Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is an American popular song from 1931 with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Ted Koehler. It was written for the Cotton Club revue Rhythm-Mania and first recorded and released by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra in October 1931. The tune quickly became a swing and jazz standard with early hits by Cab Calloway (1931), Louis Armstrong (1932) and the Boswell Sisters (1932). Over the years it has been covered by many artists across genres, including Ella Fitzgerald (1955), Blossom Dearie (1958), Thelonious Monk (1967) and George Harrison who included a version on Brainwashed (2002). It has appeared in films such as Sing, Bing, Sing (1933), They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) and City Heat (1984). The title phrase expresses a difficult choice, and the song remains a widely recorded Tin Pan Alley pop standard closely associated with the swing era.
