Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
The collaboration of Ira and George Gershwin was one of the summits of American popular music. Ira Gershwin's lyrics-with their stylish simplicity, exuberant comic invention, and colloquial eloquence-have entered the culture, and Robert Kimball has collected the most memorable of them into a beguiling collection that includes
Fascinating Rhythm
Oh, Lady, Be Good
Someone to Watch Over Me
'S Wonderful
My One and Only
How Long Has This Been Going On?
I've Got a Crush on You
Embraceable You
I Got Rhythm
But Not for Me
Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
They Can't Take That Away from Me
A Foggy Day (In London Town)
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Long Ago (and Far Away)
The Man That Got Away
and dozens more.
Synopsis
A keepsake edition gathering the lyrics of more than 80 of Gershwin's most popular songs Ira Gershwin once remarked that he always tried to "capture the way people spoke to each other--their slang, their clich s, the catch phrases." Few people in ordinary life, of course, can muster the humor, vivacity, and emotional directness that Gershwin brought to his lyrics. His collaboration with his brother George--one of the summits of American popular music--produced masterpieces that reflect, perhaps, the way people would like to talk. "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Nice Work If You Can Get It," "They Can't Take That Away from Me," "'S Wonderful" these have entered the culture and become part of our common language. The insouciant, improvisational air of his lyrics belies the meticulous craftsmanship that Ira brought to every syllable. Robert Kimball has gathered more than 80 examples of Ira Gershwin at his best: the comic invention of songs such as "They All Laughed" and "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," the poignancy of "The Man I Love," the wry edge of "The Saga of Jenny," the sheer exuberance of "Fascinating Rhythm," and dozens more.
About the American Poets Project
Elegantly designed in compact editions, printed on acid-free paper, and textually authoritative, the American Poets Project makes available the full range of the American poetic accomplishment, selected and introduced by today's most discerning poets and critics.