They Didn't Believe Me

Dick Haymes, Frank Sinatra

About They Didn't Believe Me

"They Didn't Believe Me" is a song with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Herbert Reynolds. First introduced in the 1914 musical The Girl from Utah it was one of five numbers added to the show by Kern and Reynolds for its Broadway debut at the Knickerbocker Theatre on August 14, 1914. The show had originated in Britain, but impresario Charles Frohman had felt it needed additional material to enliven its U. S. run. It became Kern's first major song success. The song, with four beats to a bar, departed from the customary waltz-rhythms of European influence and fitted the new American passion for modern dances such as the fox-trot. Kern was also able to use elements of American styles, such as ragtime, as well as syncopation, in his lively dance tunes. The song is also remarkable in its use of 'everyday' language in a love song. Theatre historian John Kenrick writes that, until this point, the majority of love songs had relied on flowery vocabulary to express romantic sentiments. The song put Kern in great demand on Broadway and established a pattern for musical comedy love songs that lasted through the 1960s."They Didn't Believe Me" became a standard, featured in the 1949 MGM musical That Midnight Kiss where it was sung as a duet by Mario Lanza and Kathryn Grayson. (It had been used in the movies as early as 1930, sung by Corinne Griffith in Back Pay.) The artists who have recorded it include Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, George Sanders, Dinah Washington, Jeanette MacDonald, Johnny Mercer, Charlie Parker, Elvis Costello, Stan Kenton, Bill Frisell, Bud Powell, Edward Woodward, Harry Belafonte, Leontyne Price and Marian McPartland.  


Year:
2001
2:57
1,923 
#4

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Got the cutest little way
Like to watch you all the day
And it certainly seems fine
Just to think that you'll be mine
When I see your pretty smile
Makes the living worth the while
So I've got to run around
Telling people what I've found

And when I told them how beautiful you are
They didn't believe me, they didn't believe me
Your lips, your eyes, your cheeks, your hair
Are in a class beyond compare
You're the loveliest girl that one could see
And when I tell them
And I certainly am goin' to tell them
That I'm the man whose wife one day you'll be
They'll never believe me, they'll never believe me
That from this great big world you've chosen me

Don't know how it happened quite
May have been the summer night
May have been; well, who can say?
Things just happen any way
All I know is I said "yes"
Hesitating more or less
And you kissed me where I stood
Just like any fellow would

And when I told them how wonderful you are
They didn't believe me, they didn't believe me
Your lips, your eyes, your curly hair
Are in a class beyond compare
You're the loveliest thing that one could see
And when I tell them
And I certainly am goin' to tell them
That I'm the girl whose boy one day you'll be
They'll never believe me, they'll never believe me
That from this great big world you've chosen me

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Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra, /sɨˈnɑːtrə/, (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and film actor of Italian origin. more »

33 fans

Written by: HERBERT REYNOLDS, JEROME KERN

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Historical Fact
"They Didn't Believe Me" is a song originally written by Jerome Kern and Herbert Reynolds for the 1914 musical "The Girl from Utah".
Performance Fact
Both Frank Sinatra and Dinah Washington covered this song, showcasing their unique vocal styles and interpretation of the lyrics.
Sinatra's Version
Frank Sinatra's rendition of "They Didn't Believe Me" comes from his album "The Concert Sinatra" released in 1963, where he gave a dramatic orchestral interpretation of the song.
Washington's Version
Dinah Washington recorded her version of the song in 1954, tinting it with her signature style of jazz and bluesy vocals.
Musical Expertise
Despite being of different music genres - Sinatra rooted in "big band" and "pop", and Washington in "blues" and "jazz", both artists effortlessly sang this classic tune while retaining their individuality.
Legacy
This song performed by Dinah Washington and Frank Sinatra helped bridge the gap between musical theatre, pop, and jazz, contributing to its enduring popularity.
Grammy-Hall-of-Fame
In 1998, Sinatra's "They Didn't Believe Me", part of "The Concert Sinatra" album, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, recognizing it as a recording of "qualitative or historical significance".
Charts Success
Although Sinatra's version didn't top the charts, Dinah Washington's version of "They Didn't Believe Me" became a moderate success on the Billboard charts.
Distinct Interpretations
While Sinatra's version captured a more ballad-like, romantic feel, Washington’s version brought a more sultry, jazzy approach to the song.
Beloved Classic
"They Didn't Believe Me" remains a staple of American music, known and loved for over a century, with many other artists covering it in addition to Sinatra and Washington.

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