town and was originally performed by Gertrude Niesen. Niesen also made a commercial recording of the song for Brunswick Records and this was popular.

"Lucky Day" is a 1926 song by written by Buddy DeSylva, Lew Brown, and Ray Henderson. The song has been covered by numerous artists. The song was originally by Henderson, De Sylva and Brown for George White's Scandals of 1926, along with "The Birth of the Blues". The song was first performed in 1926 by Harry Richman and chorus. Popular recordings in 1926 were by George Olsen and by The Revelers.

References

  1. Hugh Fordin, MGM’s Greatest Musicals: The Arthur Freed Unit, Da Capo Press, New York, 1996, p.99.
  2. "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  3. "45worlds.com". 45worlds.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  4. "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  5. "Fresh Sound Records". freshsoundrecords.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  6. "allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.