My Ship is a 1941 song by Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin written for the Broadway musical Lady in the Dark. The music, marked Andante espressivo, is described by Gershwin as sounding sweet and simple at times and mysterious and menacing at others due to Weill's orchestration. It was premiered by Gertrude Lawrence as Liza Elliott, in a psychoanalytic dream sequence in which she recalls a turn-of-the-century song. The number plays a key role in the plot but was not included in the 1944 film adaptation. Over the years it has become a jazz standard and has been covered by many artists including Miles Davis with Gil Evans on Miles Ahead and a Grammy-winning 2003 performance by Herbie Hancock on Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall. Other notable interpretations include Sarah Vaughan, June Christy, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Nancy Wilson, and Dee Dee Bridgewater. The tune remains a bridge between Broadway show tunes and jazz.
