But Beautiful is a 1947 jazz standard composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was published in 1947 and introduced by Bing Crosby in the Paramount Pictures film Road to Rio, making Crosby the original artist associated with the song. The tune appeared on the Road to Rio soundtrack and became a hit in 1948 for Frank Sinatra, Crosby, Margaret Whiting, and Art Lund. The original key is G major and the song follows an A-B1-A-B2 form, typically performed as a ballad. Over the years it has been recorded in many keys and by many artists, including Nat King Cole, Doris Day, Billie Holiday, Tony Bennett with Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Chick Corea, Diana Krall, Barbra Streisand, and Lady Gaga with Bennett. Notable albums include Nat King Cole's The Very Thought of You (1958), Aretha Franklin's Soft and Beautiful (1969), and a 1996 live album titled But Beautiful by Bill Evans and Stan Getz.
