Your favourite song of the 20's - 30's

Welcome Joey. I hope there'll be some replies because I know so little about the tunes that were coming out of Tin Pan Alley.
By the way, how did that name originate? Any idea?

My favorite, in any case is by the Gerschwins:

But Not For Me

They're writing songs of love
But not for me
A lucky star's above
But not for me

With love to lead the way
I've found more clouds of gray
Than any Russian play
Could guarantee

I was a fool to fall
And get that way
Hi ho! Alas!
And also, lackaday!

Although I can't dismiss
The memory of her kiss
I guess
She's not for me

It all began so well
But what an end
This is the time
A fellow needs a friend

When every happy plot
Ends with a the marriage knot
And there's
No knot for me

hmmmm.... I know very little about the music of these decades. I think the oldest music I know I like is the steel guitar stuff (maybe from Hawaii?). A woman accompanied the songs I remember (last name something like Kahn?). Lot of help I am!

Here are two of my favorites:

Someone to Watch Over Me
(Gershwin)

There's a saying old says that love is blind
Still we're often told "seek and ye shall find"
So I'm going to seek a certain girl I've had in mind
Looking everywhere, haven't found her yet
She's the big affair I cannot forget
Only girl I ever think of will regret

I'd like to add her initial to my monogram
Tell me where's the shepherd for this lost lamb

There's a somebody I'm longing to see
I hope that she turns out to be
Someone who'll watch over me

I'm a little lamb who's lost in a wood
I know I could always be good
To one who'll watch over me

Although she may not the girl some men think of
As handsome to my heart
She carries the key

Won't you tell her please to put on some speed
Follow my lead, oh how I need
Someone to watch over me
Someone to watch over me

_____

Dream A Little Dream Of Me
(Kahn / Schwandt / Andre)

Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singin' in the sycamore trees
Dream a little dream of me

Say nighty-night and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
While I'm alone and blue as can be
Dream a little dream of me

Stars fading but I linger on dear
Still craving your kiss
I'm longin' to linger till dawn dear
Just saying this:

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me

(instrumental break)

Stars shining up above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singin' in the sycamore trees
Dream a little dream of me

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me

"God, Bless America"; not with the flourishes as it is often heard today, but in the warm but powerful rendition as originally offered by Kate Smith.

couldn't say for sure, but it was probably written by cole porter

Cole Porter at his most gruesome:

Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today, Madam.
Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today.
She is sorry to be delayed,
But last evening down in Lover's Lane she strayed.
Madam.
Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today.

When she woke up and found, that her dream of love was gone.
Madam.
She ran to the man who had lead her so far astray.
And from under a velvet gown,
She drew a gun and shot her lover down,
Madam.
Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today.

When the mob came and got her and dragged her from the jail,
Madam,
They strung her from the old willow cross the way.
And the moment before she died,
She lifted up her lovely head and cried,
Madam.
Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today.

Miss Otis regrets... she's unable to lunch today.

Cole Porter was da man! Love for Sale. Miss Otis Regrets. I don't know if he ever wrote anything that didn't hit the top of the charts. Another fine songwriter was Gus Khan. Danny Thomas played him in the biopic.

I didn't know that

I'm another vote for Cole Porter. I wish I could be so interestingly blase.

Also, check out:

http://www.rienzihills.com/SING/Index.html

Some songs are earlier than the '20's and some are later than the '30's, but nostalgia has no bounds.

cool site...going in my favorites..

Originally, Tin Pan Alley was a nickname given an actual street (West 28th Street between Broadway and Sixth Avenue) in Manhattan where many of the fledgling popular music publishers had their offices. In time, it became the generic term for all publishers of popular American sheet music, regardless of their geographic locations.

Source

Before television and radio, sheet music was sold. Families were able to play the latest tunes on the parlor piano and accompany the piano with all sorts of percussion instruments...some improvised from wastebaskets and tin pans.

The Tin Pan Alley crowd had a somewhat higher status than is accorded to Garage Bands.

Sunday is gloomy my hours are numberless,
Dear since you left me my nights are all slumberless,
Little white flowers will never awaken you,
Not where the black cloak of darkness has taken you.

Angels have no thought of every returning you,
Would they be angry if I thought of joining you.

Gloomy sunday.

So happy this thread has revived. Wonder whatever happened to the original poster? He hasn't posted a single word since posing this question.

"Anything Goes" by Porter.

I like dozens of songs from the old days, but Peter Duchin's version of Stardust is my favorite.

There's something about "Stardust", isn't there? It stays with you and haunts you. The only other melody of that era (1940s, actually) I can think of which has the same kind of effect on me is the theme from the Gene tierney/Dana Andrews movie "Laura." Both of these melodies had lyrics written for them, but the lyrics only get in the way of the lovely tunes.

I assume you are not referring to the Spike Jones version of Laura, merry andrew.