"Always" is a popular song written by Irving Berlin in 1925, as a wedding gift for his wife Ellin Mackay, whom he married in 1926, and to whom he presented the substantial royalties.
| "Always" | |
|---|---|
 Sheet music, 1925 | |
| Song | |
| Written | 1925 |
| Genre | Pop[1] |
| Songwriter(s) | Irving Berlin |
Background
editAlthough legend (and Groucho Marx) claimed Berlin wrote the song "Always" for The Cocoanuts, he never meant the song to be included in that musical, and it was not.[2] Thematically, it serves as a sequel to Berlin's earlier song "When I Lost You," which pertained to the death of his first wife Dorothy.
The song entered into the public domain on January 1, 2021.[3]
Everything went wrong,
And the whole day long
I'd feel so blue.
For the longest while
I'd forget to smile,
Then I met you.
Now that my blue days have passed,
Now that I've found you at last -
I'll be loving you Always
With a love that's true Always.
When the things you've planned
Need a helping hand,
I will understand
Always.
Always.
Days may not be fair Always,
That's when I'll be there Always.
Not for just an hour,
Not for just a day,
Not for just a year,
But Always.
Popular culture
edit- The song is an important plot element in Noël Coward's play Blithe Spirit.[5]
- It also features in the 1944 film Christmas Holiday, in which it is sung by Deanna Durbin.
- The song is featured in the 1942 Lou Gehrig biopic The Pride of the Yankees, starring Gary Cooper and Teresa Wright. During a nightclub scene, it's played by Ray Noble and His Orchestra and sung by Bettye Avery.[4]
- An instrumental version of the song is used as a frequent background theme for episodes of Jackie Gleason's TV series, The Honeymooners (1955-56).
- In the 1980 "Father and Daughter Night" episode of Archie Bunker's Place, Stephanie, Archie, and Murray perform the song.[6]
References
edit- ^ Stanley, Bob (2022). "Doing What Comes Naturally: Irving Berlin". Let's Do It - The Birth of Pop Music: A History. New York: Pegasus Books. p. 47.
- ^ Bader, Robert S. (2016). Four of the Three Musketeers: The Marx Brothers on Stage. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press. p. 309. ISBN 9780810134164.
- ^ "Party Like It's 1925 On Public Domain Day (Gatsby And Dalloway Are In)". NPR. 1 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Always by Irving Berlin".
- ^ Wolf, Matt (28 March 2004). "Blithe Spirit". Variety. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
- ^ Martin, Dick (1980-02-17), Father and Daughter Night, Archie Bunker's Place, Carroll O'Connor, Martin Balsam, Danielle Brisebois, retrieved 2023-12-14