I Never Knew (That Roses Grew)

Music, Ted Fio Rito (1900–1971); lyrics, Gus Kahn (1888–1941)

Here’s a beauty I never heard as a kid. There are these two 1000-song “fakebooks” from the 1950s, from which I learned the chords to many songs. I went through both books––all 2000 songs––looking for good ones that I didn’t know. This is one and “Blue Champagne” (1945) are two good ones I didn’t know.

Fio Rito wrote many of my personal favorites, like “Willow Weep For Me,” “Temptation,” and “Let’s Face The Music and Dance,” three amazingly beautiful constructions. Gus Kahn was prolific as well, writing classics like “It Had To Be You,” “Ain’t We Got Fun,” “Toot Toot Tootsie,” and “I’ll See You In My Dreams,” another last dance favorite.