Greatest love songs ever: #30 “Cheek to Cheek”
Of all of the songs ever performed in the history of cinema, “Cheek to Cheek” ranks #15, according to the American Film Institute. That’s how good it is.
It was written by the legendary Irving Berlin, who already made my list with the song, “What’ll I Do,” #37 on our list of the 52 Greatest Love Songs Ever.
Here’s how Berlin wrote songs:
- He pecked out a melody on the piano.
- Then he added the chords.
- Then he added the lyrics.
He was a one-man show: music and lyrics, in that order. But the words and the notes go so well together that you can’t imagine either standing alone without the other. But they do.
Let’s start with the first word in the song: heaven. That’s the place where we find ourselves when we fall in love. Everything is right with the world. Our problems melt away. We feel we can take on the world, because we’re above the world … we’re in heaven!
Check out these great lyrics:
“Heaven, I’m in Heaven,
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak;
And I seem to find the happiness I seek,
When we’re out together dancing, cheek to cheek.”
Berlin wrote this song for the great Fred Astaire in his movie musical, “Top Hat.” What an opportunity for a songwriter! Fred Astaire will not only sing your song, but he’ll dance to it with (drum roll) … Ginger Rogers!
Watch the video below to see art at a very high level.
Fred Astaire sings “Cheek to Cheek”
Berlin and Astaire represent a unique breed. Both were artists operating at a very high level. But they achieved their status through hard work, because they were craftsmen. By that, I mean that they fussed over every little detail until their finished work of art was impeccable.
Fred Astaire makes dancing look so easy. It’s not. (At least I don’t think so.)
Irving Berlin’s simple formula makes songwriting look easy. It’s not, not if you want to create a true work of art.
“Cheek to Cheek” is a song that begs to be enjoyed while on a dance floor. But it is a song that you’ll revel in by just listening.
Contemporary music artists like Lady Ga Ga, Tony Bennett, and Diana Krall have all covered this song in their own imitable styles. Take a listen.
Lady Ga Ga and Tony Bennett sing “Cheek to Cheek”
Diana Krall sings “Cheek to Cheek”
We think of Heaven as a place of love, because we reside in the presence of God, who is Love. A song like “Cheek to Cheek” allows us to get a little foretaste of the Hereafter through the power of a love song.
Beautiful.
What else is beautiful? Life itself. Beautiful love songs are potent medicine for the culture of death that overtook our country over the past half century through abortion.
Spread the love. Share these songs. And share your fruitfulness with your gift to Pulse Life Advocates today.
