Guy Lombardo - "How Deep is the Ocean?" (1932) video free download

How Deep is the Ocean? (How High is the Sky?)

Words and Music: Irving Berlin

Performed by Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians

Vocal: Carmen Lombardo

Recorded October 7, 1932

Brunswick 6399

In 1932 with the country in the depths of the Great Depression, Irving Berlin was also going through personal financial setbacks and began to doubt his abilities as a songwriter. He felt his career was in decline and the hits were few and far between. Then Berlin uncovered an old tune he had written for Al Jolson in 1920 and borrowed four lines from the chorus of "To My Mammy" which included the phrase "How Deep is the Ocean? and he then created a new song whose lyrics are a succession of questions. The song's romantic character takes on a sense of yearning, a sense of passion. Berlin fashions one of his loveliest melodies here and matches it with touching lyrics.