Until I Smile At You

Chapter Eight

Anatomy of a Song

Famed song lyricist Sammy Cahn always had a swell answer when asked, “What comes first, the words or the music?”

“The phone call!” he would intone dryly.

Still, in all seriousness, it is worth noting that Mr. Cahn regularly worked with musicians when composing songs. He knew his limits.

So too, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. And later Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. And George and Ira Gershwin. And Jerome Kern and almost anyone. And Harold Arlen with many wordsmiths, like Yip Harburg and Johnny Mercer.

With the notable exceptions of Cole Porter and Irving Berlin, most contributors to the Great American Songbook made their entries as duos. How much better to focus on one skill than two?

Ruth Lowe failed to learn this lesson. In fact, when she sat down to let “I’ll Never Smile Again” flow out of her heart, it never occurred to her to team up with anyone else.

It was her song. Her life. Her emotion.

Pretty amazing when you think about it.

Not only do we have a woman writing a chart-busting song (hmmmm—let’s see—in 1940, we have Dorothy Fields and... hmmmm), but she’s knocking both the tune and the story right out of the park!

So, considering that, and the fact that this wonderfully sad anthem managed to leap head-over-heels above the fray to outclass every happy-go-lucky competitive tune of the time, at this point in our story, it’s worth considering how “I’ll Never Smile Again” had such staying power.

Turning to the experts seems like a reasonable strategy.

For instance, Bernard John Taupin. He thinks he may just have an answer...

Bernie Taupin

Definitely in the top 50 of great American songs. It’s a phenomenal song!

As the lyricist to Sir Elton John’s tunes, now celebrating a collaboration between the two of them that transcends 50 years together—one of the most successful song writing partnerships in musical history—Bernie Taupin’s ready to share a secret: “I have far more appreciation for the music of the past generations than I do of my own,” he says, sotto vocce.

“Yeah, yeah. I mean, of course, I know who Kanye West is,” Bernie says. “Have I ever heard one of his songs? I don’t think so. I mean, I guess I could have and not known about it.

“But don’t get me wrong,” he clarifies as he stretches out on the leather couch in the art studio that sits amidst 28 acres of his horse ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley, California. “It’s just, I don’t really care for pop music. All I ever listen to is jazz and blues. I’ve always gravitated to music from the past. Don’t agree with my friend, John Lennon, who said, ‘Before Elvis, there was nothing.’ Well, no lack of respect for John, but I believe before Elvis there was everything. And after Elvis there was a lot less!”

Bernie also confesses, “I spend very little of my time writing songs anymore. I spend all my time in my studio, painting.” The inveterate rancher adds, “Frankly, I’d rather rope a horse than write a song.”

As for “I’ll Never Smile Again” and how it transcended the up-tempo challengers, he offers this: “It was a dangerous move to make with that song, no question. And a brave move to make as well. Because there was so much other cute stuff going on. But let me tell you why the song broke through—I mean, apart from the fact that it’s such a wonderful song. Two words: Frank Sinatra. He was the only person who could have done that song. He knew he could have the bobby-soxers hysterically screaming one minute and crying the next. And this was the song to do it! Without Sinatra, the song would never have charted as well. Ruth Lowe probably achieved more by being bold enough to write something that wasn’t palatable to audiences of that era. They wanted dance music. But it goes back to Sinatra: only he could calm those maniacal fans. They could be screaming one second and hanging on to every word the next, because of his persona. He’s the only person who could have done that song at that time. And ‘I’ll Never Smile Again’ was the song to do it.”

Then, Bernie adds this intriguing thought about the subject matter of the song.

“Bear in mind, for myself, the songs that have a bleaker outlook are far more satisfying to write than ones that are positive. Songs that are of a darker nature just bring out more of the artist in you than writing a frothy up-tempo pop number. It’s far more interesting to investigate the seamier side of things, the underbelly of life, the heartbreak. Heartbreak is more easily mined than the happy side of romance. And for Ruth, it was that: a real release valve. She had the God-given gift to be able to put her feelings into that song. And she knew it. And when you write something so great as that, you don’t go back and try to improve on it. You can over-think things. She didn’t.”

And then he adds, “By the way, I don’t think of myself as a lyricist. It’s such a strange word... I’m a storyteller. And so was Ruth.”

And as for where the tune ranks? “Definitely in the top 50 of great American songs,” Bernie Taupin enthuses. “It’s a phenomenal song. And when you consider the vast amount of incredible music and incredible compositions and thousands of incredible songs that make up the Great American Songbook, I think this is giving it a really good pat on the back, ranking it like that. It has such a wonderful place in American musical history. And the fact that it was the launching pad for Sinatra didn’t hurt.”

Taupin stops to consider another point. He looks around the detached guesthouse/studio originally designed as an indoor handball court. Later, it was transformed to a recording studio where multiple albums were cut. Today, it functions as an art studio with a gym and an upstairs office with a bathroom.

“You know what,” he says, having gathered his thoughts. “Here’s something I find really interesting about Ruth Lowe’s two most significant songs with Sinatra. One started his career and the other ended it. I mean, ‘Put Your Dreams Away’ was the last song played at his funeral. Talk about bookending his life! For that alone, Ruth Lowe should be immortalized!”

Bernie is asked what specifically he likes about “I’ll Never Smile Again.” His response is crowded with enthusiasm—and remember we’re talking to one of the top tunesmiths to ever write a song, anytime, anywhere. “You have to think about where it comes from,” he says. “The emotional impact of the song from her perspective. It’s directly from the heart. You know, when a lot of us write a song—and believe me, I’m not putting myself in her league at all—the one thing we have is the ability to put it down as a song. It’s a great attribute to be able to do that as a songwriter. But, with Ruth, it was an absolute exhalation of despair and sadness. It comes across in the song. And the fact that she was able to get the greatest voice of the 20th century to sing it was her ace in the hole. Because nobody understood and respected songwriters and lyricists the way Sinatra did. That was why he was as great as he was.”

Bernie Taupin is not done expressing his fervour—and, at that, he’s known as something of a curmudgeon who eschews speaking to the media. Certainly, he has given few newspaper interviews to provide clues about the person behind the music. “The more people I meet, the more I like my dogs,” he explains. But his wife, Heather, has importuned, knowing of his love for the Great American Songbook, and suddenly, he’s keen to engage in the subject of Ruth Lowe’s famous song.

“Dorsey saw the potential in the song, no question” Bernie says, rising to the occasion. “And it was kismet: that voice, that song, those words. They all belonged together. No one could give it the kind of interpretation he did. It was phenomenal. Even when Sinatra was that young.”

Alan Bergman

“Great” is over-used. So, I’ll say it’s a good song: it did what it set out to do. Very well.

Now, there are some other celebrated songwriters who have opinions about this song and how and why it hit so hard. People like Alan Bergman. Along with his wife Marilyn, this song writing duo has won Academy Awards and Grammys for their tunes, and they’ve been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. They can also claim that many of their songs have been recorded by the likes of Barbra Streisand and Sinatra himself.

Alan’s just ventured in from his Californian garden where he’s been picking oranges in the sun. “Always happy to take a break to talk about great songs,” he says.

Having written both words and music in his time, Alan Bergman has respect for people who can do both. People like Ruth Lowe. “My ability to write music was not as good as the people who can do it really well,” he explains. “Stick to what you’re good at. For me, that’s lyrics.”

As for “I’ll Never Smile Again,” he’s asked if he considers this standard to be a great song. “‘Great’ is so over-used,” he says. “So, I’ll say it’s a good song: it did what it set out to do. And it did it very well.”

When asked if he has ever written a song out of the kind of desperation Ruth felt, he responds, “Desperation? No. But you know, Marilyn and I have been writing in a dramatic way for a long time, dramatic situations in life. Dealing with anger—if that’s what is called for—it can be effective. ‘The Trouble With Hello is Goodbye,’ which we wrote with Dave Grusin, deals with the end of a love affair. That’s sad. But desperation? No.”

And as for what makes a song like “I’ll Never Smile Again” a chart topper?

“Good melody and a lyric that says something,” he intones. “Songs that are entirely original, music in the case of standards, usually the melody and the lyric receive an amount of prominence. The melody is really the thing that is memorable. For a song to have character is where, at a certain point, you hear the melody, but you think of the lyric. The Gershwins, Porter, Berlin, Harold Arlen, their music could be played in any tempo, and it’s always attractive. Lyrics that are so wonderful that the song becomes a standard.”

Marilyn and Alan have been the go-to songwriters for Barbra Streisand for many years. And so, it’s natural to ask why she never got around to recording “I’ll Never Smile Again.”

“You know, that’s a good question,” Alan says. “I don’t know. She’s the best in the world. But of the performers today, who could really nail that song, it would be Lady GaGa. She’s very gifted. She’s one of the few young people who know how to sing these songs. A lot of them try, but they don’t make it, you know. But she knows. She seems to have that inner sense.”

Which seems like a good entree to inquire who’s writing songs today that he admires.

“Stephen Sondheim,” is the quick reply. “No one writes songs like him. Just wonderful, the lyrics are... he’s the best: the bar is way up there.”

And how about you, Alan, are you and Marilyn still writing songs?

“Absolutely, we’re writing a musical for the stage and an animated movie at the same time.”

Given that Mr. Bergman is 90 years of age at the time of this discussion, it’s suggested to him that this is pretty impressive.

“Hey, it’s not exactly heavy lifting. A couple of pencils. And it’s too much fun!! When you do something you love, and you write with somebody you love, it’s great, right? It’s a great life!”

Sir Tim Rice

It’s a lovely song. It’s a great song.

Speaking of a great life, let’s head to England and check in with a certain Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice, winner of an Oscar, a Grammy, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award... He’s best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he’s written lyrics for “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and “Evita.” And for his work for Walt Disney Studios with Alan Menken (“Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “King David”), and Elton John (“The Lion King,” “Aida,” “The Road to El Dorado”).

“Please call me Tim,” he says as we initiate our discussion about Ruth Lowe’s masterpiece. “And about those awards, of course, I’m always happy to be nominated. But one should never take them too seriously. There’s lots of luck involved. And it’s not just you: there are other aspects, including your co-writer.”

So, what does one of the 20th and 21st century’s most celebrated songwriters think of Ruth Lowe’s song?

“‘I’ll Never Smile Again’ is a great song,” he says. “It’s a lovely song. And the one that got Frank Sinatra to be so big. His voice is so perfect for that song. It’s a truly lovely song. And I know she was a musician, but she’d never written a hit before. ‘Put Your Dreams Away’ is a lovely song as well. Very, very talented lady.”

When asked about Ruth’s ability to write music as well as lyrics, he confesses to having tried his hand with that duality in the past.

“Only simple stuff,” he laughs. “I’ve actually had a few tunes recorded, but they’ve only been B-sides, you know. If you can do both, it’s a rare ability. Like Ruth. But, sometimes, I’m glad that I really only do one thing because when I work with Andrew or Elton, for instance, there’s a real division of labor. You know, each of us can be critical, objective, and that can make for a better overall song. And you simply don’t have that if you’re on your own. Not that this doesn’t stop people like Ruth or like Cole Porter from writing brilliant stuff. But I’ll hear a tune with a really crappy lyric, and I’ll think that, you know, it could have been better if it had a different lyric—let’s put it that way.”

Sir Tim’s got a great sense of humor. When asked, in consideration of Ruth’s desperation in writing her landmark song, if he ever composes lyrics from personal experience, he comments dryly, “Well, you know, I’ve never stood on a balcony in Argentina wearing a dress and singing to the proletariat. So, no, I do have to use my imagination”—referring, of course, to his watershed song from “Evita.”

And what does Sir Tim Rice consider makes “I’ll Never Smile Again” stand out?

“It’s a good tune,” he says. “It registers with people when they hear it: it sinks in. It’s reassuring too. It’s a mood people can identify with, which is very important. People may think, I’m in that situation, and it’s consoling to know other people have been there too. But it’s a wonderful lyric as well. You know, lyric writing can be tough. I find funny songs easier to write than love songs, because love songs have been written so many times, and you’re left wondering what you can do to be new and different? To find a new way of saying it? But if you’re writing something pretty corny, it’s more of an open canvas. A word like ‘icebox’ or ‘forklift truck’ or ‘giraffe,’—they won’t fit easily into a love song. But these are words that actually add to the enjoyment of a funny song.”

Alex Pangman

If you distil it, it has all the hallmarks of a very great song.

So many artists have recorded “I’ll Never Smile Again,” so let’s find out from a singer’s standpoint what makes it such a standout number.

Alex Pangman, who has suffered from cystic fibrosis and is quite literally living with her third set of lungs as a result of transplants, sings in a breathy style made popular by early jazz vocalists. She’s a proud Canadian and always happy to recognize her country’s soul mates. “A book about Ruth Lowe?” she says, enjoying a cup of tea in her downtown Toronto century house. “Amazing! Fantastic! This is a story people should hear.”

Asked about her current health situation, she says, “I feel robust and possibly the best I’ve felt since I was 12.”

But she wants to talk about music, not breathing.

“When I was growing up listening to the Backstreet Boys or Paula Abdul or whatever, I just found the music vapid, empty. And I found myself drawn to music that was more poetic, the older stuff.”

As to her opinion on why “I’ll Never Smile Again” resonated with the 1940s audience: “There is a cycle to things, you know. And I think, perhaps, the run of songs like ‘We’re In the Money’ had had its day. Perhaps, the public was ready for a simple and direct lament. In context, historically, this is probably what gave it such weight. That, and you have a beautiful melody, and lyrics that are straight from the heart and very poetic. It’s beautiful and simple. And you know, there’s a familiarity about it that breeds happiness, even though it’s a sad song.”

Alex herself has recorded the tune for her album New. “I picked it to record because it’s such a beautiful melody. I like the form of it. It’s not the typical form. A lot of the songs I do are AABA pattern—main theme, repeat, middle section, back to main theme—but ‘I’ll Never Smile Again’ is ABAC. So, I like doing songs that are not the usual form. People always love to hear, ‘This was Frank Sinatra’s big entree into the world.’ It’s a song that’s pretty engrained in popular culture. It is simple, yet elegant. It’s a very giving song. It just makes sense musically. There’s a logic within it that is very pleasing to the ear.”

Almost as an afterthought, this attractive, lively chanteuse adds, “You know, when I sing the song and think about never smiling again, I do know that Ruth did smile again, so that bounces around in my head too.”

Sid Mark

It’s a wonderful song. A great piece of music, Great heartfelt lyric.

Say, should you happen to be in Philadelphia on a Sunday, do yourself a favor and tune in WPHT, 1210, from 9 am to 1 pm. There, you’ll find a show that is America’s longest running radio program with the same host: “Sunday With Sinatra” featuring the irrepressible Sid Mark.

Now, understand that with Mr. Mark, we’re talking a guy who enjoyed a 30-year personal relationship with Frank Sinatra. Not only that, the man is the leading authority when it comes to Sinatra’s music. He has the largest collection of Sinatra recordings anywhere outside of what was contained in Frank’s own private vaults—in excess of 1,800 individual song titles on vinyl records and over 200 compact discs. “Millions of DJs play Sinatra, but not the way Sid Mark has,” says radio personality Big Daddy Graham. “The key is his consistency and his loyalty.”

Speaking of laudatory quotes, try this one on: “Sid is my kind of guy… He can separate fact from fiction, and he knows the music business inside and out.” So said Mr. Sinatra himself. And virtually any recognized musician worth his or her notes will agree.

For all the glory and recognition, Sid Mark is somewhat self-effacing. Sitting in the radio studio, prepping his next show, and having been offered congratulations when WPHT re-ups his contract—which they’ve been doing for 60 years!—he says simply, “Well thanks, but it’s all about ratings these days. You know, you don’t bring in the audience, you don’t get to stay on the air.” Mind you, he does add, “I am indeed proud. It’s been a long haul, but a good one.”

Even after all that time, Sid Mark remains an unabashed fan of Frank Sinatra’s singing. “It’s the quality of the music,” he says. “It’s the songs. It’s the way he sings them. No one else could do with a song what he did. And you know, back then, Frank was lucky to be picked up by Dorsey: it was the Cadillac of bands.”

And where does this expert rank “I’ll Never Smile Again”?

“You know, you can’t rank it. It’s like saying what’s the best song ever? Or the best singer ever? But it’s a wonderful song. A great piece of music. Great heartfelt lyric. Of course, people felt she’d written it for her husband killed in the war, but apart from that, it was such a great song. And it was Dorsey and Sinatra just hitting their stride. It truly is a great song in its own right. As is ‘Put Your Dreams Away,’ I might add.”

And about just what makes a great song, Sid offers this: “It’s the message. The content. What it’s about that makes you think, sit up, and take notice. If a song can do that, it’s a great song.”

We shouldn’t leave this conversation with Sid without hearing a bit about his relationship with the greatest singer of the 20th century.

“Back in 1966, Sinatra released an album with Count Basie performing at the Sands in Las Vegas,” he recalls. “Well, I played it continuously on the air and Philadelphia-area stores couldn’t keep it on the shelves. Remember, this was the time of the British Invasion being in full force with the Beatles in their prime. But fans still were going nuts for Sinatra. So, all of a sudden, I get a call from someone in Sinatra’s camp, and they’re looking to show gratitude for all the exposure I’m providing. ‘Do you want a TV set?’ they ask me. And I say, ‘No, I already have a TV set,’”

Sid laughs at this memory, then explains he told the caller that what he’d really like is to meet Sinatra one day.

“So, I get a call back, and I’m being invited out to Vegas to meet the man. Now, I have to tell you, this was at the beginning of my career: I was making peanuts, and I couldn’t begin to afford a trip like that. So, I turn them down. Meanwhile, the New York Times has called Sinatra the highest paid performer in the history of show business. ‘You don’t understand,’ the guy says, ‘When you are a guest of Mr. Sinatra, you are his guest. Don’t worry about it.’”

Sid Mark is flown out to Vegas where he spends a weekend and hangs out with Frank Sinatra. The axiom that it’s usually not a good idea to meet your heroes because disappointment is inevitable need not apply here. “Meeting Sinatra changed my life,” he says. “I had reached the summit.” And that relationship continued for over 30 years.

At the time of this conversation, the 100th anniversary of Sinatra’s birth looms.

“Honestly, I thought he’d still be here,” Sid says wistfully. “He seemed to have that fortitude. His last show, in Palm Springs in 1995, it was one of his best. As he was coming offstage, he said ‘I think I’m ready to go back on the road.’”

Just before we leave this segment on Sid Mark, it’s worth stating that he’s only missed one show in his entire broadcast history. That was in 1999: he went in for open heart surgery.

And some other quick quips about I’ll Never Smile Again”:

Frank Sinatra

If this song is a lament at the loss of love, I get an ache in my gut. I feel the loss myself and I cry out the loneliness, the hurt, and the pain that I feel.

Nancy Sinatra

That song followed my dad his whole life, and I think it was probably because so many people identified with it in the first place. There’s a reason why “I’ll Never Smile Again” became a classic that has endured: it was a perfect song, interpreted by the perfect singer, at the perfect time. It was a meeting of honesty—the fundamental quality that my dad possessed—and the heartfelt, plaintive cry of a young, grieving widow.” (And to Tom Sandler, when he and Nancy met: “Tommy, most people would give their eye teeth to have one hit with my dad... your mom had two!!”).

Frank Sinatra Jr.

When we were on the road doing concerts, Sinatra would often talk with the musicians about what a wonderful song it was. He said its eeriness was heartbreaking. And he’s right: beautiful tune, wonderful lyrics—a true standard.

Quincy Jones

I was in Toronto attending a performance when I met Ruth Lowe’s son. I practically fell out of my chair! I told him that “I’ll Never Smile Again” was literally one of the songs that inspired my career. I mean, his mother had written one of the most famous songs in the world!

Sean Jones, singer

It’s like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”: it just pulls you in. I can sink into that song. “I’ll Never Smile Again” is so passionate, and that’s what connects me to it.

Miles Raine, saxophonist

It’s right up there with the best songs of the Great American Song Book, no question.

David Clayton-Thomas

It’s so well-written. It’s a melody you can’t get out of your head once you’ve heard it. It’s totally honest. I can’t imagine it being a better song. Neither could Frank Sinatra. He said many times it was his favourite song, the one he loved to sing the most in concert.

Mark Steyn, writer

It’s so beautifully written and lushly confident you don’t even notice the structure. But in a broader sense, Ruth’s ballad of love and loss and loneliness, torn from her own widowhood, caught the mood of Americans in that pensive interlude between the start of World War Two and their own entry into it. It succeeds not just as a song of bereavement but also as a song that captures the fragility of all wartime romance.

Murray Ginsberg, musician, author

I know that “I’ll Never Smile Again” was recorded by other bands, like Glenn Miller and several others, but I do believe the reason it became the popular song it ultimately did was because of Frank Sinatra, that marvellous arrangement, and the tempo. Certainly, that had something to do with it.

Kim Stockwood, singer

One of the most heartbreakingly beautiful songs ever written. Very romantic, very dreamy, very wonderful, but very sad.

Spencer Leigh, British author and commentator

A song like “I’ll Never Smile Again” needs someone to really interpret it, and that was Sinatra. He was one of the greatest interpreters of the popular song that ever lived. It’s an extremely good song. It’s right up there near the top. A good song is one that can be done by lots of people, and this song was covered by all the British dance bands back in the day. And, yes, she did write both the words and the music, but when you think that most of the other songs hailed from Broadway, there were always teams putting on those shows, teams writing the songs. “I’ll Never Smile Again” is one of the few songs of the early 1940s that was just written as a song, not to support a show. So, Ruth was unique at that time. And it’s such a great title too: grabs your interest before you even hear it.

Andy Kim, singer-songwriter

Any songwriter would give their eyeteeth to have one song performed by Frank Sinatra. But to have two songs that Frank not only performed but continued to perform and made standards out of is a pretty amazing accomplishment. She’s already achieved more than a plaque. She found a way into your heart. What she created was beyond manmade. The song is beyond those awards.

Will Friedwald, author (whose newest book The Music of Nat King Cole: Straighten Up and Fly Right debuts soon)

It’s a really good song. An outstanding song. A great Canadian song. I mean, it would be too much an apples-and-oranges thing to compare it to, say, an Irving Berlin number or something like that, but it sure was the perfect song for Sinatra to sing in that period. If anything, the song’s appeal might be limited because it can’t really be done in a different way: it’s a slow ballad and I can’t imagine it as any kind of an up-tempo number.

But you know, one thing that occurs to me is that every year on Canada Day, in July, here in New York, there’s a big concert and they have a whole program of songs by Canadian songwriters. And there’s Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen and that group. But there’s nothing from the Great American Songbook! Why is that? After the folk-rock period, there are a ton of Canadian composers and performers that they showcase. But where is Canadian theatrical composer Sheldon Brooks who wrote some of the biggest hits of the early part of the 20th century—notably “Some of These days,” which was picked up by Sophie Tucker and used as her theme song for 55 years? Where is Ruth Lowe? Why are they not featured? Because, man! She really had it together with “I’ll Never Smile Again,” that’s for sure!

Toronto Globe and Mail

“Ruth Lowe: One of the most celebrated songwriters of the 20th century.”