Ella Fitzgerald, "It's Only a Paper Moon"

[Komuchio]

1Q84

[Retrofiuter]

@Komuchio Without your love, it's a honky-tonk parade

[TheRedneckssuckcock]

This is the first ever song i'd to learn at school and i still remember the words, OMG, brings back memories glad i stumbled on it.

[style4eva12]

were singing this in chorus

[irongibbet]

My husband and I will be dancing to this at our family reception when we renew our vows. :)

[sweetierosiebaby1]

I love this song x

[dangerously]

Murakami put this in my head as well last night, but it clanked against itself already in there and resonated so I've been humming it ever since. Had to hear it; thanks for posting. It's cathartic.

[xloisxisxcoolx]

A Streetcar Named Desire brought me to this awesome song, can't stop replaying!

[jacksmannequin182]

amazing quality.

[SaKuRaNaTsUmEe]

@TheLadyEmerald the song is mentioned in Murakami's book 1Q84

[forkliftkiller]

@etcmail2047 That definitely brought me here, too.

[apenaswilson]

Beauty...

[mecagoensanpitopato]

@TheLadyEmerald it's a novel from Haruki Murakami where this song is mentioned several times.

[veeandjam]

@TheLadyEmerald this song pops up again and again in IQ84 by Haruki Murakami. It's actually on the preface. t's a nod to all those literary freaks, and by freaks I mean amazing, lovely,people I'd love to meet, who googled this song for the book, who lurk out there. (And by lurk I mean should come be my friends) Decent book though x

[roundtheblock1]

Great! I have just now added this to the "Favorites" list on my own Youtube channel. Thanks for uploading it!

[TMB359]

does anyone know the chords to this version of the song or is there anywhere i can get them ? help would be much appreciated :)

[RumahDiLaut]

@etcmail2047 Just finished reading it. Went straight to this video afterward.

[xwgrace]

@etcmail2047 i was led here by 1Q84 as well. Cheers to all dohtas and mazas alike.

[oyayish]

@etcmail2047

totally :D

[countgreg95]

Perfect for Blanche. Just perfect.

[marchmallowpeep]

@countgreg95 i thought so too

[lyric939]

i finished reading streetcar named desire in AP Literature, and am reading 1Q84 on my free time. you could say i'm surrounded by this song xD

[countgreg95]

@lyric939 Hello Rachel lol. It's Greg :P

[etcmail2047]

@TheLadyEmerald this song is featured in the novel 1Q84 :)

[pitchayaa]

we read streetcar in english class and when blanche "sings" this song we'd read it out in the most awful singalong voices. who would have thought it's actually wonderful, it sounds like it should be a christmas song .

[111Nikki222]

ooohhhh i now understand how it relates to A Streetcar Named Desire. Oh dear, I'm quite slow..

[leo2mona]

love this song great artist like you Mrs, Ella Fitzgerald will never dye our generation will make sure of that!!!

[Rlzee]

Love it! Swooning... I ♥ Ella & I ♥ this Song! Thanks for posting it.☺

[mmedefarge]

The background chorus sound like the Mills Brothers.

[TheDunadan01]

@mmedefarge Not the Mills Brothers, but the Delta Rhythm Boys. They did my favorite version of St. Louis Blues. Good group.

[artanish]

1:54 "its a honky tonk parade"

its like singing technique from java, its called "sinden"

[jenkinss2012]

I love this song so cute:)

[ralphhersheljunior]

I like when she sings this song more than I like when the others sing it

[SHARDK2]

May I have this dance?

[jessied44]

Billy Rose - Written for the Great Magoo in 1933 but made popular during WWII and after by Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole

[WHQODJYSingers]

... thanks for posting. This is a lovely arrangement.

[TheLadyEmerald]

@GeorgiePPuddinPie Oh that would have been amazing.

[TheFlyableGiraffe]

surprisingly helpful for my English exam tomorrow on streetcar named desire. Thank you! :D

[TheLadyEmerald]

@TheFlyableGiraffe So glad you saw this then! Best of luck for tomorrow!

[deadlyvirusgiver]

yay, i searched this up for engrish class for A streetcar named desire lol

[JennyKravitz]

@deadlyvirusgiver Me too ^^

[TheFlyableGiraffe]

@deadlyvirusgiver same here... exam 2morrow.

[gfks11]

Thanx Lee, just FANTASTIC... her voice is perfect!!!

[chungalunga100]

this is perfect, this is music, this is art!

[HRwithCR]

This is so simple, but nice! ^_^

[xZippy38]

The name's Augustus Sinclair sport, esquire.

[bex271]

just became horse after heavy partying..... thought i may sound more sexy singing jazy songs.... - - - clearly n-o-t. lol.

Love my Ella! :-)

[pinkmusiicluva]

A Streetcar Named Desire brought me here but I have to say....good song! :)

[MCGEHEE1]

Ms. Fitzgerald... 2nd to none!

[Pikachu0cupcake]

favorite song to listen to while i'am at work <3 <3 ,3

[SvetlanaSiberia]

Замечательно!!! Wonderful !!! :)

[F14ace]

This was one of the songs in Bioshock 2. I love these old tunes and I love Bioshock fro introducing me to them.

[TrishBell1]

Definitely one to add to the music library!

[mchave71]

Silky smooth

[kzarva]

The lyrics truly are way too similar to one of the most famous greek songs of all time, Hartino To Fengaraki= Paper Moon .. is it possible that one was translated from the other? I'm just wondering which one was the original.

[TheLadyEmerald]

@kzarva Hi, that could be possible. I think the first version of Hartino was by Manos Hatzidakis, not sure when but Paper Moon was first published in 1933. On Manos Hatzidakis's factfile it says:

"His very first work was the tune for the song "Paper Moon" ("Χάρτινο το Φεγγαράκι"), from Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire staged by Karolos Koun's Art Theatre of Athens" so I think the original must have been the English one?

[kzarva]

@TheLadyEmerald Thank you, Interesting facts!!! This is a great song. Virtually the same lyrics and it transmits something profoundly sad yet beautiful in Greek. True testament to the art of good song writing in any language.

[kzarva]

@TheLadyEmerald I forgot to mention in case you get curious about the greek version. Look for Nana Mouskouri at the Herod Atticus 1984 Concert version. Worth seeing and listening to the woman who was sold more music than any other singer dead or alive (all over the world) in her more than 50 year long career. Thank you again!!!

[TheLadyEmerald]

@kzarva Very interesting, thank you!

[mskw2]

@kzarva I don't remember but it was probably Gatsos who wrote the lyrics. Yeah, probably Hatzidakis and Gatsos translated the lyrics of Paper Moon (which is heard or referenced in the original play/movie), composed new msic and incorporated the song in the Greek production with Melina. Of course it's not exact translation and I like both versions. But Hartino to Feggaraki is just a marvel.

[video1dude]

Sweet Sweet song by the most amazing one and only Ella. Thank you for posting it , it makes me want to grab my guitar and play it , AMAZING !!! :-)

[Jamesmac30]

Thanks for your help

[Jamesmac30]

Thanks - do you know when it was recorded - I know it's prior to 1961

[TheLadyEmerald]

@Jamesmac30 Yes I believe this version was recorded during the last years of World War Two.

[Jamesmac30]

Thanks - haven't heard this version for years - the version I have is Ella with Billy May 1961 - do you know who the vocal group is?

[TheLadyEmerald]

@Jamesmac30 Yes, the vocal group are The Ink Spots.

[edwardandtwiliight]

were doing this song for my jazz choir its an amazing song thank you so much for uploading it

[TheLadyEmerald]

@edwardandtwiliight My pleasure!

[MidknightKC]

My very first memory was my mother singing this to me while watching a black and white cartoon but I never remembered the lyrics just the melody. Then I heard it in a video game called Bioshock 2 and I was happy to get the lryics to find it on here. This is the version that was in the cartoon and I'm overwhelmed to find it. We went through some problems but I know we'll be ok. This song reminds me of how wonderful she is and everything she's done for me. I love you mom and sorry i've been a brat

[Bluzme]

@MidknightKC Bioshock ? never heard of it; but your mother sure has class, at least it sounds like it from what you've said :)

[MidknightKC]

@Bluzme Thank you! 8)

[therockartistyo]

gorgeousgorgeousgorgeous. so carefree

[plumbersteve]

this is a great recording. It better establishes the mood of the song than the quicker versions on youtube. my one complaint is the stupid vocalizing...esp at 1:30

[sinhjyoti]

best version of the song! 

[MCGEHEE1]

Outstanding!

[merlin4622]

Just amazing!!! Thank's for sharing!!! :-)))

[Boewaye]

Ella is still the best --she could make any song sound great

[TheLadyEmerald]

@Boewaye Couldn't she just!

[sykickg]

Looooove this song! It's one of my favorites :D I don't mind the lyrics scrolling. I think it's great for anyone who wants to learn the lyrics quickly. I'm just glad this version of the song is up.

[debdownunder]

@TheLadyEmerald I like it!