“Just You, Just Me” | Stories of Standards

“Just You, Just Me” is a product of the songwriting duo Jesse Greer and lyricist Raymond Klages, penned for the 1929 musical Marianne. During the 1920s and 30s, the pair collaborated on dozens of songs slated for Hollywood Musicals.

“Just You, Just Me” is the most recognizable song produced by either Greer or Klages. 

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Lawrence Gray and Marion Davies performed “Just You, Just Me” for its Hollywood debut. In the Marianne scene, U.S. Private Stagg (Gray) says to the French peasant girl Marianne (Davies), “You know, you ain’t had much pleasure out of this war.” Producing a ukulele, he serenades Marianne with the lyrics, “Just you, just me/ Let’s find a cozy spot/ To cuddle and coo/ Just us, just we/ I’ve missed an awful lot/ My trouble is you.”

https://youtu.be/IticEUGZSg4

The tune gained popularity with a subsequent 1929 recording by Cliff Edwards, reaching the 13^th spot on pop charts. Hopkins demonstrated the song’s potential as a swing number in 1932, with Artie Shaw and Red Norvo following suit several years later. These pivotal recordings transitioned “Just You, Just Me” into the realm of full-fledged jazz tunes.

Lester Young’s 1943 recording of “Just You, Just Me” transformed the song into a top ten R&B jukebox hit. It remains most popular among traditional and swing-oriented musicians, as the composition’s slow rhythm is ideal for jam sessions.

Thelonious Monk borrowed loosely based his 1948 song, “Evidence,” off of “Just You, Just Me.” The composition was initially entitled “Just Us,” then “Justice,” both plays on the title of the original Greer and Klages song, before Monk settled on “Evidence.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZSftUb9IcA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAETEUGQkeY