If You Were the Only Girl (In the World)

"If You Were the Only Girl (In the World)" is a popular song written by Nat D. Ayer with lyrics by Clifford Grey. It was written for the musical revue The Bing Boys Are Here, which premièred on 19 April 1916 at the Alhambra Theatre in Leicester Square, London. The song was originally performed as a duet between Lucius Bing, played by George Robey, and his love interest Emma, originated by Violet Loraine.[1]

This article is about the song. For the Upstairs, Downstairs episode, see If You Were the Only Girl in the World.

The song was published in 1916 by B. Feldman & Co. and republished in 1946. It has become a standard, recorded by many artists. In Aldous Huxley's, The Genius and the Goddess, there is a comment about this "'disgusting' song and how it comes again after a (war) slaughter..."[2]

Notable recordings

The first recording, 'the original cast recording', by the first performers to sing this song, George Robey and Violet Loraine, was released on a 78rpm disc and became a hit. It was a popular recording during World War I, played in war zones as well as 'at home'.

Film and television appearances

Actor-singer Rudy Vallee sang it in the 1929 film The Vagabond Lover, with the beat changed from a foxtrot to a waltz.

Soldiers on a train are also heard singing this song in the 1942 Noël Coward film, In Which We Serve.

The song was sung by soldiers during a concert in the 1944 war drama, The Way Ahead.

The song is performed at the entertainment evening in the 1957 film, The Bridge on the River Kwai, set during World War II.

The song was incorporated into the score of the 1959 television version of the musical Meet Me in St. Louis, and sung by Tab Hunter and Jane Powell.

David Abraham sings a line of this song in the movie Kotwal Saab (1977) to celebrate the news of marriage between his two paying guests.

The song was heard in the 2000 episode "Pardon My Past" of the television show Charmed.

The song was sung by a honeymooning couple in The Duchess of Duke Street, Series 2, Episode 8.

The song was sung for wounded British soldiers by the characters Lady Mary Crawley and Matthew Crawley (played by Michelle Dockery and Dan Stevens, respectively) in Series 2, Episode 4 of Downton Abbey, set in 1918 and broadcast in 2011. It was sung, ahistorically, in waltz (¾) time.

The song is played as a solo piano instrumental by the character Malcolm Hamilton in the BBC Scotland soap, River City, at the end of the 3 July 2012 episode.

Lyrics

Sometimes when I feel bad
and things look blue
I wish a pal I had... say one like you.
Someone within my heart to build her throne
Someone who'd never part, to call my own

If you were the only girl in the world
and I were the only boy
Nothing else would matter in the world today
We could go on loving in the same old way

A garden of Eden just made for two
With nothing to mar our joy
I would say such wonderful things to you
There would be such wonderful things to do
If you were the only girl in the world
and I were the only boy.

No-one I'll ever care for dear... but you.
No-one I'll fancy, therefore love me do.
Your eyes have set me dreaming all night long…
Your eyes have set me scheming, right or wrong

If you were the only girl in the world
and I were the only boy
Nothing else would matter in the world today
We could go on loving in the same old way

A garden of Eden just made for two
With nothing to mar our joy
I would say such wonderful things to you
There would be such wonderful things to do
If you were the only girl in the world
and I were the only boy.[3]

References
  1. "If You Were the Only Girl in the World", Music of the Great War (2014), accessed January 3, 2016
  2. Huxley, Aldous (3 September 2015). The Genius and the Goddess. ISBN 9781473521773.
  3. Gilliland, John. (197X). "Pop Chronicles 1940s Program #19 - All Tracks UNT Digital Library". Digital.library.unt.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  4. "Records Most-Played on the Air". Billboard. 1946-10-26.
  5. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 98. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
  6. "Perry Como Discography". Kokomo.ca. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  7. "Peggy Lee Discography". Peggyleediscography.com. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  8. "45worlds.com". 45worlds.com. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  9. "June Hutton, Gordon MacRae, Axel Stordahl – By the Light of the Silvery Moon". Discogs.com. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  10. "Georgia Brown With Ted Heath And His Music – Sings A Little Of What You Fancy". Discogs.com. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  11. "Kathy Kirby – Kathy Kirby Sings 16 Hits From Stars And Garters". Discogs.com. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  12. Barbra Streisand Archives: Records/My Name is Barbra album, Barbra-archives.com
  13. "Frankie Vaughan – Love Hits & High Kicks". Discogs.com. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
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