Don't Worry 'Bout Me

By Rube Bloom & Ted Koehler
1938

Filled with controlled longing, this melancholy tune by Bloom and long-time Harold Arlen collaborator Koehler is a complex piece that captures the feel of a loving relationship amicably ended. It was written for the Cotton Club Parade show of 1939, in which Cab Calloway introduced it. Bloom was also the composer of such equally thrilling hits as "Day In, Day Out" and "Fools Rush In".

Lyrics:

Don't worry 'bout me,
I'll get along.
Forget about me--
Be happy, my love.

Just say that our little show is over,
And so the story ends.
Why not call it a day,
The sensible way
And still be friends?

"Look out for yourself"
Should be the rule.
Give your heart and your love
To whomever you love--
Don't you be a fool.

Baby, why stop and cling
To some fading thing
That used to be?
If you can't forget,
Don't you worry 'bout me.

[Ladies and gentlemen, that is a lyric.]

Recorded By:

Frank Sinatra
Ella Fitzgerald
Billie Holiday
Hal Kemp
Joe Williams