Some Enchanted Evening – Bob Dylan

As the music library project rounds the bend for the final straight, you will find more songs from Bob the Maestro appearing here as songs from his massive catalogue are added retrospectively to the alphabetical listing. Some Enchanted Evening is one such song. It appears on Dylan’s tribute record to Frank Sinatra and the old American songbook – Shadows In The Night.

I discussed the record and its significance and downright wonder in my last post on another song from the record – What’ll I Do – the timeless old Irving Berlin classic. So today’s post will be comparatively shorter than usual so as not to repeat myself, and I point you to the aforementioned article for more general information about the record and my personal connection with it.

Dylan’s rendition of Some Enchanted Evening, from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical South Pacific, is, like the title suggests, enchanting and beautifully romantic. In the song, the leading male character, Emile, describes first seeing a stranger, knowing that he will see her again, then dreaming of hearing her laughter and finally feeling her call to him.

Dylan’s version captures his signature grainy and nasal voice, with seemingly more of his usual intonations and vocal drawl than some of the other songs discussed here from the record. But these intimate vocals are juxtaposed with an atmospheric arrangement that has something of a grand ballroom feel, lending the song a more expansive setting.

The concern over whether he would make a meal of a traditional crooner standard such as today’s featured track has, I think, been quashed. The timbre of his voice and his ability to uncover the song and, in his words, ‘bring them into the light of day‘ is masterfully pulled off in terms of ‘timing, phrasing, nuance and interpretation’ – to quote The Irish Times.

Some Enchanted Evening has been described as the single biggest popular hit to come out of any Rodgers and Hammerstein show. Andrew Lloyd Webber describes it as the “greatest song ever written for a musical“.

You can watch the original version performed here in the movie South Pacific.

Hmm…. nothing against you ol’ classic movie musical aficionados who are more heartily partial to the originals, but give me Dylan’s version every day of the week and twice on Sundays. But you always knew that, right?

As always, thanks so much for reading.

[Verse 1]
Some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger
You may see a stranger across a crowded room
And somehow you knew, you know even then
That somehow you’ll see her again and again

[Verse 2]
Some enchanted evening, someone may be laughing
You may hear her laughing across a crowded room
And night after night, as strange as it seems
The sound of her laughter will sing in your dreams

[Bridge]
Who can explain it, who can tell you why?
Fools give you reasons, wise men never try

[Verse 3]
Some enchanted evening, when you find your true love
When you feel her call you across a crowded room
Then fly to her side and make her your own
Or all through your life you may dream all alone

[Outro]
Once that you found her, never let her go
Once you have found her, never let her go

References:
1. Some Enchanted Evening – Wikipedia