"Nancy (with the Laughing Face)" is a song composed in 1942 by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Phil Silvers, called, originally, "Bessie (With The Laughing Face)". It was originally recorded by

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

in 1944. Many, perhaps most, people—including, for a time, Sinatra himself—wrongly assume or assumed the song was composed specifically for Sinatra's wife or daughter, each named Nancy; the adjustment in name indeed was inspired by Sinatra's daughter.

Origin

Former broadcast executive and music historian Rick Busciglio tells the story of the song's inception as related to him by Van Heusen:

Notable recordings

* Pharoah Sanders, William Henderson, Stafford James, Eccleston W. Wainwright - '' Welcome to Love'' (1991) *

Cannonball Adderley Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley (September 15, 1928August 8, 1975) was an American jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist of the hard bop era of the 1950s and 1960s. Adderley is perhaps best remembered by the general public for the 1966 soul ...

, Bill Evans, Percy Heath, Connie Kay - '' Know What I Mean?'' (1961) * Karrin Allyson -
Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane
' (2001) *

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

- '' Perfectly Frank'' (1992) * Corry Brokken - ''Voor Nancy'' (1971) * Ray Charles - '' Dedicated To You'' (1961) *

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

- '' Ballads'' (1962) * Kurt Elling - '' Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman'' (2009) * The Fleetwoods - ''Softly'' (1961) * The Four Freshmen - ''Voices in Standards'' (1996), ''Four Freshmen And Five Saxes/ The Four Freshmen and Five Guitars'' (1998) *

Grant Green Grant Green (June 6, 1935 – January 31, 1979) was an American jazz guitarist and composer. Green has been called one of the "most sampled guitarists." Biography Grant Green was born on June 6, 1935, in St. Louis, Missouri, to John and ...

- '' The Complete Quartets with Sonny Clark'' (1962) * The Johnny Mann Singers - ''The Songs of Sinatra'' (1962) * Flip Phillips - ''Phillips Head'' (1975) *

- '' Sinatra's Sinatra'' (1963) *

Ben Webster Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor Saxophone, saxophonist. He performed in the United States and Europe and made many recordings with Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Johnny Hodges, a ...

- '' The Warm Moods'' (1961) * Paul Desmond - ‘’ The Paul Desmond Quartet- Live’’ (1975) *

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. As a virtuoso who is considered to be one of the greatest Jazz piano, jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordin ...

- Nigerian Marketplace (1981) * Mark Tremonti - '' Mark Tremonti sings Sinatra'' (2022) * Ike Quebec – '' Easy Living'' (1987, recorded 1962)

In popular culture

* In the '' Sopranos'' episode, "Watching Too Much Television," Paulie Gualtieri returns from jail to a big welcome back party at the Bada Bing! club. Following a group toast, Silvio Dante cues up some music and "Nancy (with the Laughing Face)" begins to play. Paulie, lost in emotion for a few moments, finally smiles and says "my song." Bobby Bacala is seen asking Silvio "What the fuck? Why is this his song?" * An episode of '' The Commish'' entitled "Nancy with the Laughing Face" features a guest character named Nancy who is played by Wendie Malick. It aired in October 1994 as part of the fourth season. * In a 1973 episode of ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'', '' The Green Death'', a member of the environmental activists group the Wholeweal community is referred to by its leader Clifford Jones as "Nancy with the Laughing Face" to Jo Grant during her visit to the community's hub, the "Nuthutch". * The Season 5 episode “A House Full of Extremely Lame Horses” of '' The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'' features the character Danny Stevens (played by Hank Azaria) performing the song at the end of the episode. * The song was a favorite of President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

(whose wife was named Nancy), with

singing a rendition entitled "Nancy (with the Reagan Face)" at his first inaugural ball in 1981. *In the British Sitcom ''Fresh Fields'' this song is referenced by William when his mother-in-law Nancy has her portrait painted by his wife Hester. *In the 1991 film '' Hear My Song'', star (and screenplay co-writer) Adrian Dunbar performs the song. It's also on the soundtrack album.

References

External links

* from lecture "Confessions of An Ad Man," by Rick Busciglio telling the story of the creation of the song. {{authority control 1944 songs Songs with lyrics by Phil Silvers Songs with music by Jimmy Van Heusen Frank Sinatra songs Ray Charles songs The Fleetwoods songs Tony Bennett songs 1940s jazz standards