Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening

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Released
  
1951

Genre
  
pop

Label
  
Decca

Format
  
7-inch, 10-inch

Length
  
3:24

Writer(s)
  
Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer

"In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" is a popular song with music by Hoagy Carmichael and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was originally planned to feature it in a Paramount picture which was written for Betty Hutton that never took off. That projected film was to be called The Mack Sennett Girl (aka Keystone Girl). The song was buried in Paramount's files until it was rediscovered and then used in the 1951 film, Here Comes the Groom, and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Contents

The recording by Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman was recorded on June 20, 1951 and released by Decca Records as catalog number 27678. It first reached the Billboard Best Seller chart on September 21, 1951, and lasted six weeks on the chart, peaking at number 11.

Other recordings

  • Dean Martin recorded the song on April 9, 1951 for Capitol Records.
  • Harry James released a recording on the album Hollywood's Best (Columbia B-319 and CL-6224) (1952) with Rosemary Clooney on vocals.
  • Mavis Rivers included the song on her album The Simple Life (1960)
  • Frankie Laine and Jo Stafford recorded the song as a duet in 1951 for Columbia Records.
  • Frank Sinatra included the song on his album Sinatra Sings Days of Wine and Roses, Moon River, and Other Academy Award Winners (1964).
  • Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire included the song on their album A Couple of Song and Dance Men (1975).
  • Crystal Gayle included the song on her album Crystal Gayle Sings the Heart and Soul of Hoagy Carmichael (1999).
  • Bette Midler included the song on her album Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook (2003).
  • Lyrics

    In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
    Tell 'em I'll be there
    In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
    Save your pappy a chair

    When the party's getting a glow on
    And singin' fills the air
    In the shank of the night
    When the doin's are right
    Well, you can tell 'em I'll be there

    I like a barbecue, I like to boil a ham
    And I vote for bouillabaisse stew (What's that?)
    I like a weenie bake, steak and a layer cake
    And you'll get a tummy ache too

    We'll rent a tent or a teepee
    Let the town crier cry, "All's well!"
    And if it's RSVP, this is what I'll reply

    In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
    Tell 'em we'll be there
    If you need a pair of freeloaders
    To fracture your affair

    I may even give them Pagliacci
    Now stand back and give him air
    If one can relax and we'll have a few yaks
    And you can tell them we'll be there

    "Whee!" said the bumblebee
    "Let's have a jubilee!"
    "When?" said the prairie hen, "Soon?"

    "Sure!" said the dinosaur.
    "Where?" said the grizzly bear,
    "Under the light of the moon?"
    "How 'bout ya, brother jackass?"
    Ev'ryone gaily cried,
    "Are you comin' to the fracas?"
    Over his specs he sighed,

    In the cool, cool, cool of the evenin'
    Tell 'em I'll be there.
    In the cool, cool, cool of the evenin'
    Slickum on my hair.

    If perchance we look a bit peaked
    Remember c’est la guerre
    If we're still on our feet
    And there's something to eat
    Well, you can tell them we'll be there

    In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
    Tell 'em I'll be there
    In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
    Better save a chair

    When the party's getting a glow on
    And singin' fills the air
    If there's gas in my hack
    And my laundry is back

    If there's room for one more
    And you need me, why sure
    If you need a new face or a tenor or bass
    If I can climb out of bed and put a hat on my head
    Well, you can tell 'em we'll be there

    References

    In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening Wikipedia