Nancy (with the Laughing Face)
"Nancy " is a song composed in 1942 by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Phil Silvers, called, originally, "Bessie ". It was originally recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1944. Many, perhaps most, people—including, for a time, Sinatra himself—wrongly assume or assumed the song was composed specifically for Sinatra's wife or daughter, each named Nancy; the adjustment in name indeed was inspired by Sinatra's daughter.
Origin
Former broadcast executive and music historian Rick Busciglio tells the story of the song's inception as related to him by Van Heusen:Notable recordings
- Pharoah Sanders, William Henderson, Stafford James, Eccleston W. Wainwright - Welcome to Love
- Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Percy Heath, Connie Kay - Know What I Mean?
- Karrin Allyson -
- Ray Charles - Dedicated To You
- John Coltrane - Ballads
- Kurt Elling - Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman
- The Fleetwoods - Softly
- The Four Freshmen - Voices in Standards, Four Freshmen And Five Saxes/The Four Freshmen and Five Guitars
- The Johnny Mann Singers - The Songs of Sinatra
- Flip Phillips - Phillips Head
- Frank Sinatra - ''Sinatra's Sinatra''
In popular culture
- In the Sopranos episode, "Watching Too Much Television," Paulie Gualtieri returns from jail to a big welcome back party at the Bada Bing! club. Following a group toast, Silvio Dante cues up some music and "Nancy " begins to play. Paulie, lost in emotion for a few moments, finally smiles and says "my song." Bobby Bacala is seen asking Silvio "What the fuck? Why is this his song?"
- The song was a favorite of President Ronald Reagan, with Frank Sinatra singing a rendition entitled "Nancy " at his first inaugural ball in 1981.
- In the British Sitcom Fresh Fields this song is referenced by William when his mother-in-law Nancy has her portrait painted by his wife Hester.
- In the 1991 film Hear My Song, star Adrian Dunbar performs the song. It's also on the soundtrack album.