I Could Write a Book is a 1940 show tune from the Rodgers and Hart musical Pal Joey, composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It was introduced by Gene Kelly and Leila Ernst and has since become a jazz standard. The song expresses a romance so rich it could fill a book, and it remains a staple of the classic Broadway repertoire.
Key facts:
- Original artist/appearance: introduced in Pal Joey by Gene Kelly and Leila Ernst (1940)
- Year of release: 1940
- Album/source: from the Pal Joey musical, with later studio cast and artist albums; Dinah Washington included a version on her 1955 album For Those in Love
- Genre: show tune, jazz standard
- Notable covers and uses: Anita O'Day, Frank D'Rone, Vince Guaraldi, Frank Sinatra, Harry Connick Jr., Dinah Washington
- Popular culture: Harry Connick Jr.'s version featured on the soundtrack of When Harry Met Sally (1989) and Deconstructing Harry (1997)
