Her musical talent may have been inherited; her father Richard Whiting, was a famous composer of popular songs. She also had an aunt, Margaret Young, who was also a singer and popular recording artist in the 1920s. In her childhood her singing ability was already noticed, and at the age of only seven she sang for singer-lyricist Johnny Mercer, with whom her father had worked on some popular songs. In 1942, Mercer started Capitol Records with two partners, and signed her as one of their earliest recording artists.
Until the mid-1950s, she continued to record for Capitol, but as she ceased to record songs that charted as hits, switched to Dot Records in 1958 and to Verve Records in 1960. She came back to Capitol in the mid-1960s, then went to London Records in 1966. On London, Whiting landed one last major hit single in 1966, "The Wheel Of Hurt," which hit #1 on the Easy Listening singles chart.
She continued to sing into the 1990s.
During the 1950s, she was married to record executive Lou Busch, who also recorded semi-anonymously as the ragtime pianist Joe "Fingers" Carr. They had one daughter. Her late-life marriage to younger gay porn star Jack Wrangler raised many eyebrows. When they first began dating, he protested, "But I'm gay!" to which she replied, "Only around the edges, dear."
She died on January 10, 2011 at the age of eighty-six.
The Way You Look Tonight
Margaret Whiting Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the world is cold,
I will feel a glow just thinking of you
And the way you look tonight.
You're lovely, with your smile so warm
And your cheeks so soft,
There is nothing for me but to love you,
With each word your tenderness grows,
Tearing my fears apart
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose,
Touches my foolish heart.
Yes you're lovely, never, ever change
Keep that breathless charm.
Won't you please arrange it?
Cause I love you
Just the way you look tonight.
With each word your tenderness grows,
Tearing my fears apart
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose,
Touches my foolish heart.
Yes you're lovely, never, ever change
Keep that breathless charm.
Won't you please arrange it?
Cause I love you
Just the way you look tonight.
Just the way you look tonight.
Darling
Just the way you look tonight
The lyrics to Margaret Whiting's song The Way You Look Tonight evoke feelings of love and comfort during a time of sadness. The singer describes a moment in which they will be feeling low and the world will seem cold, but the thought of their loved one will provide them with a sense of warmth and light. The opening lines imply that the singer and their loved one might be physically separated or experiencing some kind of emotional distance, but the memories of their tender moments together are enough to bring comfort in difficult times.
As the song progresses, the singer describes their partner's physical features, attributes that make them so lovely and comforting to be around. They are enchanted by their smile, soft cheeks, and carefree laugh. The singer is moved by the way their partner's tenderness dissolves their fears, and builds a sense of trust and intimacy between them. The repeated refrain of "just the way you look tonight" suggests a plea to the loved one to remain in the moment, to stay present and share the beauty of the night and the love they have for each other.
Overall, The Way You Look Tonight communicates a sense of devotion, enchantment, and admiration for a loved one. The lyrics capture the essence of love and its ability to provide warmth, comfort, and support in challenging times.
Line by Line Meaning
Some day, when I'm awfully low,
There will come a time when I feel terribly sad and blue.
When the world is cold,
During a time when everything feels bleak and uninviting.
I will feel a glow just thinking of you
Thinking of you will warm my heart and bring me happiness.
And the way you look tonight.
Your appearance will stay in my mind and bring me joy even when we're apart.
You're lovely, with your smile so warm
You are beautiful, especially with your warm and inviting smile.
And your cheeks so soft,
Your soft and gentle cheeks are a delight to touch and stroke.
There is nothing for me but to love you,
Only love fills my heart when I am with you.
And the way you look tonight.
Your appearance is so captivating, I cannot help but be infatuated with you.
With each word your tenderness grows,
Your words convey your kind and caring nature, making me love you more.
Tearing my fears apart
Your tenderness helps me overcome my fears and worries.
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose,
Your laughter is contagious and lights up the room, making me smile and feel happy.
Touches my foolish heart.
Your laughter tugs at my heartstrings and makes my heart feel happy and foolish at the same time.
Yes you're lovely, never, ever change
You are beautiful just the way you are, and I hope you never change.
Keep that breathless charm.
Maintain your stunning and captivating allure.
Won't you please arrange it?
I hope you can keep your charm and loveliness forever, so please make sure that it happens.
Cause I love you
Because I cherish and adore you with all my heart.
Just the way you look tonight.
Your appearance is so enchanting and captivating, and it brings me immense joy to behold.
Just the way you look tonight.
The way you look tonight is beyond compare and will stay in my heart forever.
Darling
An affectionate address to the person she loves.
Lyrics © O/B/O CAPASSO, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jerome Kern
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michael Widener
Margaret Whiting had a great sense of lyrics when she sang. There was never any doubt about what she was singing along with perfect pitch and a beautiful voice.
Grahame Green
A wonderful voice and heartfelt delivery that gives so much to any song. How she remains to be such a secret confounds.
Gary K. Nedrow
Breath control, phrasing, articulation, timbre - whiting had it all. Note the strength of her voice on the very high and low notes. Few popular singers can match her range without becoming shrill or thin. Jerome Kern must have been gratified to hear it.
Mark Blackburn
Margaret Whiting -- THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT (My Dad's favorite version)
There would have been a night in 1936, the year my Mom and Dad first met in high school, when -- together or alone -- they would have gone to the movies to see the new Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers musical SWING TIME --- and been introduced to their 'theme song' – THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT. It won the Best Original Song Oscar for Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern. Concerning which Dorothy Fields said: "The first time Jerry played that melody for me I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn't stop, it was so beautiful."
In the movie, Astaire sang "The Way You Look Tonight" to Ginger Rogers while she was washing her hair in an adjacent room.[1] His recording reached the top of the charts in 1936.
Siriusly Sinatra satellite radio just played my Dad's favorite female singer's take on this one. I swear Dad, they do that just for us!
Thanks for posting, yoichiro tani
Celebrated this day at SinatraFamily.com https://sinatrafamily.com/forum/showthread.php/50225-My-Favorite-Version-%28yours-too-%29?p=1273214#post1273214
Sean Evelsizor
What a fancy song.