The Arrival
Well, I've arrived in Chicago, along with the rest of the Elisberg Industries team. We were all able to squeeze into the backseat of the taxi. And the good news is that, when talking to the elves back at the homestead, taking care of the place, they haven't destroyed it yet.
And arriving, I figured this would be a good time to post this song. It's very well known, but I suspect that most people not only haven't seen the original version in the movie, Robin and the Seven Hoods, but many if not most don't even know it's from a movie.
The song was written by Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen. When I saw lyricist Sammy Cahn in his one-man show several decades ago when it came to Los Angeles, the whole show was wonderful (he's had an amazing songwriting career, including being nominated for an amazing 31 Oscars for Best Song, winning four, for "Three Coins in a Fountain," "All the Way," "High Hopes" and "Call Me Irresponsible"), but I was particularly looking forward to him singing "My Kind of Town." (And, yes, it was one of his Oscar nominations.) Which he did sing, of course -- except that it turns out that whenever he sang the song as he toured the country, he'd change the lyric to fit the city he was in. Yes, yes, it was his song, and he had every right. And yes, everyone knows what city the actual song is about. And ultimately, and most importantly it's a great song he wrote.
But still, c'mon...if he'd written the song "Chicago," I can't imagine he'd have changed the line when in Florida to "Miami, Miami, that toddlin' town..."
But I digress.
Anyway, here's the song as done originally in the movie. And one thing fun to note: when Frank Sinatra would sing "My Kind of Town" in concert, he'd always do a sort of spinning hand movement at the part of the song that names city landmarks in Chicago, before pointing to them. That comes from the movie. You'll see him do it twice, starting at the 2:15 mark.
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