September Song

"September Song" is an American pop standard song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Maxwell Anderson, introduced by Walter Huston in the 1938 Broadway musical production Knickerbocker Holiday. After being used in the 1950 film September Affair, the song has since been recorded by numerous singers and instrumentalists. It was also used during screen credits in the British television series May to December, the name of which quotes the opening line of the song.

The song originated from Walter Huston's request that he should have one solo song in Knickerbocker Holiday, if he was to play the role of the aged dictator Peter Stuyvesant. Anderson and Weill wrote the song specifically for Huston's gruff voice and limited vocal range, in a couple of hours.

Knickerbocker Holiday was roughly based on Washington Irving's "Father Knickerbocker's History of New York," set in New Amsterdam in 1647. It is a political allegory criticizing the policies of the New Deal through the portrayal of a semi–fascist government of New Amsterdam, with a corrupt governor and councilmen. It also involves a love triangle with a young woman forced to marry the governor Peter Stuyvesant while loving another. The musical closed in April 1939 after a six-month run.

"September Song" was recorded by Bing Crosby in 1943, and later by Frank Sinatra in 1946. After Huston's version was used in the 1950 film September Affair, and reached number one on the pop music chart (see below), the song quickly became established as a modern standard, and was later recorded by a number of other artists.

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