I Still See Elisa

Album: Paint Your Wagon soundtrack (1969)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Like most of the other songs in Paint Your Wagon, "I Still See Elisa" was written by the regular team of composer Frederick Loewe and lyricist Alan Jay Lerner. The second song in the 1969 film (the Broadway production opened in 1951), it is performed by a nostalgic Clint Eastwood as Pardner.

    Perhaps nostalgic is not the right word, for shortly Pardner admits to Ben Rumson that there is no Elisa, he just saw the name somewhere, liked it, and wrote the song around it. And yes, Eastwood did actually perform it. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England

Comments: 1

  • Lalah from Alaska"They Call the Wind Mariah" was also in the movie "paint Your Wagon". Clint Eastwood proves that about 80% of humanity can carry a tune.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.

Edwin McCain

Edwin McCainSongwriter Interviews

"I'll Be" was what Edwin called his "Hail Mary" song. He says it proves "intention of the songwriter is 180 degrees from potential interpretation by an audience."

Francesca Battistelli

Francesca BattistelliSongwriter Interviews

The 2011 Artist of the Year at the Dove Awards isn't your typical gospel diva, and she thinks that's a good thing.

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.

Julian Lennon

Julian LennonSongwriter Interviews

Julian tells the stories behind his hits "Valotte" and "Too Late for Goodbyes," and fills us in on his many non-musical pursuits. Also: what MTV meant to his career.

Mark Arm of Mudhoney

Mark Arm of MudhoneySongwriter Interviews

When he was asked to write a song for the Singles soundtrack, Mark thought the Seattle grunge scene was already overblown, so that's what he wrote about.