Tangerine
Tommy Dorsey Lyrics


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Tangerine,
She is all they claim
With her eyes of night and lips as bright as flame
Tangerine,
When she dances by
Senoritas stare and caballeros sigh
And I've seen
Toasts to Tangerine
Raised in every bar across the Argentine
Yes, she has them all on the run
But her heart belongs to just one
Her heart belongs to Tangerine

Tangerine,
She is all they say
With mascara'd eye and chapeaux by Dache.
Tangerine,
With her lips of flame
If the color keeps, Louis Philippe's to blame.
And I've seen
Clothes on Tangerine
Where the label says "From Macy's Mezzanine".
Yes, she's got the guys in a whirl




But she's only fooling one girl
She's only fooling Tangerine!

Overall Meaning

Tommy Dorsey's classic jazz standard "Tangerine" paints a picture of a glamorous and alluring woman who captures the attention of everyone around her. The lyrics describe her physical beauty, from her eyes of night to her lips as bright as flame. She is a mesmerizing dancer, causing both senoritas and caballeros to stare in awe. The song makes it clear that Tangerine is the object of desire for many, with toasts being raised in her honor all across the Argentine. However, the song reveals that Tangerine's heart belongs to only one person- herself. She may be fooling others with her beauty and charm, but the song concludes with the revelation that Tangerine is ultimately only fooling herself.


One interesting fact about "Tangerine" is that it was originally composed as an instrumental track by Victor Schertzinger for the 1941 film "The Fleet's In". It wasn't until Johnny Mercer added lyrics in 1942 that it became the hit song we know today. The song has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Chet Baker. Another interesting fact is that the song's opening riff was famously sampled by hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest in their song "Bonita Applebum". In 1995, "Tangerine" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.


The chords for "Tangerine" are as follows:


Verse:
Cm7 - F7 - Bb - Ab7
Cm7 - F7 - Bb - D7b9
G7 - Cm7 - D7 - G7
Cm7 - F7 - Bb - Ab7
Cm7 - F7 - Bb - D7b9
G7 - Cm7 - D7 - G7


Bridge:
D7 - G7 - C - C7
F7 - Bb - G7 - Cm7
F7 - Bb - G7 - Cm7
Bb - Eb7 - Ab - Abm
D7 - G7 - C - C7
F7 - Bb - G7 - Cm7
F7 - Bb - G7 - Cm7
Bb - G7 - Cm7 - F7 - Bb


Overall, "Tangerine" is a classic jazz standard that captures the allure and mystery of a woman who captivates everyone around her. Its catchy melody and clever lyrics have made it a favorite of jazz enthusiasts for decades.


Line by Line Meaning

Tangerine,
Introducing the subject of the song: a woman named Tangerine


She is all they claim
Tangerine meets all expectations and her reputation precedes her


With her eyes of night and lips as bright as flame
Tangerine's striking physical features are attention-grabbing


Tangerine,
Reintroduction of Tangerine as the focus of the song


When she dances by
Tangerine's movements attract the gaze and admiration of those around her


Senoritas stare and caballeros sigh
Tangerine's beauty captivates people of all genders and social classes


And I've seen
The singer has witnessed first-hand the effect that Tangerine has on people


Toasts to Tangerine
People raise their drinks in honor of Tangerine


Raised in every bar across the Argentine
Tangerine's popularity extends across the country


Yes, she has them all on the run
Tangerine has a charismatic and powerful presence that affects those around her


But her heart belongs to just one
Despite her widespread appeal, Tangerine is loyal to a particular person


Her heart belongs to Tangerine
This line is a play on words - Tangerine's name itself becomes a metaphor for her self-love and dedication to her own desires


Tangerine,
Tangerine is once again the subject of the song


She is all they say
Reiteration of Tangerine's widespread popularity and renown


With mascara'd eye and chapeaux by Dache.
Tangerine's fashion sense is elegant and sophisticated


Tangerine,
Refocusing on Tangerine as an individual


With her lips of flame
Tangerine's lips, like her eyes, are a prominent physical feature


If the color keeps, Louis Philippe's to blame.
The singer jokes about the intensity of Tangerine's lipstick color


And I've seen
The singer again asserts their personal experience with Tangerine's allure


Clothes on Tangerine
The focus shifts to Tangerine's fashion again


Where the label says "From Macy's Mezzanine".
Tangerine's clothes are high-quality and come from a well-respected retailer


Yes, she's got the guys in a whirl
Tangerine's beauty and allure affect men greatly


But she's only fooling one girl
Despite all of the attention she receives, Tangerine's affection is reserved for a specific woman


She's only fooling Tangerine!
This line is a clever pun - Tangerine, the named subject of the song, is the one being fooled, and the artist is simultaneously acknowledging how self-absorbed Tangerine is




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHNNY MERCER, VICTOR SCHERTZINGER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@mikeappignani4383

I'm 60 years 🧓 old MY Dad And His Buddies Would Listen 👂 to All These wonderful songs. I'm From East Boston. They would All Sing Along IN A social club In Maverick Square. Most of Them Were ww2 Veterans. And Long shore Men. AND MERCHANTS MARINES. GOD I LOVED EVERYONE OF THEM GUYS .THEY WERE THE GREATEST GENERATION. BY FAR.THANKYOU GOD FOR LETTING ME GET TO KNOW THEM.

@powers1079

Bob Eberly grew up in Hoosick Falls, NY and my grandparents loved his music and were good friends with his brother Al Eberly and his wife Anne. Bob's niece Joanne is a friend of my mother and went to school together at Hoosick Fall Central School. Bob returned to Hoosick Falls in 1977 for a homecoming concert at St. Mary's school. My grandparents sat with the Eberly family and Bob came over to where they were sitting and talked with them at the end of the concert. It was very memorable for my grandparents.

@michelleleeschaeffer3482

That’s awesome! My grandpa Bob took me to hoo sick falls that years. I had a blast running through the corn fields!!

@christinemiller1735

I was born in 59 and love this song 🎵❤
Such a beautiful classic song 🎵

@57highland

Same generation as you and I discovered this music in my teens. Orchestra music (like the Tonight Show Band) was still around in the 60s, and we really weren't very far past the Big Bands. My parents caught the tail end of the Big Band era in the early to mid 50s and they talked to me about it.

@renatonunes2550

It amazes me how the younger American generations are so ignorant of such beautiful music like this and all the Big Band Era's great melodies and songs. They have no idea what they are missing. SUCH BEAUTY ! 🥲

@moonglows1

Good morning: I never reply to any comments but I am compelled to do so with yours: I was a high school history teacher for 35 years and I used all kinds of music to "teach" my students depending on the era, etc...yes, it is certainly sad that our youth has no appreciation for this wonderful music, but in my classes and when I played this music, the response was amazing. Over the years I accumulated thousands of original songs, artists, etc...and now I go around and entertain seniors with what I accumulated. I could go on, but you are totally "right -on" (expression from my time). Besides, Helen O'Connell...what a "dish!" I've had a crush on her since I discovered her. I spend hours on YouTube searching for clips, songs, etc... you'd be surprised if you saw how many of our young people love this music if it is exposed to them in the correct context. Music is the poetry of our souls.

@thenevadadesertrat2713

This cuts two ways. The younger generation thinks the same of us (I am 900.

@davidbrown7546

⁠Oh my. Older than Methuselah. Congrats. You got me beat by 818 years!

@Postumeartist

Actually, you can thank video games for getting the younger generation back into this music. While satellite radio got me started into it, a couple of very popular video games got even more kids into it.

If this were on the radio more where I live, I’d listen to it consistently.

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