Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread) is a 1940 swing standard with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and music by Rube Bloom. It was introduced by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra with Ray Eberle on vocals, released May 24, 1940 after a March 31, 1940 recording at the Victor Gramercy Studio in New York. The title comes from an Alexander Pope line, and the tune was originally known as Shangrila in 1936 before Mercer added the popular lyrics. It became a wartime hit with early versions by Tony Martin, Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra, and others, and in 1963 Ricky Nelson’s recording reached number 12 on the Billboard pop chart, the highest charting version. The song has been covered by many artists and appears on numerous albums and compilations over the years, including recordings by Julie London, Count Basie, Stan Getz, Doris Day, and Etta James.
