HELEN FORREST - BUT NOT FOR ME

BUT NOT FOR ME

HELEN FORREST

SONGWRITERS: George & ira gershwin

COUNTRY: u. s. a.

ALBUM: HOTEL ASTOR ROOF

LABEL: columbia

GENRE: pop

YEAR: 1931

 

"But Not for Me" is a popular song, composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.

It was written for their musical Girl Crazy (1930) and introduced in the original production by Ginger Rogers. It is also in the 1992 musical based on Girl Crazy, Crazy for You.

In 1959 Ella Fitzgerald included a version of the song on her landmark álbum Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook. The rendition won the 1960 Grammy Award for Best Female Vocal Performance.

Singer Ketty Lester remade "But Not for Me" with a gospel arrangement which reached #10 on the US Adult Contemporary chart, #41 the Billboard Top 40, and #45 in the UK in 1962.

In 2012, it was performed by Kelli O'Hara (Billie Bendix) in Act 2, Scene 1 of Joe Pietro's Broadway musical Nice Work If You Can Get It, which featured the music of George and Ira Gershwin.

Helen Forrest (April 12, 1917 – July 11, 1999) was an American singer of traditional pop and swing music.

She served as the "girl singer" for three of the most popular big bands of the Swing Era (Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, and Harry James), thereby earning a reputation as "the voice of the name bands."

Old man sunshine listen you

Never tell me dreams come true

Just try it and I'll start a riot

Beatrice Fairfax don't you dare

Ever tell me he will care

I'm certain it's the final curtain

I never want to hear from any cheerful Pollyannas

Who tell you fate supplies a mate

It's all bananas

They're writing songs of love but not for me

A lucky star's above but not for me

With love to lead the way I've found more clouds of gray

Than any Russian play could guarantee

I was a fool to fall and get that way

Hi-ho, alas, and also lack-a-day

Although I can't dismiss the memory of his kiss

I guess he's not for me

I was a fool to fall and get that way

Hi-ho, alas, and also lack-a-day

Although I can't dismiss the memory of his kiss.