Jun 22, 2021

You Are Too Beautiful (cover)

Audio Play:

I’m dedicating this music project to my ex-girlfriend, whom I married twice. On July 1, 2021, we’ll be celebrating our 37 years of intimacy, from the time she became my girlfriend for five years after the 2-year courtship. We were engaged in 20 days only, rushing to tie knots once and again on the following year. Intimate relationship doesn’t mean the absence of life’s hurdles. It doesn’t count the number of falls we’ve gone through but the many races we’ve run to get the prize. You Are Too Beautiful is a 1932 song written by Richard Rodgers (music) and Lorenz Hart (lyrics) for the 1933 film, “Hallelujah, I'm a Bum,” where it was sung by Al Jolson. It became a pop and jazz standard in the 1940s, with a notable recording made on August 3, 1945 by Dick Haymes. The song sounds great as both a slow ballad and a medium tempo swing tune. Check out how Rodgers has constructed the melody using just a few motifs. The ‘A’ sections use a wave-like motif that simply keeps rising and falling, and the bridge introduces a contrasting phrase that’s a little more complex. The combination gives just enough variety to keep the song interesting while it’s similar enough to sound related. In this music project, I played the piano part (rhythm, melody, ad-lib and harmony) using my MIDI keyboard controller, Edirol PC-50 from Roland Corporation, and Virtual Studio Technology instrument (VSTi), a German grand solo piano by Arturia V2. Other instruments include, EZBass guitar by Toontrack, and Portland Drum Kit. The song is in the key of G major at 68 BPM.

YOU ARE TOO BEAUTIFUL

VERSE 1

You are too beautiful, my dear, to be true

And I am a fool for beauty

Fooled by a feeling that because I have found you

I could have bound you too

VERSE 2

You are too beautiful for one man alone

For one lucky fool to be with

When there are other men

With eyes of their own to see with

BRIDGE

Love does not stand sharing

Not if one cares

Have you been comparing

My every kiss with theirs

If, on the other hand, I'm faithful to you

It's not through a sense of duty

You are too beautiful