From the number of songs with September in the title, songwriters have been drawn to this month for decades.
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According to Billboard, September leads all others as the most popular month name in song titles. The result is a remarkable collection of songs that, if you think about it, could conjure up some great memories.
One of the earliest, “September Song,” was written in 1938 for a Broadway show called “Knickerbocker Holiday” by composer Kurt Weill and lyricist Maxwell Anderson. According to the song’s bio, it was written in just a few hours specifically for its star, Walter Huston, who had requested one solo number in the show.
It became his signature song for the rest of his life and went on to become one of the most recorded standards in American music, with Frank Sinatra recording it three times.
As a keyboard player (Hammond B-3) in my younger days, “September Song” was in my repertoire and has always been a favorite.
“September in the Rain” has been part of the American songbook since 1937, introduced in a film called “Melody for Two” and recorded by a long list of artists ever since, including Dinah Washington, Judy Garland and Harry Connick Jr.
On Jan. 1, 1962, a young Beatles group recorded their own version during their audition for Decca Records.
The Happenings followed in 1966 with “See You in September,” number three on the Billboard Hot 100, capturing the bittersweet feeling of a summer farewell and the hope of being reunited in autumn.
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Neil Diamond released “September Morn” in 1979, and it climbed to number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. I fondly remember hearing him perform it live at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles in the early 1980s and love that he included it in his “Hot August Night NYC” at Madison Square Garden.
Earth Wind and Fire released “September” in 1978, built around one of the most recognized opening lines in pop music — “Do you remember the twenty-first night of September?”
The date in the song came from the expected due date of band vocalist Maurice White’s son, and the song continues to be a crowd pleaser played at celebrations of every kind.
Frank Sinatra recorded “The September of My Years” in 1965, earning Grammy awards for album of the year and best male vocal performance. One of his most personal recordings, the song often resonates with people reflecting on their own lives.
Whatever September means to you, there’s probably a song that captures it, perhaps with September in the title.
Writer, editor and speaker Cheryl Russell is a Laguna Woods Village resident. Contact her at [email protected].
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