55:, a handsome riverboat gambler, and the teenage Magnolia Hawks, an aspiring performer and daughter of the show boat captain, soon after their meeting in Act I. It reveals that they are smitten with each other almost immediately upon meeting and sets the tone for the contrasts between the ideal “make believe” world of the young lovers and the harsh realities of life that they will encounter throughout the story.
278:
In the 1951 film, instead of singing it to Kim just before he leaves, Ravenal sings it to her when he meets her for the first time after being away for several years - the exact reverse of the situation in the original show and the 1936 film version. He has finally returned and now asks her to
58:
In Act II, Ravenal sings it to his little daughter Kim, just before he deserts her and
Magnolia because of his compulsive gambling. He tells Kim to sing it whenever she is lonely and to pretend he has never been away.
755:
205:
722:
760:
105:
455:
153:
573:
313:
770:
674:
480:
750:
765:
714:
505:
405:
249:
212:
566:
261:
688:
641:
633:
625:
271:
245:
40:
745:
241:
94:
559:
142:
380:
587:
309:
305:
298:
667:
100:
27:
329:
608:
551:
253:
216:
180:
52:
85:). The song has since become a standard and been recorded by numerous musical artists.
190:
170:
166:
739:
122:
78:
603:
225:
221:
200:
67:
63:
681:
582:
266:
237:
148:
138:
128:
82:
36:
355:
706:
160:
112:
31:
23:
430:
257:
555:
530:
51:
In the show, it is first sung as a duet by the characters
70:. It was not performed in the 1929 part-talkie film of
145:- from the 1946 cast recording of the Broadway revival.
698:
652:
617:
596:
297:
77:The first successful recording of the song was by
81:and his Orchestra on January 27, 1928 (vocal by
304:. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p.
125:recorded the song at his home in Bel Air (1960)
16:Jerome Kern song for stage musical "Show Boat"
567:
224:recorded on June 18, 1957 in Los Angeles for
8:
269:and Kathryn Grayson in the 1951 version of
206:The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern
574:
560:
552:
756:Songs with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
185:A Perfect Day: His Greatest Hits and More
723:André Previn and Friends Play Show Boat
288:
300:Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954
279:pretend that he has never been away.
7:
215:recorded on December 21, 1946 for
14:
535:THE ONLINE DISCOGRAPHICAL PROJECT
761:Songs with music by Jerome Kern
726:(1995 instrumental jazz album)
1:
336:. International Club Crosby
330:"A Bing Crosby Discography"
62:The song was introduced by
787:
675:Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
236:For film, it was sung by
195:The Steve Lawrence Sound
435:peggyleediscography.com
431:"Peggy Lee Discography"
296:Whitburn, Joel (1986).
262:Till the Clouds Roll By
771:Barbra Streisand songs
151:included in the album
103:recorded the song for
751:Songs from Show Boat
41:Oscar Hammerstein II
766:Frank Sinatra songs
531:"78discography.com"
248:of the musical, by
173:for the RCA album
154:Autumn in New York
143:Charles Fredericks
733:
732:
718:(1959 cast album)
256:in the 1946 Kern
133:Close to My Heart
778:
576:
569:
562:
553:
546:
545:
543:
541:
527:
521:
520:
518:
516:
502:
496:
495:
493:
491:
477:
471:
470:
468:
466:
452:
446:
445:
443:
441:
427:
421:
420:
418:
416:
402:
396:
395:
393:
391:
377:
371:
370:
368:
366:
352:
346:
345:
343:
341:
326:
320:
319:
303:
293:
232:Film appearances
101:Barbra Streisand
89:Other recordings
28:Broadway musical
786:
785:
781:
780:
779:
777:
776:
775:
736:
735:
734:
729:
710:(1927, musical)
694:
648:
613:
609:Gaylord Ravenal
592:
580:
550:
549:
539:
537:
529:
528:
524:
514:
512:
504:
503:
499:
489:
487:
479:
478:
474:
464:
462:
454:
453:
449:
439:
437:
429:
428:
424:
414:
412:
404:
403:
399:
389:
387:
379:
378:
374:
364:
362:
354:
353:
349:
339:
337:
328:
327:
323:
316:
295:
294:
290:
285:
254:Kathryn Grayson
234:
217:Mercury Records
181:Roger Whittaker
106:The Third Album
91:
53:Gaylord Ravenal
49:
17:
12:
11:
5:
784:
782:
774:
773:
768:
763:
758:
753:
748:
738:
737:
731:
730:
728:
727:
719:
711:
702:
700:
696:
695:
693:
692:
689:After the Ball
685:
678:
671:
664:
656:
654:
650:
649:
647:
646:
638:
630:
621:
619:
615:
614:
612:
611:
606:
600:
598:
594:
593:
581:
579:
578:
571:
564:
556:
548:
547:
522:
497:
472:
447:
422:
406:"allmusic.com"
397:
372:
356:"45worlds.com"
347:
321:
314:
287:
286:
284:
281:
233:
230:
229:
228:
219:
210:
203:for the album
198:
193:for the album
191:Steve Lawrence
188:
183:for the album
178:
171:Patrice Munsel
167:Robert Merrill
164:
158:
146:
136:
131:for the album
126:
120:
115:for the album
110:
98:
90:
87:
48:
45:
39:and lyrics by
35:with music by
26:from the 1927
20:"Make Believe"
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
783:
772:
769:
767:
764:
762:
759:
757:
754:
752:
749:
747:
744:
743:
741:
725:
724:
720:
717:
716:
712:
709:
708:
704:
703:
701:
697:
690:
686:
683:
679:
676:
672:
669:
668:Ol' Man River
665:
662:
658:
657:
655:
651:
644:
643:
639:
636:
635:
631:
628:
627:
623:
622:
620:
616:
610:
607:
605:
602:
601:
599:
595:
590:
589:
584:
577:
572:
570:
565:
563:
558:
557:
554:
536:
532:
526:
523:
511:
507:
506:"Discogs.com"
501:
498:
486:
482:
481:"Discogs.com"
476:
473:
461:
457:
456:"Discogs.com"
451:
448:
436:
432:
426:
423:
411:
407:
401:
398:
386:
382:
381:"Discogs.com"
376:
373:
361:
357:
351:
348:
335:
334:BING magazine
331:
325:
322:
317:
315:0-89820-083-0
311:
307:
302:
301:
292:
289:
282:
280:
276:
274:
273:
268:
264:
263:
259:
255:
251:
247:
243:
239:
231:
227:
223:
220:
218:
214:
211:
208:
207:
202:
199:
196:
192:
189:
186:
182:
179:
176:
172:
168:
165:
162:
159:
156:
155:
150:
147:
144:
140:
137:
134:
130:
127:
124:
123:Elvis Presley
121:
118:
114:
111:
108:
107:
102:
99:
96:
93:
92:
88:
86:
84:
80:
79:Paul Whiteman
75:
73:
69:
65:
60:
56:
54:
46:
44:
42:
38:
34:
33:
29:
25:
21:
721:
713:
705:
661:Make Believe
660:
640:
632:
624:
604:Julie Dozier
586:
538:. Retrieved
534:
525:
513:. Retrieved
509:
500:
488:. Retrieved
484:
475:
463:. Retrieved
459:
450:
438:. Retrieved
434:
425:
413:. Retrieved
410:allmusic.com
409:
400:
388:. Retrieved
384:
375:
363:. Retrieved
360:45worlds.com
359:
350:
338:. Retrieved
333:
324:
299:
291:
277:
270:
260:
246:1936 version
235:
226:Atco Records
222:Young Jessie
204:
201:Tony Bennett
194:
184:
174:
152:
132:
116:
104:
76:
71:
68:Howard Marsh
64:Norma Terris
61:
57:
50:
30:
19:
18:
583:Edna Ferber
510:Discogs.com
485:Discogs.com
460:Discogs.com
385:Discogs.com
267:Howard Keel
250:Tony Martin
242:Allan Jones
238:Irene Dunne
213:Tony Martin
149:Jo Stafford
139:Jan Clayton
129:Howard Keel
95:Allan Jones
83:Bing Crosby
37:Jerome Kern
746:1927 songs
740:Categories
597:Characters
283:References
265:, and by
117:My Gal Sal
47:Background
715:Show Boat
707:Show Boat
642:Show Boat
634:Show Boat
626:Show Boat
588:Show Boat
465:April 30,
340:April 30,
272:Show Boat
175:Show Boat
161:Peggy Lee
113:Burl Ives
72:Show Boat
32:Show Boat
24:show tune
244:in the
645:(1951)
637:(1936)
629:(1929)
591:(1926)
540:May 1,
515:May 1,
490:May 1,
440:May 1,
415:May 1,
390:May 1,
365:May 1,
312:
258:biopic
209:(2015)
197:(1960)
187:(1996)
177:(1956)
169:&
163:(1964)
157:(1950)
141:&
135:(1990)
119:(1964)
109:(1964)
97:(1941)
699:Other
653:Music
22:is a
682:Bill
618:Film
542:2017
517:2017
492:2017
467:2017
442:2017
417:2017
392:2017
367:2017
342:2017
310:ISBN
252:and
240:and
66:and
585:'s
306:450
742::
533:.
508:.
483:.
458:.
433:.
408:.
383:.
358:.
332:.
308:.
275:.
74:.
43:.
691:"
687:"
684:"
680:"
677:"
673:"
670:"
666:"
663:"
659:"
575:e
568:t
561:v
544:.
519:.
494:.
469:.
444:.
419:.
394:.
369:.
344:.
318:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.