"All of Me" is a popular song and jazz standard with music by Gerald Marks and lyrics by Seymour Simons, published in 1931 by Irving Berlin, Inc. Belle Baker's radio broadcast first brought it to public attention that year. The original recording, made on 1 December 1931 by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra with a vocal refrain by Mildred Bailey, reached the top of the US pop charts, and a Louis Armstrong rendition also reached No. 1 within weeks. The original was issued as a 78 rpm single rather than on an album, and the song appeared in the 1932 film Careless Lady.
The song has an ABAC form, and its 20-bar introductory verse is usually omitted. It is usually performed at a medium tempo. The melody combines despair in its downward opening phrases with a jubilant close on repeated high notes. Critic Ted Gioia considers Billie Holiday's 1941 recording the definitive version, saying she staked a claim of ownership no one has dislodged. Later versions include recordings by Frank Sinatra, Willie Nelson, Tony Bennett and Michael Buble. The harmony served as the basis for Lennie Tristano's "Line Up", Warne Marsh's "Background Music" and Bill Dobbins's "Lo Flame". The song received the Towering Song Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000.
