Nov. 10th, 2007

thoreau: (flowerinawineglass)
There is something simple about the song "The Way You Look Tonight". It's always been a favorite.

With each word your tenderness grows,
Tearing my fear apart...
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose,
It touches my foolish heart.
Lovely ... Never, ever change.
Keep that breathless charm.
Won't you please arrange it ?
'Cause I love you ... Just the way you look tonight.


This has always struck me as one of the most romantic songs...... because men AND women can sing this with equal impact. I downloaded the new Chris Botti album Italia this morning on Itunes - and while a tad uneven one of the standouts is an instrumental of this. (and a stunning 'duet' with Andreas Bocelli in the title track, and a very intense trumpet solo version of Gabriel's Oboe from THE MISSION) and I sat here with Miss kate curled up - singing along while Botti played his trumpet - - making up words where I didn't remember them 'quite' correctly and laughing my way through it.

I love the lyrics catch the moment so perfectly - each word your tenderness grows. I always imagine a giant old-style wooden dance floor with a big band. and 100 or so gay men and women - dancing slowly arm in arm - while the flicker of the disco ball floods the room with soft light. When I dance with him - I lead (because I'm a control freak). My hand rests careful on the back of his suit jacket right at the small of his back. He bought the suit just for this night's occasion - a grand ball. He's wearing a bright red tie and a black vest. and I'm wearing the complimentary christmas green tie. - tearing my fear apart - I can smell the slightest cologne from him as the music encourages me to nuzzle into his neck for a moment - my beard rubbing against his neck makes him giggle, because he's ticklish. - And that laugh that wrinkles your nose - Seeing his eyes light up like that - at the sillyness of admitting that he is still ticklish like he was when he was a child - It touches my foolish heart. - We continue dancing and I see a pair of women dancing like we are over his shoulder - and the lead in that couple smiles at me and winks - sharing that magic moment with me. The music ends and he and I embrace. - Lovely ... Never, ever change. We pull away and give each other that - "god that was romantic and hot and wonderful" LOOK. We walk hand-in-hand back to our table and our friends. He says something like "isn't he adorable?" looking at me - the other friends of ours at the table all fake Karen Carpenter vomiting sessions. He and I just laugh. - Keep that breathless charm. -

Won't you please arrange it ?'Cause I love you ... Just the way you look tonight.
thoreau: (Default)
adding to my last post...

here are three distinctly different interpretations of "The Way You Look Tonight"

(THREE mp3 files in a .zip file here (17M))

a) Chris Botti - trumpet solo
b) Doris Day - goddess solo
c) Westminster Barbershop Chorus - mens chorus tight harmony

Botti is so smooth and actually very sexy, Doris is so goddamned happy you can hear her cakewalking this song in the recording studio because was on the list of standards the label wanted her to sing... (but I love her - and this version of this song) and the barbershop chorus - is simply heartwrenchingly beautiful - the arrangement soars to these peaking barbershop harmonies - everytime the "because I love you.." lyric is sung - absolutely beautiful.

Footnote:
I thought of [livejournal.com profile] bearfuz for some reason when listening to it.. how interesting. Chip? Have you ever sung in a barbershop quartet?

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