Willow Weep for Me is a popular song and jazz standard with words and music by Ann Ronell, composed in 1932. Ronell was inspired by the willow trees at Radcliffe College. The song is in AABA form in 4/4, although later jazz players occasionally adapted it to 3/4 waltz time. It was dedicated to George Gershwin, and its publisher, Saul Bornstein, passed it to Irving Berlin. Its unusual construction and an implied tempo change in bar 5 slowed its acceptance at first.
The original recordings were made in October and December 1932: Ted Fio Rito and His Orchestra, with a vocal by Muzzy Marcellino for Brunswick, and Paul Whiteman, with a vocal by Irene Taylor, for RCA Victor. Both were hits. Later versions that drew attention include those by Stan Kenton with June Christy (1946), Art Tatum (1949), Billie Holiday (1956), Sarah Vaughan (1957), Frank Sinatra (1958) and Chad & Jeremy (1964), whose recording was a major hit.
