1001 Songs Challenge #69: I’ve Got You Under My Skin (1956)

On 11 February 2019 I set myself the challenging of reading 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die by Robert Dimery (ed.) and following the book’s advice to the letter. I’ve previously read 1001 Films… and started 1001 Albums… but felt 1001 Songs… would be a sensible place to start for what I have in mind here.

My challenge is to read about one song per day and listen to it (YouTube and Spotify, I need you tonight!) before sharing my own thoughts. Some songs I will love, others I’ll hate, and I’m sure there will be those that leave me perplexed but listen to them I shall.

I’ll also try, and most likely fail, to pinpoint the best song from the 1001 on offer but I’m nothing if not foolhardy. Instead of one song, I’m predicting I’ll have about 100 favourites by the end and may have to resort to a Top 10 so far to maintain any semblance of sanity.

So long as I post everyday (including Christmas) then this challenge should come to an end on Wednesday 8 November 2021. Staying with the Barney Stinson theme I am hoping that the whole experience will prove to be…

Frank Sinatra – I’ve Got You Under My Skin (1956)

Continuing in the US and it is a second appearance on this list for Frank Sinatra. How many more sings will he squeeze into this 1001 list, I wonder? No sign of My Way yet. Today’s song was written by Cole Porter (him again!) and originally appeared in the musical, Born to Dance (1936). Frank Sinatra would begin singing the song in the 1940s but the version that belongs on this list comes from the 1950s when he received the backing of a band led by Nelson Riddle.

I’ve Got You Under My Skin is a well known song and the lyrics are pretty straightforward to unravel. Sinatra sings of someone who is so under his skin that they have burrowed deep into his heart and become a part of him. This isn’t some Cronenberg-esque horror but a tender lovesong. That said, Sinatra suggests in the song that he should maybe know better, that this affair might not be the best idea, yet this person he sings of affects him so much they are just too hard to resist.

I’ve Got You Under My Skin became one of Frank Sinatra’s signature songs and a popular addition to his live sets. Many artists have covered this song since Cole Porter’s original composition yet it’s Sinatra who is likely the first that springs to mind if you were to ask music lovers who sang this particular number.

Favourite songs so far:

Edith Piaf – La Vie en Rose (1946)

Elmore James – Dust My Broom (1952)

Little Richard – Tutti Frutti (1955)