Irving Berlin’s “Remember,” as Sung by Franklyn Baur, Andy Williams, and… Sinatra

 

Circa 1920 

Re-posted by Nicholas Stix

At first, I thought I’d just re-post the performance by Franklyn Baur, of whom I’d never heard until minutes ago. Then I saw that various wonderful people had cared enough to post one performance after another of this hauntingly beautiful song, and was daunted. How many versions must I post? I listened to the Andy Williams version—yet another great Williams performance with an arrangement that failed to match his excellence. And then I listened to the Sinatra version, and knew that my work was done.
 

Remember
Words and Music by Irving Berlin

[1st verse:]

One little kiss, a moment of bliss,
Then hours of deep regret,
One little smile, and after a while,
A longing to forget.

One little heartache,
Left as a token,
One little plaything,
Carelessly broken.

[Refrain:]

Remember the night,
The night you said,
“I love you,”
Remember?

Remember you vowed
By all the stars,
Above you,
Remember?

Remember we found
A lonely spot,
And after I learned
To care a lot.

You promised that you'd
Forget me not,
But you forgot
To remember.
 

[2nd verse:]

Into my dreams you wandered it seems, and then there came a day,
You loved me too, my dreams had come true, and all the world was May
But soon the Maytime turned to December
You had forgotten, do you remember?
 

[Thanks to Lyrics Mania.]
 

Franklyn Baur: Recorded on August 12, 1925
 



Uploaded on May 5, 2008 by pax41.
 

Andy Williams: 1966
 



Published on June 28, 2012 by nipstertunes.
 

And saving the best for last:

Sinatra: January 16, 1962
 


Uploaded on July 8, 2011 by James McEwan, who contends, inarguably, “Just the best version of Irving Berlin's great song.”