Stairway to Paradise

"Stairway to Paradise", also known as "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise", is a song composed in 1922 by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin (under the name Arthur Francis) and Buddy DeSylva (under the name of B. G. De Sylva) for the Broadway revue George White's Scandals.[1][2] Popular recordings in 1922–23 were by Carl Fenton; Paul Whiteman; and by Ben Selvin.[3]

Sheet Music Cover from 1922

It was more famously performed in the 1951 American film musical An American in Paris by Georges Guétary. In An American in Paris, it was entitled "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise".

The song is heard in the 2004 Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator, being sung by Rufus Wainwright, in a scene at the Cocoanut Grove night club set in 1927.[4]

The lyrics make it clear that the "steps" on the stairway are dance steps.

Other recordings

References
  1. "(I'll build a) Stairway to Paradise". Great American Songbook. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  2. "Internet Broadway Database". ibdb.com. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 520. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
  4. "Internet Movie Database". imdb.com. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  5. "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  6. "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  7. "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
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