It's De-Lovely
Ray Anthony · Other Songs - Ray Anthony
The night is young, the skies are clear
So if you want to go walking, dear,
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely.
I understand the reason why
You're sentimental, 'cause so am I,
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely.
You can tell at a glance
What a swell night this is for romance,
You can hear dear Mother Nature
Murmuring low,
"Let yourself go!"
So please be sweet, my chickadee,
And when I kiss you, just say to me,
"It's delightful, it's delicious,
It's delectable, it's delirious,
It's dilemma, it's delimit, it's deluxe,
It's de-lovely".
I feel a sudden urge to sing
The kind of ditty that invokes the spring.
I'll control my desire to curse
While you crucify the verse.
This verse I started seems to me
The Tin-Pantithesis of a melody
So spare us all the pain,
Just skip the darn thing and sing the refrain
Mi, mi, mi, mi,
Re, re, re, re,
Do, sol, mi, do, la, si.
The night is young, the skies are clear
So if you want to go walking, dear,
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely.
I understand the reason why
You're sentimental, 'cause so am I,
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely.
You can tell at a glance
What a swell night this is for romance,
You can hear dear Mother Nature
Murmuring low,
"Let yourself go!"
So please be sweet, my chickadee,
And when I kiss you, just say to me,
"It's delightful, it's delicious,
It's, it's de-lovely".
So if you want to go walking, dear,
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely.
I understand the reason why
You're sentimental, 'cause so am I,
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely.
You can tell at a glance
What a swell night this is for romance,
You can hear dear Mother Nature
Murmuring low,
"Let yourself go!"
So please be sweet, my chickadee,
And when I kiss you, just say to me,
"It's delightful, it's delicious,
It's delectable, it's delirious,
It's dilemma, it's delimit, it's deluxe,
It's de-lovely".
I feel a sudden urge to sing
The kind of ditty that invokes the spring.
I'll control my desire to curse
While you crucify the verse.
This verse I started seems to me
The Tin-Pantithesis of a melody
So spare us all the pain,
Just skip the darn thing and sing the refrain
Mi, mi, mi, mi,
Re, re, re, re,
Do, sol, mi, do, la, si.
The night is young, the skies are clear
So if you want to go walking, dear,
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely.
I understand the reason why
You're sentimental, 'cause so am I,
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely.
You can tell at a glance
What a swell night this is for romance,
You can hear dear Mother Nature
Murmuring low,
"Let yourself go!"
So please be sweet, my chickadee,
And when I kiss you, just say to me,
"It's delightful, it's delicious,
It's, it's de-lovely".
It's De-Lovely
Ray Anthony's "It's De-Lovely" stands as a quintessential example of the swing era's romantic ballad style, blending smooth trombone melodies with a polished big band arrangement. Recorded during the height of his career in the 1950s, the track exemplifies the "sweet and light" sound that defined the Ray Anthony Orchestra, characterized by intricate brass sections and a gentle, driving rhythm section. As one of his most enduring recordings, it captures the sophisticated, uptempo romance typical of the period, serving as a staple in the swing repertoire and a testament to the ensemble's technical precision and melodic sensibility.

