Bewildered (lyrics) | Ella Fitzgerald - Bewitched, Bothered, And

For her album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers & Hart Song Book , she chose to record the unabridged version . At over seven minutes long, it remains one of the few recordings to include the full, original Broadway "patter" lyrics.

The story of Ella Fitzgerald's version of "" is a blend of theatrical scandal and a landmark moment in recording history. While many remember the song as a gentle romantic standard, it was originally a risqué Broadway number that Ella famously "restored" to its full, uncensored glory. The Broadway Scandal For her album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers

When the song became a pop hit in 1950 (most notably by Doris Day), it was heavily censored for radio, removing nearly all the witty, adult-themed verses. Ella’s Definitive Recording While many remember the song as a gentle

The song was written by and Lorenz Hart for the 1940 musical Pal Joey . Unlike the "happier" musicals of that era, Pal Joey was gritty and cynical, featuring an anti-hero who used women for his own gain. Unlike the "happier" musicals of that era, Pal

Lorenz Hart’s original lyrics were highly provocative for 1940, including lines like "Horizontally speaking, he’s at his very best" and "Thank God, I can be oversexed again" .

In 1956, Ella Fitzgerald was at a turning point in her career. Her manager, , had just formed Verve Records specifically to provide her with a platform to record the definitive versions of the American Songbook.

The song is sung by Vera Simpson , a wealthy, married socialite who has fallen for the "heel" Joey (originally played by a young Gene Kelly ).