“You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To” | Stories of Standards

“You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To” was written by Cole Porter in 1942 for the movie “Something to Shout About,” where it was debuted by Don Ameche and Janet Blair.

Tune in to First Take with Lando and Chavis – weekdays from 6-9 am MT – for Stories of Standards to hear our favorite versions of this song all week long!

Although the song received an Oscar nomination, Porter was disappointed in the public response to the film, which he dubbed “Something to Cry About.”

The flow of lyrics and melody in this song has attracted artists of many styles. Dinah Shore’s initial recording took the tune to the top ten for 18 weeks.

Other notable covers include those done by Frank Sinatra (“A Swingin’ Affair,” 1957), Julie London (“By Myself,” 1965), and Ella Fitzgerald (“Ella at Juan-les-Pin,” 1964). Cecil Taylor recorded the tune in an avant-garde piano style while other instrumental versions have been released by Bill Mays (piano), Jack Wilkins (guitar), and Ali Ryerson (flute).

Cole Porter (1891 – 1964) enjoyed an upper-class upbringing, with family support for his musical talent. Having dropped out of Harvard Law School to pursue music, he went to Paris in 1917 and stayed through the ‘20s. He married fellow socialite Linda Thomas in 1919, an arrangement of mutual devotion which was  undisturbed by his homosexuality.

Porter established his reputation with the musical Paris in 1928, had a stint writing films in Hollywood, and then returned to New York in 1929 with Fifty Million Frenchmen, first in a string of hit Broadway musicals.

His sophisticated and frequently risqué music and lyrics consistently attracted the devotion of both audiences and musicians. He was awarded the 1961 Grammy for Best Soundtrack (Can-Can, 1961),  the 2009 Online Film & Television Association Hall of Fame, and a star on the Walk of Fame (posthumously awarded May 21, 2007, at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard).

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Sources: jazzbiographies.com; jazzstandards.com; archive.flipsidepa.com