Born On This Day- November 18th- Songwriter Johnny Mercer

101 years ago today, Johnny Mercer was born in Savannah, Ga., & he grew up to be one of the most popular lyricists of the American Songbook. He was decidedly, not gay, but Johnny Mercer is one my favorite lyricist. He wrote witty, smart, insightful lyrics. Mercer wrote the words, & sometimes the music, for more than 1,500 songs, with more than 200 collaborators, among them composers Harold Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael & Jerome Kern. He was nominated for 18 Academy Awards & won 4. He was the 1st president of the Songwriters Hall Of Fame & the founder of Capitol Records. Mercer was a charming & talented man & a favorite of mine. Here are some of the songs that he supplied the words for: Hit The Road To Dream Land, Blues In The Night, Skylark, One For My Baby, Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive, Dream, Come Rain Or Come Shine, Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home, Autumn Leaves, Something’s Gotta Give, & Moon River.

Check out the lyrics to the most perfect saloon song of all time:

It's quarter to three, there's no one in the place except you & me

So, set 'em up, Joe, I got a little story you oughta know

We're drinkin', my friend, to the end of a brief episode

Make it one for my baby & one more for the road

I got the routine, so drop another nickel in the music machine

I'm feelin' so bad, wish you'd make the music pretty & sad

Could tell you a lot, but you've got to be true to your code

So, make it one for my baby & one more for the road

You'd never know it but buddy, I'm a kind of poet

& I got a lot of things to say

& when I'm gloomy, you simply gotta listen to me

Till it's all talked away

Well that's how it goes & Joe... I know your gettin' pretty anxious to close

So, thanks for the cheer, I hope you didn't mind my bendin' your ear

This torch that I found must be drowned or it soon might explode

So, make it one for my baby and one more for the road

That long, long road