I've Got the World on a String explained

I've Got the World on a String
Published:	1932 by Mills Music
Composer:	Harold Arlen
Lyricist:	Ted Koehler

"I've Got The World on a String" is a 1932 popular jazz song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics written by Ted Koehler. It was written for the twenty-first edition of the Cotton Club series which opened on October 23, 1932, the first of the Cotton Club Parades.^[1]

Recordings

• The song was recorded and popularized by Cab Calloway who had a #18 hit in 1932.^[2]
• Bing Crosby recorded the song on January 26, 1933, with the Dorsey Brothers and their Orchestra.^[3]
• The song was one of the first recorded by Frank Sinatra when he transferred to Capitol Records in 1953. His recording on April 30, 1953, with an orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle^[4] reached #14 on Billboard's most played list.^[5]

Other notable recordings

• Bing Crosby – (1933)
• Louis Armstrong – (1933)
• Lee Wiley – "Manhattan Lights"^[6] circa 1940
• Ralph Young, with Jack Pleis and His Orchestra (1950)
• Perry Como – So Smooth (1955)
• Frank Sinatra – This is Sinatra! (1956)
• Louis Prima – The Call of the Wildest^[7] (1957)
• Ferlin Husky - Sittin' on a Rainbow^[8] (1958/01/03)
• The Polly Bergen Show – Gordon MacRae and Polly Bergen perform the song on her NBC program (February 22, 1958)
• Jo Stafford – Jo + Jazz (1960)
• Ella Fitzgerald – Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook (1961), Ella in Hollywood (1960)
• Peggy Lee – Sugar 'n' Spice (1962)
• January Jones – Scopitone video (early 1960s)^[9]
• Sarah Vaughan – How Long Has This Been Going On? (1978)
• Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli – Duets (1993)
• Diana Krall – Only Trust Your Heart (1995)
• Barry Manilow – Manilow Sings Sinatra (1998)
• Lorrie Morgan – Secret Love (1998)
• James Darren – This One's from the Heart (1999)
• Steve Tyrell – A New Standard^[10] (1999)
• Bobby Caldwell - Come Rain or Come Shine (1999)
• Céline Dion – (2004)
• Tony Bennett with Diana Krall – (2006)
• Michael Bublé – Call Me Irresponsible (2007)
• Kermit Ruffins – Live At Vaughan's^[11] (2007)
• Rod Stewart – Fly Me to the Moon... The Great American Songbook Volume V (2010)
• Jermaine Jackson – I Wish You Love^[12] (2012)
• Dr. John – (2014)
• Tony Bennett and Diana Krall – Spotify Singles (2019)

Live performances

• A rendition by Anthony Perkins in the drama Winter Dream, a production of the live anthology TV series, Front Row Center
• Céline Dion in her Las Vegas show A New Day..., which ran from 2003 until 2007.

Notes and References

1. Web site: haroldarlen.com. haroldarlen.com. April 19, 2017.
2. Web site: I've Got the World on a String (song by Cab Calloway). Music VF, US & UK hits charts.
3. Web site: A Bing Crosby Discography. BING magazine. International Club Crosby. April 19, 2017.
4. Web site: jazzdiscography.com. jazzdiscography.com. April 19, 2017.
5. Book: Whitburn. Joel. Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. 1986. Record Research Inc. Wisconsin, USA. 0-89820-083-0. 393. registration.
6. Web site: Allmusic.com. Allmusic.com. April 18, 2017.
7. Web site: allmusic.com. allmusic.com. April 19, 2017.
8. Web site: secondhandsongs.com. secondhandsongs.com. January 17, 2023.
9. Web site: Scopitone Archive by Artist: G to L . Bob Orlowsky . Scopitone Archive . April 1, 2015.
10. Web site: allmusic.com. allmusic.com. April 19, 2017.
11. Web site: allmusic.com. allmusic.com. April 19, 2017.
12. Web site: Discogs.com. Discogs.com. April 19, 2017.