Yours Is My Heart Alone is a German aria from Franz Lehár's 1929 operetta The Land of Smiles (Das Land des Lächelns). Sung by the character Prince Sou-Chong in Act 2, the tune was composed by Lehár with librettists Fritz Löhner-Beda and Ludwig Herzer and soon became a tenor showpiece, especially after Richard Tauber helped popularize it. It was released in 1929 on Tauber’s Parlophone recording RO20107, and an English version with lyrics by Harry B. Smith helped it reach the English speaking world after Tauber’s London emigration in 1938. An Italian version, Tu che m'hai preso il cuor, has been performed by Di Stefano, Del Monaco and Pavarotti. The music is in D-flat major and traces its origins to parts written as early as 1923 when the operetta premiered under the title Die gelbe Jacke. Often regarded as Lehár’s most famous single, it has since become a staple of light classical and popular tenor repertoire, covered by jazz, swing, big bands and pop artists. The lyrics express a devoted longing for a beloved who is described as the heart’s delight and the guiding light of the singer’s life.
