# Younger than Springtime

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{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Younger than Springtime
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| published  = 1949
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| genre      = [Showtune](/source/Showtune)'
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| composer   = [Richard Rodgers](/source/Richard_Rodgers)
| lyricist   = [Oscar Hammerstein II](/source/Oscar_Hammerstein_II)
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"'''Younger than Springtime'''" is a [show tune](/source/show_tune) from the 1949 [Rodgers and Hammerstein](/source/Rodgers_and_Hammerstein) [musical](/source/musical_play) ''[South Pacific](/source/South_Pacific_(musical))''.  It has been widely recorded as a [jazz standard](/source/jazz_standard).

The song is performed in the first act by Lieutenant Cable when he makes love to his adored Liat, to whom he was only recently introduced by her mother Bloody Mary. The song shows that love just happens and does not follow the rules of racial separation prevalent in the United States at that time.

In the original Broadway show, the song was performed by [William Tabbert](/source/William_Tabbert) while in the [1958 film](/source/South_Pacific_(1958_film)), it was sung by [John Kerr](/source/John_Kerr_(actor)) miming to a vocal by [Bill Lee](/source/Bill_Lee_(singer)).

==Lyrical Analysis==
Hammerstein used repetition as a key aspect of the song repeating the words "am I" and "are you" when describing Cable and Liat: "softer than starlight", "gayer than laughter" and "younger than springtime".

==Musical Analysis==
The song is written in [F Major](/source/F_Major).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sheetmusicnow.com/products/younger-than-springtime-p366331|title = Younger Than Springtime|website = Sheet Music Now}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.playbill.com/jobs/find/job_detail/49279.html |title=South Pacific - Submit Photo / Resume for NYC Appointments - Delaware Theatre Company - Performer Job Opening |website=www.playbill.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116054142/http://playbill.com/jobs/find/job_detail/49279.html |archive-date=2013-01-16}}</ref>

==Other notable recordings==
*1949 [William Tabbert](/source/William_Tabbert) in the Original Broadway Cast album.
*1949 [Dick Haymes](/source/Dick_Haymes) - included in the album ''Imagination''
*1949 [Gordon MacRae](/source/Gordon_MacRae) - Capitol-602<ref>{{cite web|title=45cat.com|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/54602|website=45cat.com|access-date=May 28, 2017}}</ref>
*1949  [Dinah Shore](/source/Dinah_Shore) - Columbia – 38460
*1950 [Fred Waring](/source/Fred_Waring) and His Pennsylvanians - Decca 9-24668<ref>{{cite web|title=45cat.com|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/924668|website=45cat.com|access-date=May 29, 2017}}</ref>
*1952 [Billy Eckstine](/source/Billy_Eckstine) for his album ''Love Songs By Rodgers And Hammerstein''.
*1954 [Rosemary Clooney](/source/Rosemary_Clooney) - recorded May 3, 1954<ref>{{cite book|last1=Crossland|first1=Ken|title=Late Life Jazz - The Life and Career of Rosemary Clooney|date=2013|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-979857-5|page=193}}</ref> and included in the album ''While We're Young''.
*1955 [Margaret Whiting](/source/Margaret_Whiting) for her album ''Love Songs by Margaret Whiting''.
*1956 [Mario Lanza](/source/Mario_Lanza) recorded for his album ''Lanza on B'way''.
*1957 [The Andrews Sisters](/source/The_Andrews_Sisters) included in the album ''Fresh and Fancy Free''.
*1958 [Bill Lee](/source/Bill_Lee_(singer)) included in the [film soundtrack](/source/South_Pacific_(soundtrack)) album.
*1958 [Andy Williams](/source/Andy_Williams) released a version of the song on his album, ''[Andy Williams Sings Rodgers and Hammerstein](/source/Andy_Williams_Sings_Rodgers_and_Hammerstein)''.<ref>{{cite web|title=www.allmusic.com|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/andy-williams-sings-rodgers-hammerstein-mw0001196070|website=allmusic.com|accessdate=October 20, 2024}}</ref>
*1961 [Matt Monro](/source/Matt_Monro) included in the album ''The Rarities Collection''.<ref>{{cite web|title=allmusic.com|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-rarities-collection-mw0002577983|website=allmusic.com|access-date=May 29, 2017}}</ref>
*1963 [Bing Crosby](/source/Bing_Crosby) recorded the song for the ''South Pacific'' album in the [Reprise Musical Repertory Theatre](/source/Reprise_Musical_Repertory_Theatre) series.
*1963 [The Hi-Lo's](/source/The_Hi-Lo's) also recorded the song for the ''South Pacific'' album in the [Reprise Musical Repertory Theatre](/source/Reprise_Musical_Repertory_Theatre) series.
*1963 [Vic Damone](/source/Vic_Damone) included in his album ''On the Street Where You Live''.
*1965 [Ken Dodd](/source/Ken_Dodd) for his album ''Tears of Happiness''.
*1966 [John Gary](/source/John_Gary) recorded for his album ''Choice''.
*1967 [Frank Sinatra](/source/Frank_Sinatra) recorded September 20, 1967<ref>{{cite web|title=Frank Sinatra Discography|url=http://www.jazzdiscography.com/Artists/Sinatra/reprise.php|website=jazzdiscography.com|access-date=May 29, 2017}}</ref> and included in the album ''[Movin' with Nancy](/source/Movin'_with_Nancy_(album))''.<ref>{{cite web|title=allmusic.com|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/movin-with-nancy-mw0000190324|website=allmusic.com|access-date=May 29, 2017}}</ref>
*1986 [Mandy Patinkin](/source/Mandy_Patinkin) included in the studio album ''South Pacific''.
*1991 [Plácido Domingo](/source/Pl%C3%A1cido_Domingo) for his album ''The Broadway I Love''.
*1996 [Bryn Terfel](/source/Bryn_Terfel) - recorded for the album ''Something Wonderful: Bryn Terfel Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein''.<ref>{{cite web|title=allmusic.com|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/something-wonderful-bryn-terfel-sings-rodgers-hammerstein-mw0000165811|website=allmusic.com|access-date=May 29, 2017}}</ref>
*1999 [Judy Collins](/source/Judy_Collins) included in her album ''Classic Broadway''.<ref>{{cite web|title=allmusic.com|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/classic-broadway-mw0000669220|website=allmusic.com|access-date=May 29, 2017}}</ref>
*2022 It appears rather ironically in a scene in ''[My Old School](/source/My_Old_School_(2022_film))''.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Rodgers and Hammerstein}}
{{Tales of the South Pacific}}
{{Mario Lanza}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Younger Than Springtime}}
Category:1949 songs
Category:Songs with music by Richard Rodgers
Category:Songs with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Category:Andy Williams songs
Category:Mario Lanza songs
Category:Songs from South Pacific (musical)
Category:Songs from South Pacific (1958 film)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Younger than Springtime](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Younger_than_Springtime) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Younger_than_Springtime?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.