Tunes on Tuesday: What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?

Why this tune?

This week’s tune is a classic by Frank Loesser that has become one of the standards of the American holiday season. Loesser wrote it as a standalone song in 1947, and it was quickly picked up by performers in a variety of genres. The song was an R&B hit for The Orioles in 1949 and reached the Billboard holiday singles chart for Nancy Wilson in 1965 and 1967.

Although his song became a holiday staple, that really annoyed the composer, who set his lyric much earlier in the year. As his daughter told Loesser’s biographer, the singer is trying to make a commitment far into the future: “Maybe it’s much too early in the game / Ah, but I thought I’d ask you just the same / What are you doing New Year’s … Eve?” That lyric certainly makes more sense in, say, June, than December.

Loesser’s song inspired my to write my own song for the New Year “Let’s Resolve” which I hope to perform this season. I figured if one of our most famous New Year’s songs isn’t really about the holiday, maybe I can write one that is more relevant.

Tunes On Tuesday Reel

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Nancy Wilson

My New Year’s song: Let’s Resolve