By Myself (1937 song)

"By Myself" is a song by composer Arthur Schwartz and lyricist Howard Dietz. The song's lyrics communicate both the sadness of being alone and a satisfaction found in self-reliance and achievement. The song employs an unusual musical form for a popular song: following the incomplete repetition form AABC. It also vacillates between the keys of g minor and F major making for a more harmonically complex tune.

Considered a jazz standard, "By Myself" was originally created for the 1937 Broadway musical Between the Devil. Jack Buchanan introduced the ballad in this musical and it remained a relatively unknown song until it was performed by Fred Astaire in the 1953 musical comedy film The Band Wagon. Astaire's performance catapulted the song from obscurity to popularity; debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard chart on August 29, 1953. It was later sung by Judy Garland in the 1963 film I Could Go On Singing, and by Vivian Reed in the 1972 Broadway revue That's Entertainment.

Notable recordings

• Mabel Mercer – Songs by Mabel Mercer, Vol. 2 (1953)
• Barbara Carroll Trio – Lullabies in Rhythm (1954)
• Lee Wiley and Ellis Larkins – Duologue: Lee Wiley Sings Rogers & Hart; Ellis Larkins Plays Piano Solos (1954)
• Art Farmer – Farmer's Market (1956)
• Patty McGovern – Wednesday's Child (1956), arranged by Thomas Talbert
• Helen Merrill – Dream of You (1956), arranged by Gil Evans
• Sammy Davis Jr. – Sammy Swings (1957)
• Judy Garland – Alone (1957), arranged by Gordon Jenkins; I Could Go On Singing (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1963)
• Gogi Grant – Granted It's Gogi (1957), arranged by Johnny Mandel
• Jerry Lewis – Jerry Lewis Just Sings (1957), arranged by Buddy Bregman
• Johnny Mathis – Warm (1957), arranged by Percy Faith
• Ruth Price – The Party's Over (1957)
• Freddie Redd – San Francisco Suite (1957)
• Mal Waldron – ' (1958)
• Tony Bennett – Hometown, My Town (1959), arranged by Ralph Burns; Steppin' Out (1993)
• Carmen McRae – Book of Ballads (1959), arranged by Frank Hunter
• Teresa Brewer – Ridin' High (1960), arranged by Jerry Fielding
• Shirley Scott – Hip Soul (1961)
• Fred Astaire – Three Evenings with Fred Astaire (1962), arranged by David Rose
• Shelley Manne and Jack Marshall – Sounds Unheard Of (1962)
• Lena Horne – Lena Like Latin (1963), arranged by Shorty Rogers
• Doc Severinsen – Torch Songs for Trumpet (1963)
• Jack Jones – Where Love Has Gone (1964)
• Julie London – In Person at the Americana (1964), arranged by Don Bagley
• Esther Ofarim - Is it really me? (1965), arranged and produced by Bobby Scott
• Don Shirley – Water Boy (1965)
• Ann-Margret - Songs from The Swinger (And Other Swingin' Songs) (1966)
• Cher – Bittersweet White Light (1973)
• Dave McKenna – By Myself (1976), "Dancing in the Dark" and Other Music of Arthur Schwartz (1986), and Fresh Air in Concert (1990)
• Shirley Horn – A Lazy Afternoon (1978)
• Roger Kellaway – Say That Again (1978)
• James Williams – Flying Colors (1978)
• Cal Collins – By Myself (1980)
• Johnny Hartman – Once in Every Life (1981)
• Maxine Sullivan – Maxine Sullivan With the Ike Isaacs Quintet (1981); On Tour With the Allegheny Jazz Quartet: Starring Maxine Sullivan (1984); Uptown (1985, with the Scott Hamilton Quintet)
• Buddy De Franco and Oscar Peterson – Hark: Buddy De Franco Meets the Oscar Peterson Quartet (1985), with Joe Pass and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
• Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass – Easy Living (1986)
• Barney Kessel – Red, Hot and Blues (1988)
• Junior Cook – On a Misty Night (1990)
• Trudy Desmond – Tailor Made (1992), arranged by Roger Kellaway
• Stephanie Nakasian – Bitter Sweet (1992)
• Lou Levy – By Myself (1995)