I just learned recently about a musical version of one of my favorite Daphne Du Maurier books, Rebecca, which became a film of the same name in 1939, directed by the great, Alfred Hitchcock. For those unfamiliar with the tale, the title character is never actually present in the book or the film, having drowned in a sailing accident some years before. However, Rebecca's presence dominates the story, narrated, hauntingly, by the second wife, who remains nameless throughout.
The Nearness of You has little to do with Rebecca, except that it was written around the same time as the movie was made and is a classic as well. Recent artists, most notably Norah Jones, have recorded the song; it almost borders on the overdone - except how can one overdo Ned Washington and Hoagy Carmichael? I wonder how Rebecca will be portrayed onstage....
VERSE
Why do I just wither and forget all resistance
When you and your magic pass by
My Heart's in a dither, dear
When you are at a distance
But when you are near, oh my
CHORUS
It's not the pale moon that excites me
That thrills and delights me, oh no
It's just the nearness of you
It isn't your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation, oh no
It's just the nearness of you
When you're in my arms and I feel you so close to me
All my wildest dreams come true
I need no soft lights to enchant me
If you'll only grant me the right
To hold you ever so tight
And to feel in the night the nearness of you
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