"They Can't Take That Away from Me"

"They Can't Take That Away from Me"
Studio publicity still · Public domain · source
Name	They Can't Take That Away from Me
Artist	Fred Astaire with the Gershwin orchestra
Published	1937
Released	1937
Recorded	1937
Genre	Popular song, standard
Length	3:09
Label	Columbia Records
Composer	George Gershwin
Lyricist	Ira Gershwin

"They Can't Take That Away from Me" is a popular song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin that debuted in the 1937 film Shall We Dance. Introduced by Fred Astaire and featured with choreography alongside Ginger Rogers, the song quickly entered the Great American Songbook and became a standard recorded by numerous artists including Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong. Its blend of sophisticated melody and wistful lyricism has linked the composition to the careers of leading figures of Tin Pan Alley, Hollywood musicals, and postwar jazz interpretation.

Background and composition

The song was written during the late career of George Gershwin, whose catalog included Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, and collaborations on Broadway with DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin. Commissioned for a RKO Radio Pictures production starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the tune reflects the collaboration networks between Hollywood studios, Broadway songwriters, and performers such as Cole Porter contemporaries and rivals like Irving Berlin. Ira Gershwin's lyric draws on urban modernist motifs prevalent in the 1930s alongside melodic contours associated with George's harmonic palette, echoing earlier successes like Someone to Watch Over Me and later influences evident in recordings by Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington.

Recording and release

The original film performance was captured by the studio orchestra assembled by Gershwin for the RKO production and synchronized with the dance sequence staged by Astaire and Rogers; this cinematic recording circulated via RKO prints and ancillary soundtrack releases. Commercial records were issued on Columbia Records and promoted through radio broadcasts on networks such as NBC and CBS featuring orchestras led by figures like Johnny Green and Victor Young. Subsequent studio sessions produced renditions credited to Fred Astaire with studio ensembles, while jazz and popular labels including Decca Records and Verve Records later issued interpretations by artists under contract to Capitol Records and Columbia Records.

Lyrics and musical analysis

Ira Gershwin's lyric employs a list technique that juxtaposes specific objects and moments—shoes, memories, a way of dancing—against the enduring inner quality of affection, aligning with lyricists such as Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II who favored character detail. Harmonically, George Gershwin's composition uses bi-tonal inflections and chromatic passing chords that were characteristic of his work and influenced arrangers like Gershwin contemporaries Fletcher Henderson and Paul Whiteman. The song's AABA form and modulating bridge invite jazz reharmonization, which became a vehicle for improvisers including Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Thelonious Monk; instrumentalists exploit its diatonic core for melodic variation while singers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra foreground phrasing and textual nuance in performance.

Chart performance and reception

Upon release, the song received acclaim in trade publications and among critics covering Hollywood musicals and Tin Pan Alley output, and sheet music sales placed it among the popular lists of 1937 alongside entries by Rogers and Hart and Irving Berlin. Recordings by leading orchestras and vocalists secured airplay on major networks, and later jazz versions charted on genre-specific listings as the tune became a standard for Blue Note Records and other jazz labels. Retrospective appraisals by historians of American popular music and curators at institutions like the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution recognize the song's role in cementing the Gershwin brothers' legacy.

Notable cover versions and interpretations

Over decades, the song has been recorded by a wide array of performers: vocalists Ella Fitzgerald (in her Gershwin songbook), Frank Sinatra (for his repertoire of standards), Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, and Tony Bennett; instrumentalists include Louis Armstrong (in collaboration contexts), Duke Ellington orchestral arrangements, Charlie Parker interpretations, and modern jazz artists like Chet Baker and Keith Jarrett. Film and television uses feature performances by actors and singers in productions associated with Billy Wilder-era Hollywood retrospectives and contemporary tributes on programs broadcast by BBC and PBS. Cross-genre adaptations by artists such as Van Morrison and chamber arrangements performed by ensembles appearing at venues like Carnegie Hall and festivals including the Newport Jazz Festival demonstrate the song's adaptability.

Cultural impact and legacy

The song is cited in scholarly works on American music, anthology compilations, and curricula at conservatories such as Juilliard School and departments at Columbia University studying American popular culture. Its association with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers' screen partnership links it to studies of Hollywood musical choreography and film history; it remains a staple in nightclub repertoires, jazz education, and recorded anthologies released by catalog holders including RCA Victor and Verve Records. Institutional recognition includes inclusion in lists compiled by critics at publications like Rolling Stone and archives maintained by the Library of Congress and the National Recording Registry, ensuring continued performance, analysis, and reinterpretation across generations.

Category:Songs with music by George Gershwin Category:Songs with lyrics by Ira Gershwin Category:1937 songs