Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most

[Valin]

Power Line

Scott Johnson

Mar.  20 2023

I’m taking the liberty of reposting this tribute to a great song with an unusual story behind it as a break from the news of the day. Since I first wrote this 17 years ago, YouTube has become a rich musical resource that allows me to fill out the story. Stretching from Ella Fitzgerald to Fran Landesman to T.S. Eliot and Geoffrey Chaucer, this is the bare-bones version of the tale:

There are a few torch songs that lament the coming of Spring. This time of year, if you’re tuned to one of the right stations, you may well find yourself listening to Ella Fitzgerald’s memorable rendition of “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most” (video below). The song is a buried treasure on Ella’s quartet-backed jazz set Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! (I love the Amazon review that rates it “50,000 stars.”) Released by Verve in 1961, the album represents one of the many summits of Ella’s artistry.

 

(Snip)

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