Written 1925 | Writer(s) Irving Berlin | |
"Always" is a popular song written by Irving Berlin in 1925, as a wedding gift for his wife Ellin McKay, whom he married in 1926, and to whom he presented the substantial royalties. Although legend (and Groucho Marx) claims Berlin wrote the song "Always" for The Cocoanuts, he never meant for the song to be included in the play.
Notable recordings
Hit versions have also been recorded by such diverse artists as Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet, Tony Bennett, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Corgan, Leonard Cohen, Phil Collins, Machito and The Ink Spots. Billy Eckstine and Sarah Vaughan also recorded it as a duet. Bandleader Sammy Kaye recorded it twice, in 1945 with singer Arthur Wright (hit single), and as part of a 1949 LP with singer Tony Alamo. Diana Ross & The Supremes performed a Motown-styled version of the song in a tribute to Irving Berlin on The Ed Sullivan Show. Lynda Carter would close her TV specials with the song. Mandy Patinkin sang the song to his character Rube's daughter in the TV series Dead Like Me. Paul McCartney recorded it for his 2012 album Kisses on the Bottom.
In 1928, this song was featured multiple times in the Universal partial talkie feature "Lonesome". This love story is about 2 strangers who meet one day on Coney Island. He plays a 78 rpm disk in his apartment and she also thinks of the song on her own. There is an on screen display of lines of the melody, accompanied by the lyrics. Lonesome, directed by Paul Fejos. In 1942 it was used as the theme music for the film The Pride of the Yankees. It was also used in the 1945 film Blithe Spirit, based on the Noël Coward play.