My Foolish Heart

"My Foolish Heart" is a popular song that was published in 1949.

The music was written by Victor Young and the lyrics by Ned Washington. The song was introduced by the singer Martha Mears in the 1949 film of the same name. The song failed to escape critics' general laceration of the film. Time wrote in its review that "nothing offsets the blight of such tear-splashed excesses as the bloop-bleep-bloop of a sentimental ballad on the sound track." Nevertheless, the song was nominated for an Oscar, losing out to "Baby, It's Cold Outside" by Frank Loesser.

The song was also a popular success, with two recordings of the song listed among the top 30 on the Billboard charts in 1950. Gordon Jenkins's recording of "My Foolish Heart", Sandy Evans, vocal, reached the top ten on the charts. However, Billy Eckstine's version became a million seller, spending 19 weeks on the charts and peaking at number six.

Allan Jones w. orchestra cond. by Frank Cordell recorded it in London on July 14, 1950. It was released by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalog numbers B 9948 and IP 607.

Later recordings were made of this standard by numerous artists, including Bill Evans, Dion & The Belmonts, Joe Williams with George Shearing, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Carmen McRae, Elkie Brooks, Astrud Gilberto, Mel Tormé and Oscar Peterson with Nelson Riddle. More recently, "My Foolish Heart" has been covered by pianists Liz Story and Keith Jarrett, guitarists John McLaughlin and John Abercrombie, Charlie Haden's Quartet West, singers Kurt Elling, Al Jarreau, Cris Barber, Jane Monheit and Ann Hampton Callaway, a capella quartet The Idea of North, and the Ska band "The Positive Downside." In 1963, the song made the top 100 in a doo-wop version by the Demensions.

In 2004, the song was featured in "The Body in the Library," an episode of the television series Marple.

In 2008, contemporary jazz guitarist Thom Rotella covered the song from his album "Out of the Blues."