Among the timeless and unforgettable melodies of George Gershwin is Someone to Watch Over Me.
The song was composed in 1926 for the musical, Oh, Kay!, where it was performed by Gertrude Lawrence, who sang it as a lonely, impassioned soliloquy to a rag doll. Although the lyrics were written primarily by Ira Gershwin, Howard Dietz assisted while the former was hospitalized for six weeks as a result of a ruptured appendix. Dietz took credit for inventing the song’s title.
Gershwin sketched Someone to Watch Over Me before he knew where it would fit in Oh, Kay!, a zany and satirical commentary on Prohibition. Initially, the song was conceived as “fast and jazzy,” with the marking, scherzando. We hear the song in its original exuberant, yet elegant, form in Gershwin’s 1926 solo piano recording:
The “wistful and warm” quality of the melody became apparent when it was slowed down. What might have been an uptempo “dance and ensemble number” was inserted into the first act as a despairing ballad during the Philadelphia previews. It would become the show’s most memorable and enduring song. It was George Gershwin’s idea to incorporate a rag doll as a prop, which would highlight the character’s sense of loneliness and vulnerability. Gershwin later explained,
This doll was a strange looking object I found in a Philadelphia toy store and gave to Miss Lawrence with the suggestion that she use it in the number. That doll stayed in the show for the entire run.
This 1994 studio recording features Dawn Upshaw performing Someone to Watch Over Me in its final ballad form:
Recordings
- Gershwin: Someone to Watch Over Me, George Gershwin 1926 recording Amazon
- Gershwin: Oh, Kay! (1994 studio recording), Dawn Upshaw Amazon
Featured Image: Times Square in 1926