If You Are But a Dream
"If You Are But a Dream" is a popular song published in 1942 with words and music by Moe Jaffe, Jack Fulton and Nat Bonx. The melody is based on Anton Rubinstein's "Romance in E flat, Op. 44, No. 1," popularly known as "Rubinstein's Romance".
The song is most closely associated with Frank Sinatra, who recorded it first for Columbia Records in 1944, with an arrangement by Axel Stordahl. This recording was on the reverse side of a 78 rpm record with "White Christmas", and consequently did very well. A year later, in 1945, "If You Are But a Dream" was included in the Academy Award-winning short film, The House I Live In, in which Sinatra was featured.
Sinatra recorded this song again for Capitol Records in 1957, with an arrangement by Nelson Riddle. This recording was first released on the LP This Is Sinatra Volume 2 (Capitol 982). Both the Columbia and Capitol versions have subsequently been reissued on a number of CDs.
Perhaps "If You Are But a Dream" was featured most prominently in Woody Allen's 1987 film, Radio Days, which features the 1944 recording on the soundtrack.
"If You Are But a Dream" was also recorded by a number of other artists.
These include (among others):
- Brook Benton
- Sammy Davis, Jr.
- The Delta Rhythm Boys
- Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra
- Nelson Eddy
- Duke Ellington
- Robert Goulet
- Screamin' Jay Hawkins
- Etta Jones
- Mario Lanza
- Elliot Lawrence Orchestra
- Liberace
- Gerry Mulligan
- Harve Presnell
- Ray Price
- Roy Hamilton
- Della Reese
- Sonny Stitt
- Sarah Vaughan
- Teddy Wilson