Jerome Kern, I’m Old Fashioned

Jerome Kern (1885-1945) was one of the principal forces shaping American music in the early 20th century. Professor Carol often points to his 1927 musical Showboat as establishing the Broadway musical, our American form of opera. Songs from that show include “Make Believe” and the iconic “Old Man River.”

Kern’s other musicals are rarely performed, but many of his more than 700 songs remain fixtures of the American songbook—“Just the Way You Look Tonight,” “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” and “All the Things You Are,” for example.

“I’m Old Fashioned” (lyrics by Johnny Mercer) was written for the 1942 film You Were Never Lovelier. It was presented, as you might expect, as a dance number with Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth. And that song inspired choreographer Jerome Robbins to create a ballet in 1983 under the same name with music (based on Kern’s work) by Morton Gould.

What better way to present the song than in this old-fashioned way, with acoustical instruments, simplicity of style, and great musicianship.

Professor Carol and I celebrate our silver anniversary this week. And yes, we are old-fashioned. I’m convinced that many old-fashioned things provide the best recipe for stability and happiness. (We may not look stable with our constant travel and changes to our home life, but the things that matter remain the same.) So here’s to Professor Carol with hopes that she will agree to stay old fashioned with me.