Thou Swell

This article is about the Rodgers and Hart 1927 song. For Peter Martins' 2003 ballet, see Thou Swell (ballet).

"Thou Swell"
Song from A Connecticut Yankee
Published	1927
Writer	Lorenz Hart
Composer	Richard Rodgers

"Thou Swell" is a show tune, a popular song and a jazz standard.

The music was written by Richard Rodgers, with words by Lorenz Hart, for the 1927 musical A Connecticut Yankee. The lyric is notable, as indicated by the title, for its mix of archaic English and modern slang as the story takes place in both contemporary times and in King Arthur's court.

An early recorded version featured The Broadway Nitelites conducted by Ben Selvin with vocals by Franklyn Baur (Columbia 1928).

There are many popular and jazz vocal renditions, including those by Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Blossom Dearie, Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Williams. Bix Beiderbecke, Fats Waller and Billy May all recorded the song instrumentally.

In the MGM Technicolor biopic about Rodgers and Hart called Words and Music (1948), June Allyson sings and dances to Thou Swell with twin "knights" in an appropriately medieval setting.

An instrumental version was recorded in Oslo on April 29, 1954 by "Verden Rundt's" All Star Band (Rowland Greenberg (trp) - A. Skjold (trombone) - K. Stokke (alt) - K. Bergheim (tenor) - Knut Hyrum (baritone) - I. Børsum (bass) - Scott Lunde (piano) - K. O. Hoff (drums)). Arranger and conductor: Egil Monn-Iversen. It was released on the 78 rpm record Musica RA-9005. The B-side was "Perdido."

The music of the song is featured in the film All About Eve (1950). It is played on the piano at the party when Margo tells her friends to "fasten their seat belts."

External links

Rodgers and Hart

Musicals	The Garrick Gaieties Dearest Enemy The Girl Friend Peggy-Ann A Connecticut Yankee Present Arms Ever Green Simple Simon America's Sweetheart Jumbo On Your Toes Babes in Arms I'd Rather Be Right The Boys from Syracuse I Married an Angel Too Many Girls Higher and Higher Pal Joey By Jupiter

Songs	"Manhattan" "Mountain Greenery" "Here in My Arms" "Blue Room" "My Heart Stood Still" "Thou Swell" "To Keep My Love Alive" "You Took Advantage of Me" "With a Song in My Heart" "A Ship Without a Sail" "Dancing on the Ceiling" "Ten Cents a Dance" "He Was Too Good to Me" "I've Got Five Dollars" "Isn't It Romantic?" "Lover" "Mimi" "Blue Moon" "It's Easy to Remember (And So Hard to Forget)" "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" "My Romance" "Little Girl Blue" "There's a Small Hotel" "Glad to Be Unhappy" "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" "Where or When" "I Wish I Were in Love Again" "My Funny Valentine" "Johnny One Note" "The Lady Is a Tramp" "Have You Met Miss Jones?" "I'll Tell the Man in the Street" "Spring Is Here" "Falling in Love with Love" "This Can't Be Love" "Sing for Your Supper" "I Like to Recognize the Tune" "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" "Give It Back to the Indians" "You're Nearer" "It Never Entered My Mind" "I Could Write a Book" "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" "Ev'rything I've Got" "Wait till You See Her"

Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889)

Characters	Hank Morgan Alisande la Carteloise King Arthur Sir Sagramore Merlin Morgan le Fay

Films	A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1921 silent) A Connecticut Yankee (1931) A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949) Knight-mare Hare (1955) Unidentified Flying Oddball (1979) A Knight in Camelot (1998) Black Knight (2001)

Related	New Adventures of a Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1988) A Kid in King Arthur's Court (1995)

A Connecticut Yankee (musical)	"To Keep My Love Alive" "Thou Swell" "My Heart Stood Still"

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