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"As Time Goes By" is a song written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931. It became most famous in 1942 when part of it was sung by the character Sam (Dooley Wilson) in the movie Casablanca. The song was voted No. 2 on the AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs special, commemorating the best songs in film[1] (only surpassed by "Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland). The song has since become the representative song of Warner Bros. (and used as such in the production logos at the beginning of many Warner Bros. films since 1999, as well as the closing logos to most Warner Bros. Television shows since 2003) and was also the title and theme song of the 1990s British romantic comedy series As Time Goes By.

The AFI listed it among its "top 100" movie songs. National Public Radio included it in its "NPR 100", a 1999 list of the most important American musical works of the 20th century as compiled by NPR's music editors.[2] The song is a popular reflection of nostalgia and often used in films and series reflecting this feeling. [3] [4]

Background[]

Herman Hupfeld wrote "As Time Goes By" for the 1931 Broadway musical Everybody's Welcome. In the original show, it was sung by Frances Williams. It was recorded that year by several artists, it was sung by Rudy Vallée and Binnie Hale, and orchestra recordings were made by Jacques Renard and Fred Rich. In terms of popularity at the time, it was a modest hit. Elisabeth Welch included it in her cabaret act as soon as it was released.

The song was re-introduced in 1942 in the film Casablanca. It was sung by Sam (Dooley Wilson); Sam's piano accompaniment was played by the pianist Elliot Carpenter.[5] The song is heard throughout the film as a leitmotif.[6] Wilson was unable to record his version of the song at the time due to the 1942–44 musicians' strike, so Brunswick reissued the Jacques Renard 1931 recording, and RCA Victor re-issued Vallée's 1931 recording, giving Vallée a number-one hit in 1942.[7][8]

Hupfeld lived his whole life in Montclair, New Jersey, and was a regular customer at the Robin Hood Inn, a tavern built in 1922 on Valley Road, then part of Upper Montclair. He spent many hours at the piano and wrote several of his songs in this tavern, now the Valley Regency. A plaque on the second floor of the Valley Regency Catering Facility in Clifton, New Jersey, commemorates the song. He wrote over one hundred songs, including "Let's Put Out the Lights and Go to Sleep," and the popular Great Depression song "Are You Making Any Money?"[9]

Composition and lyrics[]

The original song in the film as sung and played by "Sam" was recorded in D-flat major, but it has since been played in several keys, commonly C major, but also B-flat major, as in Frank Sinatra's recording, and other keys including A major, F major (as in the 1998 Warner Bros. Pictures logo), and E-flat major, the key in which the song was originally published (and currently used in the 2021 Warner Bros. Pictures logo, composed by Ludwig Göransson).

In Casablanca, Wilson sings the chorus ("You must remember this..."), but does not sing the verse ("This day and age we're living in..."). The omitted lines refer to Albert Einstein.[10][11][12] [13]

Lyrics[]

You must remember this
A kiss is still a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by

And when two lovers woo
They still say "I love you"
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by

Moonlight and love songs
Are never out of date
Hearts full of passion
Jealousy and hate

Woman needs man
And man must have his mate
That no one can deny

It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by

Moonlight and love songs
Are never out of date
Hearts full of passion
Jealousy and hate

Woman needs man
And man must have his mate
That no one can deny

It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by

You must remember this
A kiss is still a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by

And when two lovers woo
They still say "I love you"
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by

Moonlight and love songs
Never out of date
Hearts full of passion
Jealousy and hate

Woman needs man
And man must have his mate
That no one can deny

It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by

But it's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by

You better believe it
When I tell you that I mean it
Of all of these gin joints
And you had you to walk into mine

Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh

You played it for him
Now you've got to play it for me
Play it, Stevie

As time goes by

Audio samples[]

Gallery[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. "AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs". Retrieved on October 6, 2010.
  2. NPR's 100. Archived from the original on December 24, 2009. Retrieved on December 30, 2009.
  3. (June 27, 2013) The Psychology of Music in Multimedia. ISBN 0199608156. 
  4. (1993) Continuities in Popular Culture: The Present in the Past & the Past in the Present and Future. ISBN 9780879725938. 
  5. Buhler, James (2000). Music and cinema. Wesleyan University Press, page 174. ISBN 978-0-8195-6411-5. 
  6. Zinsser, William (2000). Easy to Remember: The Great American Songwriters and Their Songs. Jaffrey, New Hampshire: David R. Godine, page 165. ISBN 978-1-56792-325-4. 
  7. Jasen, David A. (2003). Tin Pan Alley: an encyclopedia of the golden age of American song. New York: Taylor & Francis, page 216. ISBN 978-0-415-93877-8. 
  8. Gilliland, John (1994). Pop Chronicles the 40s: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40s. ISBN 978-1-55935-147-8.  Tape 1, side A.
  9. Hall, Roger (2015). A Guide to Film Music: Songs and Scores. PineTree Press, 6th edition, page 23. 
  10. Wayne, Randy (November 20, 2015). "As Time Goes By and Albert Einstein. Do the Fundamental Things Still Apply?". The Lansing Star. Retrieved November 23: 2015. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  11. Galison, Peter (February 12, 2015). "EMC2x: The Einstein Revolution". Retrieved on February 12, 2015.
  12. Galison, Peter (January 22, 2015). "HAREMC2XT115-V000200_100". Retrieved on February 12, 2015.
  13. "'As Time Goes By' (Binnie Hale, 1932)". YouTube.

External links[]

v - e - d
Casablanca wb logo
Media
Casablanca (1942)
Characters
Rick BlaineVictor LaszloMajor Heinrich StrasserSignor UgarteSignor Ferrari
Songs
Knock on WoodAs Time Goes By
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