"My Foolish Heart" is a popular

song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

and

jazz standard Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive List ...

that was published in

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025 * January 2 – Luis ...

. In the UK, the song reached No. 1 in the chart based on sales of sheet music, staying at the top spot for 11 weeks in 1950.

Overview

The music was composed by

Victor Young Albert Victor Young (August 8, 1899– November 10, 1956)"Victor Young, Composer, Dies of Heart Attack", ''Oakland Tribune'', November 12, 1956. was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. Young was posthumously awarded the ...

, and the lyric was written by

Ned Washington Ned Washington (born Edward Michael Washington, August 15, 1901 – December 20, 1976) was an American lyricist born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Life and career Washington was nominated for eleven Academy Awards from 1940 to 1962. He won the Be ...

. The song was introduced by the singer Martha Mears in the 1949 film of the same name. The song failed to escape critics' general laceration of the film. ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' wrote in its review that "nothing offsets the blight of such tear-splashed excesses as the bloop-bleep-bloop of a sentimental ballad on the sound track." Nevertheless, the song was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the Film industry, motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who h ...

in 1949 but lost out to "

Baby, It's Cold Outside "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is a popular song written by Frank Loesser in 1944 and popularized in the 1949 film '' Neptune's Daughter''. While the lyrics make no mention of a holiday, it is commonly regarded as a Christmas song owing to its winter ...

" by

Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser ( "lesser"; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls (musical), Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business ...

Cover versions

* The song was also a popular success, with two recordings of the song listed among the top 30 on the ''Billboard'' charts in 1950. Gordon Jenkins's recording of "My Foolish Heart", Sandy Evans, vocal, reached the Top Ten on the charts. However,

Billy Eckstine William Clarence Eckstine (July 8, 1914 – March 8, 1993) was an American jazz and pop singer and a bandleader during the swing and bebop eras. He was noted for his rich, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. In 2019, Eckstine was posthumously a ...

's version became a million-seller, spending 19 weeks on the charts and peaking at number 6. Other successful versions in 1950 were by Mindy Carson,

Margaret Whiting Margaret Eleanor Whiting (July 22, 1924 – January 10, 2011) was an American singer of popular music who gained popularity in the 1940s and 1950s.Mapes, Jillian.Margaret Whiting, Iconic Standards Singer, Dies at 86. ''Billboard'', January 12, ...

, Richard Hayes and by Hugo Winterhalter. *A contemporary British cover by Steve Conway was released on

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

. *

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

debuted his version on radio on ''

The Bing Crosby – Chesterfield Show ''The Bing Crosby Show for Chesterfield'' was a 30-minute musical variety old-time radio program starring entertainer Bing Crosby. The series ran on CBS Radio from 1949–1952. The series was sponsored by Chesterfield cigarettes and was usual ...

'', broadcast Wednesday March 8, 1950. * The Demensions charted with an orchestral sophisticated doo-wop version in 1963 at #95, featuring the blended harmonies of Lenny Dell, Phil Del Giudice, Howie Margolin, and Marisa Martelli, in a unique arrangement with an added introductory stanza, directed by Henry Jerome, released on the Coral Records label. * '' The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album'' (1975) *

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (February 10, 1937 – February 24, 2025) was an American singer and pianist known for her emotive, genre-blending ballads that spanned R&B, jazz, Folk music, folk, and pop and contributed to the birth of the quiet storm ...

on her 1991 album '' Set the Night to Music'', issued as the A-side and B-side#B-side to the single " You Make Me Feel Brand New" * Susannah McCorkle on her 1992 album ''I'll Take Romance'' * Kurt Elling on his 1998 album ''This Time It's Love''

References

External links

"My Foolish Heart"
- Lead sheet at wikifonia.org {{authority control Real Book Song Songs with music by Victor Young Songs with lyrics by Ned Washington Songs written for films 1949 songs 1940s jazz standards