"Down in the Depths (on the Ninetieth Floor)" is a torch song written by Cole Porter, for his 1936 musical Red, Hot and Blue, in which it was introduced by Ethel Merman.[1] The lyric scheme juxtaposes images of high and low. It is a lament from the point of view of a rich woman in a penthouse apartment higher than any building but the Empire State Building, who looks down on the busy city life below her but nevertheless feels she is at the lowest and poorest point of her life because she is lonely.[2] Porter's melody is musically intertwined with the lyric scheme in a similar manner to his song "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye."
The song was a late edition to the show only being added during the Boston tryout.[3]
down, depths, ninetieth, floor, down, depths, ninetieth, floor, torch, song, written, cole, porter, 1936, musical, blue, which, introduced, ethel, merman, lyric, scheme, juxtaposes, images, high, lament, from, point, view, rich, woman, penthouse, apartment, hi. Down in the Depths on the Ninetieth Floor is a torch song written by Cole Porter for his 1936 musical Red Hot and Blue in which it was introduced by Ethel Merman 1 The lyric scheme juxtaposes images of high and low It is a lament from the point of view of a rich woman in a penthouse apartment higher than any building but the Empire State Building who looks down on the busy city life below her but nevertheless feels she is at the lowest and poorest point of her life because she is lonely 2 Porter s melody is musically intertwined with the lyric scheme in a similar manner to his song Ev ry Time We Say Goodbye The song was a late edition to the show only being added during the Boston tryout 3 In Mart Crowley s play The Boys in the Band one of the gay characters refers to the song as the gay national anthem Notable recordings editJohnny Hartman Songs from the Heart 1955 Ella Fitzgerald Ella Loves Cole 1972 Newport Jazz Festival Live at Carnegie Hall 1973 Sylvia Syms Songs By Sylvia Syms 1952 4 Tony Bennett included the song in his album Here s to the Ladies 1995 Lisa Stansfield recorded Down in the Depths for Red Hot Blue a 1990 Cole Porter tribute album in aid of HIV AIDS awareness References edit Internet Broadway Database ibdb com Retrieved June 22 2020 Lasser Michael 2013 Routledge New York Routledge p 143 ISBN 9780415810081 Porter Cole 2019 The Letters of Cole Porter Yale New Haven Connecticut Yale University Press p 140 ISBN 9780300219272 Discogs com Discogs com Retrieved May 3 2020 nbsp This pop standards related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte nbsp This show tune related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Down in the Depths On the Ninetieth Floor amp oldid 1209335083, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
