Standard of the Week: 3 versions of Carmichael and Mercer's "Skylark"

Written by Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer, who happen to be two of my favorite songwriters, Skylark is one of those songs about longing to be somewhere else (Somewhere Over the Rainbow is the par excellence example of the type, but Carmichael's Georgia on my Mind can't be far behind). Mercer's lyrics are always both earthy and ethereal (I mean, think Moon River).

The first time I realized I really loved this song was when I heard it by Jack Jones.

Of course the song has been covered many times by everyone from Dinah Shore to Bob Dylan. When I did a search on Youtube I discovered this Aretha Franklin version:

And finally, this beautiful instrumental, with the harmonica taking the melody:

* * *

Previous installment of "3 Versions" -- I'm Confessin' that I Love You