Ain't Misbehavin' (song)

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Ain't Misbehavin' (song)

Ain't Misbehavin' is a 1929 jazz song written for the Broadway musical Connie's Hot Chocolates. The music was composed by Thomas "Fats" Waller and Harry Brooks, with lyrics by Andy Razaf. It is remembered as a classic example of stride jazz and early swing.

Composition
- Key: originally in E-flat major.
- The song was part of the score for Connie's Hot Chocolates, a Broadway show that helped launch the careers of several performers.

First performances
- The tune was first performed at the Harlem premiere of Connie's Hot Chocolates, at Connie's Inn in Harlem, as the opening song by Paul Bass and Margaret Simms.
- It was later sung by Russell Wooding’s Hallelujah Singers in the musical.
- When Connie's Hot Chocolates moved to Broadway and was renamed Hot Chocolates, Louis Armstrong became the orchestra director. Armstrong’s trumpet solo of Ain't Misbehavin' became highly praised, and he was encouraged to perform it on stage.

Recordings
- The tune was quickly recorded by several artists in 1929, and all six early recordings were hits in ASCAP’s rankings for the year. Notable versions include:
- Leo Reisman and his orchestra with Lew Conrad (No. 2)
- Louis Armstrong (No. 7)
- Bill Robinson with Irving Mills & his Hotsy Totsy Gang (No. 8)
- Gene Austin with Leonard Joy & his orchestra (No. 9)
- Ruth Etting (No. 16)
- Fats Waller (instrumental version, No. 17)
- Fats Waller later recorded a vocal version for the 1943 film Stormy Weather. That recording became famous and was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1984 and added to the National Recording Registry in 2004. In 2001, it was named one of Songs of the Century by the RIAA.
- The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including Johnnie Ray (No. 17 in the UK in 1956) and Tommy Roe’s era cover in the UK chart. Leon Redbone performed it on Saturday Night Live in 1976. It also served as the title song for the 1978 musical Ain't Misbehavin'.

Use in film
- 1943: Stormy Weather (performed by Fats Waller)
- 1944: Atlantic City (sung by Louis Armstrong)
- 1955: Gentlemen Prefer Brunettes (dubbed version)
- 1975: Lucky Lady (performed by Burt Reynolds)
- 2013: Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby (instrumental use; anachronistic for the film’s 1922 setting)

Legacy
- Ain't Misbehavin' is regarded as a staple of 1920s jazz standards and a key work in the early swing era.
- In the United States, the song entered the public domain on January 1, 2025, due to renewal rules for works from that era.

See also
- List of 1920s jazz standards

Sources and recognition
- The song is widely cited for its influence on jazz and Broadway history, with scholarly and music-children references noting its writers, Armstrong’s involvement, and its enduring recordings.