Where or When

Last updated
"Where or When"
Song
Published1937 by Chappell & Co.
Genre Showtune
Composer(s) Richard Rodgers
Lyricist(s) Lorenz Hart

"Where or When" is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes in Arms . It was first performed by Ray Heatherton and Mitzi Green. That same year, Hal Kemp recorded a popular version. The song also appeared in the film version of Babes in Arms two years later.

Contents

"Where or When"
Single by Dion and the Belmonts
from the album Presenting Dion and the Belmonts
B-side "That's My Desire"
ReleasedDecember 1959
Recorded1959
Genre
Length2:37
Label Laurie
Songwriter(s) Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
Dion and the Belmonts singles chronology
"Every Little Thing I Do"
(1959)		"Where or When"
(1959)		"When You Wish Upon a Star"
(1960)

Babes in Arms

"Where or When" is the first number to appear in the original Broadway production of Babes in Arms. The musical opens in fictional Seaport, Long Island on a hectic morning that finds most of the adult population embarking on a five-month vaudeville tour. Soon after his parents' departure, 20-year-old Valentine LaMar (played by Ray Heatherton) discovers at his doorstep a young hitchhiker named Billie Smith (played by Mitzi Green). Instantly smitten, he engages her in a discussion of movie stars, self-defense maneuvers, and Nietzsche's theory of individualism, at which point Val impulsively steals a kiss. Both admit to a powerful sense of déjà vu and sing "Where or When" as a duet. [2]

MGM bought the screen rights to the play in 1938, and the following year the studio released Babes in Arms , starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. The picture bore little resemblance to its stage predecessor, with the characters and plot substantially revised by 10 studio writers, and only two numbers being retained from the score. [2] "Where or When" appeared 37 minutes into the film, [3] sung in a duet by Betty Jaynes and Douglas McPhail, and partially reprised solo by Garland. [4]

Lyrics

The lyrics of Where or When illustrate a memory phenomenon known as déjà vu. The line "Some things that happened for the first time...", as interpreted by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald [5] is sung as "Some things that happen for the first time...," which gives it a somewhat different meaning.

Ultimately, the uncertainty of whether the couple had met before is never resolved in the lyrics, just wistfully chalked up to "tricks that your mind can play" in the final line of the second verse, which is not often recorded: [6]

Recorded versions

Where or When has become part of the Great American Songbook, having been recorded by scores of popular artists over the decades, starting with a successful cover by Hal Kemp and his Orchestra shortly after its debut in 1937.

Other memorable recordings [6] include those by:

More contemporary interpretations have been done by Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, Judy Collins, Harry Connick Jr., George Michael, Bryan Ferry, Mandy Patinkin, Diana Krall, Michael Buble and Laufey. [6]

Instrumental versions were recorded by Count Basie, Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington, Etta Jones and others.

Pop culture

Related Research Articles

<i>Babes in Arms</i> 1937 musical by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

Babes in Arms is a 1937 coming-of-age musical comedy with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart, and book by Rodgers and Hart. It concerns a group of small-town Long Island teenagers who put on a show to avoid being sent to a work farm by the town sheriff. Several songs in Babes in Arms became pop standards, including the title song, "Where or When", and "The Lady Is a Tramp." The film version, released in 1939, starred Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney and was directed by Busby Berkeley.

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References

  1. ↑ McGee, David (2004). "Dion". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 239–241. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  2. 1 2 "Babes in Arms: History and Synopsis" (PDF). New World Records. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  3. ↑ "Film Review: Babes in Arms". Judy Garland Database. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  4. ↑ Burlingame, Sandra. "Where or When (1937)". JazzStandards.com. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  5. ↑ Where or When as sung by Ella Fitzgerald, at thepeaches.com
  6. 1 2 3 Where or When at greatamericansongbook.net
  7. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 241.
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