Nancy (with the Laughing Face)


"Nancy " is a song composed in 1942 by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Phil Silvers, called, originally, "Bessie ". Many, perhaps most, people wrongly assume the song was composed specifically for Frank Sinatra's wife or daughter, each named Nancy, not only because the original recording of the song was Sinatra's for Columbia in 1944, but because the song was never published or recorded as anything but "Nancy".

Origin

Former broadcast executive and music historian Rick Busciglio tells the story of the song's inception as related to him by Van Heusen:

Notable recordings