The Complete Lyrics of Johnny Mercer

About this book

The seventh volume in Knopfs critically acclaimed Complete Lyrics series published in Johnny Mercers centennial year contains the texts to more than 1 200 of his lyrics several hundred of them published here for the first time. Johnny Mercers early songs became staples of the big band era and were regularly featured in the musicals of early Hollywood. With his collaborators who included Richard A. Whiting Harry Warren Hoagy Carmichael Jerome Kern and Harold Arlen he wrote the lyrics to some of the most famous standards among them Too Marvelous for Words Jeepers Creepers Skylark Im Old-Fashioned and That Old Black Magic. During a career of more than four decades Mercer was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song an astonishing eighteen times and won four: for his lyrics to On the Atchison Topeka and the Santa Fe (music by Warren) In the Cool Cool Cool of the Evening (music by Carmichael) and Moon River and Days of Wine and Roses (music for both by Henry Mancini). Youve probably fallen in love with more than a few of Mercers songshis words have never gone out of fashionand with this superb collection its easy to see that his lyrics elevated popular song into art.