My man's gone now

"Summertime" is an aria composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward, the author of the novel Porgy on which the opera was based, although the song is also co-credited to Ira Gershwin by ASCAP.

The song soon became a popular and much recorded jazz standard, described as "without doubt... one of the finest songs the composer ever wrote....Gershwin's highly evocative writing brilliantly mixes elements of jazz and the song styles of African-Americans in the southeast United States from the early twentieth century." Composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim has characterized Heyward's lyrics for "Summertime" and "My Man's Gone Now" as "the best lyrics in the musical theater". The song is recognized as one of the most covered songs in the history of recorded music, with more than 25,000 covers by groups and solo performers.

Gershwin began composing the song in December 1933, attempting to create his own spiritual in the style of the African American folk music of the period. Gershwin had completed setting DuBose Heyward's poem to music by February 1934, and spent the next 20 months completing and orchestrating the score of the opera.
The song is sung multiple times throughout Porgy and Bess, first by Clara in Act I as a lullaby and soon after as counterpoint to the craps game scene, in Act II in a reprise by Clara, and in Act III by Bess, singing to Clara's baby.

It was recorded for the first time by Abbie Mitchell on 19 July 1935, with George Gershwin playing the piano and conducting the orchestra (on: George Gershwin Conducts Excerpts from Porgy & Bess, Mark 56 667).

Billie's accompanied by Bunny Berigan, t / Artie Shaw, cl / Joe Bushkin, p / Dick McDonough, g / Pete Peterson, sb / Cozy Cole, d. Recorded in New York, July 10, 1936. (Vocalion Records)


Summertime
And the livin' is easy

Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high

Oh your daddy's rich
And your ma is good lookin'

So hush little baby
Don't you cry

One of these mornin's

You're goin' to rise up singing

Then you'll spread your wings

And you'll take the sky

But till that morning

There's a-nothin' can harm you

With Daddy and Mammy
Standin' by

(bridge)

One of these mornin's

You're goin' to rise up singing

Then you'll spread your wings

And you'll take the sky

But till that morning

There's a nothin' can harm you

With daddy and mammy
Standin' by