Manhattan is a classic American pop tune with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It debuted in the 1925 Broadway revue Garrick Gaieties, with Sterling Holloway performing the original number. The song tells the lighthearted story of a poor young couple dreaming of enjoying Manhattan and its simple, free pleasures, from Delancey Street to Central Park, while playfully poking at the city’s quirks. It was published in 1925 by Edward B. Marks Music Co and has since become a staple of the Great American Songbook. A notable early recording is Lee Wiley’s 1950 album Night in Manhattan, and many others have followed, including Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Bing Crosby, the Supremes, Rod Stewart with Bette Midler, and more, with the tune appearing in films such as Words and Music (1948) and All About Eve (1950).
