Both writers’ biographies detail the liason and the fact that many of Mercer’s lyrics were clearly inspired by Garland, including “ Skylark,” “ That Old Black Magic,” and “I Remember You.” A quote in Furia’s book, relating a conversation Mercer had with a hometown Savannah, Georgia, friend, details Mercer’s inspiration: “I wrote it for Judy Garland. Mercer had been infatuated with actress/vocalist Judy Garland for years, and the two had an off-again, on-again relationship, despite the fact that Mercer was married, as was Garland at times. Gene Lee’s biography, Portrait of Johnny: The Life of John Herndon Mercer, includes Mercer’s comments about writing “I Remember You:” “I wrote it very fast, ten minutes, half an hour at most.” But Philip Furia’s bio, Skylark: The Life and Times of Johnny Mercer, reveals the real inspiration for Mercer’s lyric. The two wrote “I Remember You,” ”Tangerine,” and “Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing in a Hurray,” all three of which would be big hits for Jimmy Dorsey’s band. He teamed with superb lyricist Johnny Mercer for the music for The Fleet’s In, which would be Schertzinger’s last picture.
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