These foolish things - Strachey, Link, Marvel (1935) - Ukulele chord-melody w. pdf

These foolish things - J. Strachey, H. Link. H. Marvell (1935). The composer Jack Strachey (1894-1972) is mainly remembered today for this song and for “A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.” Lyricist Eric Maschwitz OBE (1901-1969) a.k.a. Holt Marvel, was a writer, actor, and producer who was involved for many years in the music industry, including a long connection with the BBC. He was also very active in British intellignce during WWII. Maybe he was trying to find out who H. (Harry) Link was!
Written for the 1936 London musical Spread it abroad, “These foolish things” initially fell flat with the public, so much so that Maschwitz’s agent decided it wasn’t worth publishing. Mistake. Musicians with an eye for quality soon rescued it, notably Benny Goodman (1936, and again in 1940) and Billie Holiday (1936, and again in 1952), but also from that year: Chick Bullock, Bob Pope, Lee Sims, Nat Brandywynne, Putney Dandridge, Victor Young, Greta Keller, Rudy Vallée. As it was gradually transformed into a jazz standard, it was taken up by a number of great musicians: Thelonius Monk, Artie Shaw, Nat King Cole, Johnny Hartman, Art Pepper, Don Byas, Erroll Garner, Gene Krupa, Mildred Bailey, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Stan Getz, Lennie Tristano, Oscar Peterson, Hampton Hawes, Chet Baker, Les Elgart, Louis Armstrong.
Uke key: G. Form AABA 32 bars. This is an interesting example of a “list” song, in which the lyric offers a succession of images having to do with memories of the past, lost love. List songs were definitely a recognized sub-genre in popular music, but they were normally used for lighter fare, novelty tunes along the lines of “can you top this” sort of thing. In fact, the best known example, Leporello’s “Catalogue aria” from Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” clearly lines up with this tradition. The serious mood of “These foolish things” is therefore something of an anomaly, but the end result is a remarkable composition that is now known to practically everyone. (The Julius Caesar “Veni, vidi, vici” bridge notwithstanding.) Interestingly, the sheet music offers not only the rarely heard verse, but also two additional sets of lyrics for the chorus. I decided not to inflict the extra choruses on you (or on myself, truth to tell), but I’ve printed them here, so you can satisfy your curiosity.
2.
First daffodils and long, excited cables, / And candle lights on little corner tables, / And still my heart has wings, / These foolish things remind me of you. / The park at evening when the bell has sounded, / The “Ile de France” with all the gulls around it, / The beauty that is Spring’s, / These foolish things remind me of you. / How strange, how sweet, to find you still; / These things are dear to me, / They seem to bring you near to me. / The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations, / Silk stockings thrown aside, dance invitations, / Oh, how the ghost of you clings! / These foolish things remind me of you.
3.
Gardenia perfume ling’ring on a pillow,/ Wild strawb’ries only seven francs a kilo, / And still my heart has wings, / These foolish things remind me of you. / The smile of Garbo and the scent of roses, / The waiters whistling as the last bar closes, / The song that Crosby sings, / These foolish things remind me of you. / How strange, how sweet, to find you still; / These things are dear to me, / They seem to bring you near to me. / The scent of smould’ring leaves, the wail of steamers, / Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers, / Oh, how the ghost of you clings! / These foolish things remind me of you.
pdf
drive.google.com/file/d/1t_Qj...

[@revjamesmurray]

Bryan Ferry does a great job with those extra verses. Too bad there isn't a show on CBC Radio to sit down and talk with you about all these amazing tunes you are sharing. Well done!

[@artlevinesukulelepage9222]

Thanks!

[@michaelmcdonald3057]

That was sweet enough to pour over my pancakes. Lovely rendition! Thank you!

[@artlevinesukulelepage9222]

enjoy!

[@janepaddon2211]

Thank you. I learned a lot from your informative write up.. Beautiful piece. Thanks for the pdf.

[@artlevinesukulelepage9222]

enjoy