Skylark

Hoagy Carmichael

About Skylark

"Skylark" is an American popular song with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and music by Hoagy Carmichael, published in 1941. Carmichael wrote the melody, based on a Bix Beiderbecke cornet improvisation, as "Bix Licks," for a project to turn the novel Young Man With a Horn into a Broadway musical. After that project failed, Carmichael brought in Johnny Mercer to write lyrics for the song. Mercer said that he struggled for a year after he got the music from Carmichael before he could get the lyrics right. Mercer recalled that Carmichael initially called him several times about the lyrics but had forgotten about the song by the time Mercer finally wrote them. The yearning expressed in the lyrics was based on Mercer's longing for Judy Garland, with whom he had an affair. This song is considered a jazz standard. Additionally, it is believed to have inspired a long-running Buick car of the same name that was produced from 1953 to 1998. 


Year:
2004
2:44
95 
#1

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Skylark
Have you anything to say to me?
Won't you tell me where my love can be?
Is there a meadow in the mist
Where someone's waiting to be kissed?

Skylark
Have you seen a valley green with spring?
Where my heart can go a journeying
Over the shadows and the rain
To a blossom covered lane

And in your lonely flight
Haven't you heard the music in the night?
Wonderful music, faint as a will o' the wisp
Crazy as a loon, sad as a gypsy serenading the moon

Oh skylark
I don't know if you can find these things
But my heart is riding on your wings
So if you see them anywhere
Won't you lead me there?

Oh skylark
I don't know if you can find these things
But my heart is riding on your wings
So if you see them anywhere
Won't you lead me there?

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Hoagy Carmichael

Howard Hoagland "Hoagy" Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American composer, pianist, singer, actor, and bandleader. He is best known for composing the music for "Stardust", "Georgia on My Mind", "The Nearness of You", and "Heart and Soul", four of the most-recorded American songs of all time. more »

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Written by: HOAGY CARMICHAEL, JOHNNY MERCER

Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


13 facts about this song

Songwriters
"Skylark" was co-written by two renowned American songwriters, Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer.
Release Date
This popular song was first published in 1941.
Influences
Mercer had claimed that the lyrics were inspired by his on-again, off-again relationship with Judy Garland.
Popular Covers
The song has been covered by numerous artists, including Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, and Bette Midler.
Distinct Lyrics
The lyrics of the song consist of a series of questions addressed to a bird, asking if it can carry a lovelorn message to the narrator's sweetheart.
Musical Style
The melody of "Skylark" is characterised by leaps and unpredictability, reflecting a jazz influence.
Awards
Though never having won an award on its own, "Skylark" has contributed to the recognition of Mercer and Carmichael as significant songwriters in American music history.
Movie Connection
Hoagy Carmichael also played the character ‘Cricket’ in the 1942 movie "To Have and Have Not". "Skylark" was used over the opening credits of the film.
Popular Jazz Standard
With its unique rhythm and chord progressions, "Skylark" has become a popular jazz standard played by an array of artists.
Ranking
The song is included in the list of "Songs of the Century” by the Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Emotional Appeal
The lyrics are noted for their sense of longing and melancholy, wrapped in a touching melody that appealed to the World War II generation dealing with separation and loss.
Blend of Pop and Jazz
The influence of both jazz and pop music genres can be observed in "Skylark," making it a crossover hit.
Alternate Interpretation
Some critics and fans argue that "Skylark" subtly reflects Johnny Mercer's struggle with alcoholism. The winged creature allegedly symbolizes the temporary escape he sought from his addiction.

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