Standards · 1935
Last Night When We Were Young chords & key
“Last Night When We Were Young” is a jazz standard by Harold Arlen from 1935. It is usually played in G major as a ballad, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 2 major ii–V–I cadences and 2 minor ii–V–i, uses 20 different chords and moves between the key centres G minor and G major. In this atlas it appears on 3 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — G major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- Am7×6
- D7×6
- Gmaj7×5
- Dm7×5
- A7×4
- C7×3
Key centres reached by ii–V
G minor and G major
Characteristics
- AABA song form
History
"Last Night When We Were Young" is a 1935 popular song about nostalgia for a fleeting love composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics by Yip Harburg. Arlen regarded it as a favourite of the songs that he had written. Lawrence Tibbett recorded the song on October 9, 1935. It was cut from his film Metropolitan but performed instrumentally behind the credits. "Last Night When We Were Young" was highly regarded by Judy Garland, who recorded it twice, and frequently performed it. Composer Alec Wilder called it a "most remarkable and beautiful song" that "goes far beyond the boundaries of popular music." Continuing, he stated that "[i]t is unlike any other Arlen song that I have heard. However, it is unmistakably his." Harburg did not know where he acquired the title, saying, "the juxtaposition of those two phrases is almost a whole world of philosophy".
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Recorded on these albums
Frequently asked questions
What key is Last Night When We Were Young in?
Last Night When We Were Young is usually played in G major. For B♭ instruments that is A major, for E♭ instruments E major.
Who wrote Last Night When We Were Young?
Last Night When We Were Young was written by Harold Arlen (1935).
What is the form of Last Night When We Were Young?
Last Night When We Were Young has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Last Night When We Were Young played?
The usual groove is Ballad.
What are the chord changes to Last Night When We Were Young?
The opening bars are Gmaj7 C7 | Bm7 E7b13 | A7 | Am7 D7#9. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.