“The Man I Love” is a song with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by his brother Ira Gershwin. It was published on 1 December 1924 by Harms, Inc. It was written as part of the 1924 score for the Gershwin musical Lady, Be Good!, but was cut from that show. It was later used in the 1927 Gershwin satire Strike Up the Band, where it appears under the titles “The Man I Love” and “The Girl I Love”. It was also considered for, and rejected from, the 1928 Ziegfeld show Rosalie. The song is in AABA form and is part of the Great American Songbook. SecondHandSongs names Adele Astaire as its original performer. An early notable performance was by the Benny Goodman Quartet at the 1938 Carnegie Hall concert. Kate Bush recorded it in 1994 for Larry Adler’s tribute album The Glory of Gershwin. The title was also used for the 1947 film noir The Man I Love, with Ida Lupino. Many artists have performed it on stage and on record.
