Spoken:
way past your bedtime (Crowd laughs and then subsides)
Only kiddin', kids.
Long ago and far away, I dreamed a dream one day
And now that dream is here beside me Long the skies were overcast but now the clouds have passed
You’re here at last
Chills run up and down my spine, Aladdin’s lamp is mine
The dream I dreamed was not denied me Just one look and then I knew
That all I longed for long ago was you
Chills run up and down my spine, Aladdin’s lamp is mine
The dream I dreamed was not denied me Just one look and then I knew
That all I longed for long ago was you
Lyrics
Long ago and far away, I dreamed a dream one day
And now that dream is here beside me
Long the skies were overcast but now the clouds have passed
You're here at last
Chills run up and down my spine, Aladdin's lamp is mine
The dream I dreamed was not denied me
Just one look and then I knew
That all I longed for long ago was you
Chills run up and down my spine, Aladdin's lamp is mine
The dream I dreamed was not denied me
Just one look and then I knew
That all I longed for long ago was you
I read that musicians who worked with her said she literally never missed a note even in rehearsals or practice. And they weren't kidding. They really admired her talent.
Years ago I found a WWII-era music cassette in a bargain bin and gifted it to my mother-in-law. Jo Stafford's Long Ago and Far Away was on the tape and when my mother-in-law heard it, I thought she would break down and cry. It evoked such memories for her--my father-in-law's return from the war, the resumption of their love and all their dreams. She was not a sentimental woman, shaped by deprivations of both the Great Depression and the war, but when she heard this it prompted a visceral reaction that I will never forget. She was born the same year as Miss Stafford and died the same year as well. Two classy ladies!
I listen to this song by Jo Stafford quite often. It's a great song, and her rendition is the best I ever heard. The melody stays with you and the arrangement is lilting and showcases her beautiful voice. A truly lovely recording.
The best rendition of this beautiful memorable song by Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin for the movie "Cover Girl" starring Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly.....Jo Stafford brings out the deep feelings so commonly present in the face of so many people being separated from each other as a result of World War II. Nicely done, many thanks.
