Nancy (With the Laughing Face)

Album: Sinatra's Sinatra (1944)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Former broadcast executive and music historian Rick Busciglio tells this story: "In 1979, I was working with songwriter Jimmy Van Heusen on a TV special with Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope that was never produced. Jimmy told me that one day (circa 1942) he and his lyricist Johnny Burke were working at 20th Century-Fox composing for a film. While Burke was out of their writer's bungalow, Phil Silvers, the comedian, a friend to both, entered and suggested to Jimmy that they write a song for Johnny's wife, Bessie, who was soon to celebrate a birthday. Silvers provided the lyrics, later revised by Van Heusen and Burke. At the party they sang "Bessie... with the laughing face" It was such a hit that they used it at other female birthday events.

    When they sang it as "Nancy... with the laughing face" at little Nancy Sinatra's birthday party, Frank broke down and cried thinking that it was written specially for his daughter - the trio wisely didn't correct him. Jimmy assigned his royalties to Nancy after Frank recorded it for Columbia."
  • Charles Pignone, Vice President of Frank Sinatra Enterprises, also recalled the story of how "Bessie (With the Laughing Face)" evolved into "Nancy (With the Laughing Face)" in a Songfacts interview: "Van Heusen was a pianist/songwriter and was friends with Frank, and at one point Frank heard him noodling on the piano and asked him what that was. Frank was with Phil Silvers, and he played it - they made a bet and Phil Silvers said, 'I bet that you if you give me a day I can write a better set of lyrics to that and I'll write it in honor of Nancy,' Frank's daughter."

Comments: 1

  • Kevin from Reading , PaFrank liked the song so much that he recorded it a bunch of times, the earliest being 1944 or '45 and the last version in the late 70s. A funny story told in one of the Sinatra biographies centers around his then-flame, Ava Gardner, protesting Frank's decision to sing this song at a nightclub engagement that Ava was planning on attending in the early '50s. Even though the "Nancy" in the song is his daughter, Nancy was also the name of Sinatra's first wife, so Ava didn't like him singing it anymore, particularly since Frank had very publicly dumped her and left his family for the beautiful movie siren. Despite her protests, Frank performed the song anyway, telling her it was a "good luck charm" for him.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Matt Sorum

Matt SorumSongwriter Interviews

When he joined Guns N' Roses in 1990, Matt helped them craft an orchestral sound; his mezzo fortes and pianissimos are all over "November Rain."

Classic Metal

Classic MetalFact or Fiction

Ozzy, Guns N' Roses, Judas Priest and even Michael Bolton show up in this Classic Metal quiz.

Does Jimmy Page Worship The Devil? A Look at Satanism in Rock

Does Jimmy Page Worship The Devil? A Look at Satanism in RockSong Writing

We ring the Hell's Bells to see what songs and rockers are sincere in their Satanism, and how much of it is an act.

Kiss

KissFact or Fiction

Kiss is the subject of many outlandish rumors - some of which happen to be true. See if you can spot the fakes.

Danny Kortchmar

Danny KortchmarSongwriter Interviews

Danny played guitar on Sweet Baby James, Tapestry, and Running On Empty. He also co-wrote many hit songs, including "Dirty Laundry," "Sunset Grill" and "Tender Is The Night."