Greatest Love Songs Ever: #25 “Night and Day”

By Tom Quiner

As the saying goes, the cream rises to the top. One of the best American songwriters ever makes his first (but not last) entry onto my list of the Greatest Love Songs Ever with his timeless classic, “Night and Day.” 

Cole Porter, along with Irving Berlin and George Gershwin, represents the cream of the crop of songwriters in the “Great American Songbook.” And what exactly is this Songbook? Its website describes it this way:

“The Great American Songbook” is the canon of the most important and influential American popular songs and jazz standards from the early 20th century that have stood the test to time in their life and legacy.”

Porter wrote “Night and Day” for the 1932 musical, “Gay Divorce.” (‘Gay’ in this usage refers to the traditional meaning of the word: cheerful, blithe, animated. Ironically, though, Porter’s homosexuality became a fairly open secret as his fame grew.)

Like Irving Berlin, Cole Porter wrote both the words and the music to his urbane songs, in contrast to most of his contemporaries who split those duties with a writing partner.

Great lyricists look for a way to use words to express love without saying “I love you,” which often descends into cliché through sheer overuse. (Paul McCartney’s retort would be, “and what’s wrong with that?!”)

Porter’s amazing lyrics express the burning passion of love while only invoking the word a single time. The first two lines of the refrain says it all:

“Night and day, you are the one,

Only you beneath the moon and under the sun.”

Read through those lines a few times. What hits you? For me, it’s the words ‘one’ and ‘only.’ The song extols monogamy. Let’s face it, great love songs are ALWAYS about monogamous relationships, because they honor virtuous behavior: fidelity, sacrifice, devotion.

Great love songs don’t pay tribute to disloyalty, malice, or loathing, the antonyms of the above.

Like many great artists, Cole Porter didn’t embrace a lifestyle consistent with the ideals expressed in his beautiful lyrics. The Indiana native married a socialite, Linda Lee Porter, on whom he cheated with a variety of gay lovers.

Should we separate art from the artist? I think so. Every artist is flawed. Who knows, their struggle with inner demons may be the ultimate catalyst to unleashing something beautiful into this world.

Cole Porter’s great song, “Night and Day,” has delighted audiences for 93 years. Contemporary artists still flock to it, such as Katharine McPhee of American Idol fame who offers a tender presentation of a song packed with such fiery lyrics (top of page).

In addition to Ms. McPhee’s lovely rendition, I offer up two more videos of “Night and Day” worthy of your consideration. The first is by the “first lady of song,” Ella Fitzgerald. Ella includes the incredible verse, which you’ve got to hear. It always bugs me when artists leave off the verse which sets up the whole song. So kudos to Ella for offering the ‘complete’ version of “Night and Day.”

Ella sings Night and Day

But I think you’ll also appreciate this scene from the 2004 Cole Porter biopic, “Delovely.” The leading man struggles to sing “Night and Day” because of the taxing range of the notes. Porter jumps on stage to encourage and flatter the star until he’s finally able to pull it off.

“Night and Day” scene from the movie, “Delovely”

Pulse Life Advocates recognizes that love is the antidote to abortion, which is why we’re running this series on the 52 Greatest Love Songs Ever. You can help us spread the love and reduce abortion in two ways: share this series and make a gift to Pulse Life Advocates. There’s no better time than now. Thank-you!

Next week’s entry is one of the most unique songs in this series sung by Broadway’s most lovable character ever. See you then.