My Heart Stood Still

Jessie Matthews

About My Heart Stood Still

"My Heart Stood Still" is a 1927 popular song composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It was written for the Charles Cochran revue One Dam Thing after Another which opened in London at the London Pavilion on May 19, 1927. The show starred Jessie Matthews, Douglas Byng, Lance Lister, Richard Dolman and ran for 237 performances. In March of 1927, Rogers and Hart had traveled to Paris from London to meet the with the arranger Robert Russell Bennett, also an American, to try to persuade him to orchestrate the songs for their upcoming London revue, One Dam' Thing After Another. On their way back to Paris from a sightseeing expedition to Versailles, a truck came within a hair of demolishing the cab the two song writers, along with their two female companions, were riding in. As the truck rattled by, one of the young women cried out in apparent fright, “Oh! My heart stood still!” Without losing a beat, Hart, apparently unaffected by what must have been a nerve jangling moment, instantly urged the unfailingly conscientious Rodgers to make a note of her exclamation as a potential song title. Hart's partner faithfully jotted it down in his address book and upon coming across the note, only after they had returned to London, proceeded to construct a melody. When Rodgers played it for Hart, the lyricist loved the tune but claimed no recollection of the precipitating incident. Still, within no time at all, he produced the lyric for the now classic song. Rodgers and Hart later had to buy back the rights from Cochran when they wanted the song for the musical A Connecticut Yankee (1927), where it was introduced by Constance Carpenter and William Gaxton. 


Year:
2003
3:14
53 
#3

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I took one look at you
That's all I meant to do
And then my heart stood still

My feet could step and walk
My lips could move and talk
And yet my heart stood still

Though not a single word was spoken
I could tell you knew
That unfelt clasp of hands
Told me so well you knew
I never lived at all
Until the thrill of that moment
When my heart stood still

I took one look at you
That's all I meant to do
And then my heart stopped right there

My feet could step and walk
My lips could move and talk
And yet my heart stood still

Though not a single word was spoken
I could tell you knew
That unfelt claps of hands
Told me so well you knew
I never lived at all
Until the thrill of that moment
When my heart stood still

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Jessie Matthews

Jessie Matthews, OBE (11 March 1907 – 19 August 1981) was an English actress, dancer and singer of the 1930s, whose career continued into the post-war period. more »

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Written by: LORENZ HART, RICHARD RODGERS

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


14 facts about this song

Song Key
The song, "My Heart Stood Still" by Jessie Matthews, was originally composed in the key of C Major.
Lyrics
The lyrics of "My Heart Stood Still" were written by Lorenz Hart and it narrates a story of sudden romantic attraction.
Music
The music for "My Heart Stood Still" was composed by Richard Rodgers, one-half of the famous musical theatre writing duo, Rodgers and Hart.
Original Skit
This song was originally written for the 1927 skit titled "A Connecticut Yankee," and was later sung by Jessie Matthews.
Jessie Matthews
Jessie Matthews, who sang the song, was a popular English actress, singer and dancer of the 1930s, known for her West End stage and cinema performances.
Critical Reception
"My Heart Stood Still" was highly praised for its lyrical complexity and romantic theme, considered one of Rodgers and Hart's greatest works.
Other Covers
The song has been covered over the ages by numerous artists, including Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and many others.
Movie Feature
The song is also notably featured in the 1936 film "Gangway" by director Herbert Wilcox, where Matthews sung the song herself.
Lyrics Origin
The lyric "I took one look at you, that's all I mean to do, and then my heart stood still" reportedly came from Richard Rodgers' real-life instant attraction to a woman who later became his wife.
Popularity
Through time, the song "My Heart Stood Still" has gained its place as a jazz standard, frequently interpreted by various artists and bands.
Album
Matthews’ version of "My Heart Stood Still" was also included in the album "The Very Best Of" released in 2009 perhaps in tribute to her influential career.
Radio Broadcast
Jessie Matthews had a popular radio show in the 1950s-60s and she performed "My Heart Stood Still" on air when it was most requested by the audience.
Song Influence
This song's success significantly shaped the course of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's songwriting partnership, solidifying them as top-tier composers in the late 1920s.
Song Recognition
"My Heart Stood Still" is listed in the American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Songs, recognized as one of the greatest songs in American cinema.

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    "My Heart Stood Still Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/6680264/Jessie+Matthews/My+Heart+Stood+Still>.

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