The Man I Love (song)



"The Man I Love" is a popular standard, with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by his brother Ira Gershwin. Originally part of the 1924 score for the Gershwin government satire Lady, Be Good as "The Girl I Love", the song was deleted from the show as well as from both the 1927 anti-war satire Strike Up the Band (where it first appeared as "The Man I Love") and 1928 Ziegfeld hit Rosalie after tryouts. It is the basis for the 1947 film The Man I Love starring Ida Lupino and Bruce Bennett and featured prominently throughout.

As with many standards of the era, it has become more famous as an independent popular song than as one from a Broadway musical.

The song was included in the 2015 Broadway musical An American In Paris based on the movie of same name.

Recorded versions

 * Franck Amsallem - Summer Times (2003)
 * Dorothy Ashby - Soft Winds (1961)
 * Tony Bennett & Sheryl Crow
 * Kate Bush & Larry Adler
 * Ray Charles on The Great Ray Charles (1957)
 * Cher
 * Crissi Cochrane - Little Sway (2012)
 * Zebedy Colt
 * Rita Coolidge
 * Miles Davis, with Thelonious Monk - Miles Davis and The Modern Jazz Giants (1954)
 * Vaughn De Leath with Paul Whiteman's Concert Orchestra for Columbia.
 * Devics
 * Judith Durham on her album, Judith Durham and The Hottest Band in Town Volume 2 (1974)
 * Bill Evans/Bob Brookmeyer on their album The Ivory Hunters (1959)
 * Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook (1959)
 * Marie Fredriksson on the opening show for The Stockholm Globe Arena on February 19, 1989.
 * Helen Forrest
 * Judy Garland on a 1944 radio broadcast
 * Valeria Golino and Rachel Sweet sang it in the movie Hot Shots!
 * Benny Goodman
 * Coleman Hawkins (1943)
 * Billie Holiday, with Lester Young (1939)
 * Lena Horne
 * Etta James - Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday (1994)
 * Jarboe
 * Stan Kenton - Stan Kenton On AFRS (1944-1945)
 * Kathy Kirby
 * Hildegard Knef
 * Frances Langford
 * Ledisi
 * Peggy Lee
 * Ivri Lider for the soundtrack of The Bubble
 * Patti LuPone on Lady With the Torch
 * Liza Minnelli
 * Joni Mitchell, with Herbie Hancock (1998)
 * Helen Morgan
 * Hazel O'Connor
 * Anita O'Day - An Evening with Anita O'Day (1956)
 * Marcus Roberts
 * Diana Ross
 * Diane Schuur
 * Artie Shaw
 * Barbra Streisand
 * Donna Summer
 * Rokia Traore
 * Sophie Tucker 1928
 * Sarah Vaughan - Sarah Vaughan Sings George Gershwin (1958)
 * Caetano Veloso
 * Dinah Washington
 * Ben Webster, with the Tete Montoliu Trio - Gentle Ben (1972)
 * Lester Young (1946)
 * Hindi Zahra (2011)

Literature

 * Alec Wilder American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950 Oxford University Press: Oxford 1972, ISBN 0-19-501445-6.
 * Ira Gershwin Lyrics on Several Occasions Limelight Editions: New York City 1973.
 * Philip Furia Ira Gershwin: The Art of the Lyricist Oxford University Press: Oxford 1996, ISBN 0-19-508299-0.
 * Ted Gioia The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire Oxford University Press: Oxford 2012, ISBN 978-0199937394.