Two Sleepy People
"Two Sleepy People" is a jazz standard composed in 1938 with music by Hoagy Carmichael and lyrics by Frank Loesser, first introduced as a duet by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross in the Paramount film Thanks for the Memory.[1][2] The song's whimsical lyrics depict a young couple lingering together late into the night, too enamored to part for sleep, capturing a tender, romantic mood that resonated widely during the swing era.[1] Its sheet music was published that same year by Famous Music Corporation, quickly establishing it as a hit following the film's release on November 11, 1938.[3][4] Among its earliest recordings was one by the Sammy Kaye Orchestra with vocals by Charles Wilson on September 19, 1938, predating the film's theatrical debut and helping propel its popularity.[2] Over the decades, "Two Sleepy People" has been covered extensively by notable artists, including Fats Waller, Artie Shaw with Helen Forrest, and later interpreters like Bing Crosby and Dean Martin, cementing its place in American popular music with over 200 recorded versions.[1][2] The tune also appeared in a 1939 short film featuring Hoagy Carmichael and the Jack Teagarden Orchestra, further showcasing its enduring appeal in jazz and big band contexts.[1]Composition
Origins and Writing Process
"Two Sleepy People" was composed on September 10, 1938, with music by Hoagy Carmichael and lyrics by Frank Loesser, specifically for a Paramount Pictures production.[2] This collaboration marked one of several joint efforts between the two songwriters that year, including the standards "Heart and Soul" and "Small Fry."[5] Hoagy Carmichael (1899–1981), a pioneering American composer, pianist, and jazz musician from Indiana, had already established his reputation in the 1920s and 1930s with evocative jazz-influenced works such as the enduring ballad "Stardust," originally an instrumental composed in 1927 and later fitted with lyrics.[6] His style often drew from the improvisational spirit of early jazz, blending melodic lyricism with rhythmic vitality, as seen in his contributions to the Great American Songbook.[7] Frank Loesser (1910–1969), a New York-born lyricist and composer, began his career writing song lyrics for films and Tin Pan Alley publications before achieving Broadway acclaim. He is renowned for creating both music and lyrics for landmark musicals, including Guys and Dolls (1950), which earned him a Tony Award and featured hits like "Fugue for Tinhorns" and "Luck Be a Lady."[8] Loesser's lyrics were celebrated for their clever wordplay, rhythmic precision, and ability to capture everyday romance and humor, qualities that complemented Carmichael's melodic sensibility in their 1938 partnerships.[9] The song was published later that year by Famous Music Corporation in New York, ensuring its availability as sheet music for performers and orchestras.[10] It received its premiere performance by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross in the associated film.[5]Premiere in Film
"Two Sleepy People" made its public debut in the 1938 Paramount Pictures film Thanks for the Memory, directed by George Archainbaud and starring Bob Hope and Shirley Ross.[11] The movie, released on November 18, 1938, centers on a long-married vaudeville couple, played by Hope and Ross, who face comedic marital strains when the husband attempts to abandon show business for a writing career.[12] In the film, the song appears as a duet performed by Hope and Ross in a lighthearted domestic scene, portraying the couple as playful lovers winding down in their bedroom after a tiring evening out.[12] This intimate routine captures the track's whimsical, affectionate essence, with the characters' exhaustion mirroring the lyrics' theme of loving fatigue, adding both humor and tenderness to the narrative.[13] Prior to the film's release, Dorothy Lamour introduced the tune on radio during the October 30, 1938, broadcast of the Chase and Sanborn Hour, further boosting its visibility amid the program's variety format.[14]Lyrics and Musical Elements
Lyrical Content
The lyrics of "Two Sleepy People," written by Frank Loesser to Hoagy Carmichael's melody, depict a couple lingering into the early morning hours, too enamored to part despite their exhaustion. In the 1938 film Thanks for the Memory, the song is performed as a duet, with alternating lines enhancing its conversational tone. The full lyrics, as finalized for the film, are as follows:Here we are, out of cigarettes,These lyrics explore themes of romantic fatigue and playful intimacy, portraying a relationship marked by enduring affection amid everyday weariness. The narrative highlights playful intimacy and ironic nostalgia, contrasting past courtship challenges (like parental disapproval) with the couple's current affectionate exhaustion, evoking a sense of simple, comforting domesticity that sustains their bond through humorous details like marrying for rest yet unable to part. This blend underscores how love persists through mundane realities.[16] Loesser's lyrical style employs colloquial language to mimic natural conversation, infusing sentimentality with comedic wit through everyday phrases like "picking on a wishbone from the Frigidaire," which adds a humorous, relatable touch to the intimacy. The rhyme scheme follows the classic AABA form, with the A sections building the scene through paired rhymes (e.g., "cigarettes/gets," "light/goodnight") and the B section providing contrast via the reflective bridge, allowing witty asides to punctuate the emotional core without overt drama. This approach exemplifies Loesser's talent for blending heartfelt observation with lighthearted domestic humor.[8][16] Minor lyrical refinements occurred between early drafts and the final version, as documented in collections of Loesser's work, though the core structure and imagery remained intact for the film's performance.[15]
Holding hands and yawning; look how late it gets.
Two sleepy people by dawn's early light,
Too much in love to say goodnight. Here we are, in a cozy chair,
Picking on a wishbone from the Frigidaire.
Two sleepy people with nothing to say,
Too much in love to break away. Do you remember the nights we used to linger
In the hall? Father didn't like you at all.
Do you remember the reason why we married in the fall?
To rent this little nest and get a bit of rest!
Well, here we are, just about to go,
And too much in love to say goodnight.[15]