When I Lost You
When I Lost You | |
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Ballad by Irving Berlin | |
Cover page to the sheet music. | |
Written | 1912 |
Publisher | Waterson, Berlin & Snyder, Inc. |
"When I Lost You" is a song with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. It was written in 1912 after his wife of five months, the former Dorothy Goetz, died of typhoid fever. In it he poured out the grief of his loss; it was the only song that he ever admitted had such a connection to his own life.[1] The song, a ballad, was unlike any of Berlin's previous songs, which were upbeat tunes written to take advantage of the dance craze. The song is in a slow waltz tempo. It became Berlin's first hit ballad.[2]
Berlin had published 130 songs by this point, none of which previously had revealed his ability to write with moving sentiment about his own personal pain.[3]
Composition
Berlin's initial attempts to resume songwriting after his wife's death were unsuccessful.[1] After accepting an invitation to visit Europe with Dorothy's brother Ray Goetz, Berlin composed "When I Lost You".[1] Following the trip, Berlin successfully returned to songwriting by writing about his wife's death, rather than attempting to avoid it.[1]
The birds ceased their song
Right turned to wrong
Sweetheart when I lost you
A day turned to years
The world seemed in tears
Sweetheart when I lost you.[4]
Reception
Berlin did not make promotional appearances for the song during its first year of release, but the circumstances of his brief and tragic marriage were already common knowledge.[1] The following year he performed the song in London.[1]
Notable recordings
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Early popular recordings of the song in 1913 were by Henry Burr and by Manuel Romain.[5]
Others to record the song include:
- Lee Morse - Recorded June 6, 1928.[6]
- Bing Crosby with The Paradise Island Trio - recorded July 20, 1940.[7]
- The Mills Brothers - included in the album The Mills Brothers In Hi-Fi: Barbershop Ballads (1958).[8]
- Kay Starr - for her album Losers, Weepers (1960).[9]
- Frank Sinatra - included in his album All Alone (1962).[10]
- Jim Reeves included in the album Moonlight and Roses (1964).[11]
- Jimmy Durante - included in his album Jimmy Durante's Way of Life... (1964).[12]
- Perry Como - for his album The Songs I Love (1963).[13]
- Tony Bennett - included in the album Bennett/Berlin (1987).[14]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Bergreen, Laurence (1996). As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin. Da Capo Press. pp. 81–85. ISBN 9780786752522. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
- ^ Furia, Philip (1990). The Poets of Tin Pan Alley:A History of America's Great Lyricists. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 51–52. ISBN 0-19-506408-9.
- ^ Wilder, Alec (1990). American Popular Song: The Great Innovators 1900-1950. New York & Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 96. ISBN 0-19-501445-6.
- ^ ""When I Lost You" (sheet music p.1)". Waterson, Berlin & Snyder. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 606. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ^ "Columbia D suffix discography". 78discography.
- ^ "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
- ^ "The Mills Brothers – The Mills Brothers In Hi-Fi: Barbershop Ballads". Discogs. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
- ^ "Kay Starr – Losers, Weepers". Discogs. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
- ^ "www.discogs.com". discogs.com. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "Jim Reeves – Moonlight And Roses". Discogs. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
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Theatre |
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Film |
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- "Alexander's Ragtime Band"
- "All Alone"
- "All by Myself"
- "All of My Life"
- "Always"
- "Any Bonds Today?"
- "Anything You Can Do"
- "At the Devil's Ball"
- "The Best Thing for You (Would Be Me)"
- "Blue Skies"
- "Change Partners"
- "Cheek to Cheek"
- "Count Your Blessings"
- "A Couple of Swells"
- "Daddy, Come Home"
- "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly"
- "Easter Parade"
- "Follow the Crowd"
- "For Your Country and My Country"
- "Get Thee Behind Me Satan"
- "The Girl That I Marry"
- "God Bless America"
- "Goodbye, France"
- "Happy Holiday"
- "Heat Wave"
- "Heaven Watch the Philippines"
- "How About Me?"
- "How Deep Is the Ocean?"
- "How's Chances?"
- "I Got Lost in His Arms"
- "I Got the Sun in the Mornin' (and the Moon at Night)"
- "I Love a Piano"
- "I Never Had a Chance"
- "I Used to Be Color Blind"
- "I Want To Go Back To Michigan"
- "I'm an Indian Too"
- "I'm Gonna Pin My Medal on the Girl I Left Behind"
- "I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket"
- "I've Got My Captain Working for Me Now"
- "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm"
- "Isn't This a Lovely Day?"
- "It's a Lovely Day Today"
- "It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow"
- "Lazy"
- "Let Yourself Go"
- "Let's All Be Americans Now
- "Let's Face the Music and Dance"
- "Let's Have Another Cup of Coffee"
- "Let's Take an Old-Fashioned Walk"
- "Mandy"
- "Moonshine Lullaby"
- "My Defenses Are Down"
- "The Near Future"
- "No Strings (I'm Fancy Free)"
- "Now It Can Be Told"
- "Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning"
- "Play a Simple Melody"
- "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody"
- "Puttin' On the Ritz"
- "Reaching for the Moon"
- "Remember"
- "San Francisco Bound"
- "Say It Isn't So"
- "Say It with Music"
- "Someone Else May Be There While I'm Gone"
- "Sisters"
- "Slumming on Park Avenue"
- "The Song Is Ended (but the Melody Lingers On)"
- "Stay Down Here Where You Belong"
- "Steppin' Out with My Baby"
- "Supper Time"
- "That International Rag"
- "That Mysterious Rag"
- "There's No Business Like Show Business"
- "They Say It's Wonderful"
- "They Were All Out of Step But Jim"
- "This Year's Kisses"
- "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails"
- "What'll I Do"
- "When I Lost You"
- "White Christmas"
- "Who Do You Love, I Hope?"
- "With You"
- "You Can Have Him"
- "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun"
- "You Keep Coming Back Like a Song"
- "You'd Be Surprised"
- "You're Just in Love"
- "You're Laughing at Me"
- Ellin Berlin (wife)
- Mary Ellin Barrett (daughter)