1940-1950

"Bewitched" from Paul Joey by Hart & Rodgers has been covered by quite a few Jazz musicians, so a word of warning. If you do not have that syrupy lyrical voice that make women drool the minute you open your mouth for the first vowel, don't do it. That is my first impression. However, since it was originally written for a woman, best be able to do the whole "my-world-is-crumbling-at-the-edges-but-I-am-strong-and-will-struggle-through-this-ballad" or the "I-am-sickly-in-love-with-this-guy" while everyone is rooting for you or forget this song. It can be nasally and annoying.

If you are a great storyteller type singer, and not so strong with the ballads, this decade has a song for you - "The Saga of Jenny" from Lady in the Dark. And there is something about the lyrics to "Nobody's Heart" from By Jupiter by Rodgers & Hart that hits a chord with me... "Nobody's arms belong to me, No arms feel strong to me, I admire the moon, as a moon, just a moon, Nobody's heart belongs to me today".

The 1940's decade produced some of the most overdone Rodgers & Hammerstein songs in musical theater history. If you don't know "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" from Oklahoma!, "If I Loved You" from Carousel, or "Some Enchanted Evening" from South Pacific its time to brush up your musical theater. And yes, "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" was written in this decade.

This is the decade, of course, where musical theater begins to change course from a happy-go-lucky time to more dark and downtrodden.