I've Heard That Song Before Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn, Helen Forrest, Harry James (#1 in 1943)

It seems to me I've heard that song before;
It's from an old familiar score;
I know it well that melody.

It's funny how a theme recalls a favorite dream,
A dream that brought you so close to me.

I know each word, Because I've heard that song before;
The lyric said "Forevermore";
Forevermore's a memory.
Please have them play it again,






By 1940, Jule Styne had been a vocal arranger and singing coach at 20th Century Fox for some time.  Tiring of his routine and confident that he could write songs with the best of them, he approached Darryl Zanuck, the head of the vast studio.  Just at that time, however, Zanuck had announced a halt on musicals.  After fulfilling his Fox contract by going on the road as coach and accompanist with actress Constance Bennett, Styne signed on with Republic Studios, known primarly for "oaters" staring Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and other Western heroes.  But sometimes the company turned out cheap musicals such as the 1942  film Youth On Parade which Jule was assigned to write with a man he had never met, a struggling young lyricist named Sammy Cahn.  When the two were introduced, Styne was busy plucking out a melody.  Years later, Sammy recounted that the first sentence he uttered to the sensitive composer almost ended their association before it began.  What he said was "It seems to me I've heard that song before."  Well, the mere suggestion of plagiarism is enough to incite the mildest-mannered songwriter to riot, and Styne exploded.  It took Sammy some time to explain that he meant that the last five words of his sentence should be the title of the tune that Jule was working on.  It was the beginning of a beautiful - and most profitable - friendship.