LOOKING AT YOU
From the London & Broadway Show "Wake Up And Dream" (1929)
(Cole Porter)
Jessie Matthews & Sonnie Hale (London Production) - 1929
Jack Payne & His BBC Dance Orch. (vocal: Jack Payne) - 1929
Jack Hylton & His Orch. (vocal: Sam Browne) - 1929
Jessie Matthews & Dave Fitzgibbon (Broadway Production) - 1930
Lee Wiley (with Paul Weston & His Orch.) - 1940
Mel Tormé - 1957
Lucy Ann Polk (with the Marty Paich Quintet) - 1957
Jeri Southern - 1959
Jimmy Rowles - 1972
Bing Crosby (with Pete Moore & His Orch.) - 1975
Barbara Carroll - 1988
Mark Murphy - 2000
Also recorded by:
Liza Minnelli; Johnny Mathis; Mabel Mercer; Terry Blaine;
Oscar Peterson; Stéphane Grappelli; Ruby Braff; Bobby Short.
I've gone afar, collecting objets d'art
I know the whole game by heart
Why, Joe Duveen
Will tell you what I mean
'Twas I who gave him his start
But since I looked, dear, in your direction
I've quite forgotten my art collection
To be exact
You simply prove the fact
That nature's greater than art
Looking at you
While troubles are fleeing
I'm admiring the view
'Cause it's you I'm seeing
And the sweet honeydew
Of wellbeing settles upon me
What is this light
That shines when you enter
Like a star in the night
And what's to prevent 'er
From destroying my sight
If you centre all of it on me
Looking at you
I'm filled with the essence of
The quintessence of joy
Looking at you
I hear poets tellin' of
Lovely Helen of Troy, darling
Life seemed so grey
I wanted to end it
Till that wonderful day
You started to mend it
And if you'll only stay
Then I'll spend it looking at you
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As rec by Lee Wiley, April 15th 1940, New York:
Lookin' at you
While troubles are fleeing,
I'm admiring the view
'Cause it's you I'm seeing;
The sweet honeydew
Of wellbeing settles upon me!
What is this light
That shines when you enter
Like a star in the night?
What's to prevent her
From destroying my sight
If you centre all of it on me?
Looking at you,
I feel we're the essence of,
The quintessence of joy!
Looking at you,
I hear poets telling of
Lovely Helen of Troy!
Life seemed so grey,
I wanted to end it,
Till that wonderful day
You started to mend it!
And if you'll only stay,
Then I'll spend it looking at you!
Looking at you,
I feel we're the essence of,
The quintessence of joy!
Looking at you,
I hear poets telling of
Lovely Helen of Troy!
Darlin', life seemed so grey,
I wanted to end it,
Till that wonderful day
You started to mend it!
If you'll only stay,
Then I'll spend it lookin' at you!
Then I'll spend it looking at you!
(Transcribed by Peter Akers - July 2011)
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