Friday, November 23, 2012

'S Wonderful


I wrote recently about contemporary media personalities (i.e. Matt Lauer, the NBC reporter) who have limited knowledge about contemporary culture, who nonetheless dictate social and cultural norms to us via their TV seats. The song Lauer was clueless about was George Gershwin's 'S Wonderful. I looked online for the various (infinite) versions of this early 20th century American song classic.

There are 101 variations of George and Ira Gerswhin's 'S Wonderful, vocal, instrumental, duets, piano, choral, etc.

I always find the piano version to be the most charming.

The player in the above recording is Ethan Uslan who:
...is one of the hottest names on the ragtime/traditional jazz scene today...[He] complemented his classical piano studies by learning to play like Fats Waller, Jelly Roll Morton, and George Gershwin.

'S Wonderful
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Melody by George Gershwin

Life has just begun,
Jack has found his Jill;
Don't know what you've done
But I'm all a-thrill.
How could words express
Your divine appeal?
You can never guess
All the love I feel
From now on, Lady/Darling, I insist,
For me no other girls/guys exist.

'S wonderful! 'S marvelous!
(That) You should care for me!
'S awful nice! 'S paradise!
'S what I love to see!

You've made my life so glamorous,
You can't blame me for feeling amorous,
'S wonderful! 'S marvelous!
That you should care for me!