My Heart Stood Still

My Heart Stood Still appears on my album Come Explore With Me. Craig Levy, who produced the record, encouraged me to try the vocal a few different ways to add a touch more power. Although My Heart Stood Still is a well-known standard, I felt it invited a modern interpretation. My wife even said she hears shades of Roxy Music in this track, and I think Craig’s production makes that connection clear. The steady groove and easy beat lock in beautifully, and the harmonic backup vocals in the outro were his idea. It delights me that such a refined standard can support a two-chord coda.

About the Song

Composed in 1927 by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Lorenz Hart, My Heart Stood Still was originally written for a trip Rodgers took to Paris. The song debuted in the London revue One Dam Thing After Another and later appeared in the musical A Connecticut Yankee. Over the decades, My Heart Stood Still has been recorded by countless jazz and pop greats, each bringing out its romantic charm in a new way.

My Interpretation

When I approached My Heart Stood Still, I wanted to honor its elegance while exploring a contemporary feel. I’ve always been drawn to performances where subtlety carries as much weight as power. Craig’s arrangement gave me space to deliver a vocal that stays conversational yet emotionally grounded.

We recorded my guitar and vocals using a Sennheiser MD 441-U microphone, which has been a favorite of mine since my Japan Soul days. Its warmth allowed me to capture the nuances in the phrasing without losing clarity. The final mix blends this intimate vocal with rhythmic guitar and understated keys, creating a version that feels timeless but not stuck in the past.

The Music Video

While visiting the remote and spectacular Chance Cove beach in Newfoundland, my daughter Kaia suggested we film a music video for My Heart Stood Still. The water I’m walking through in the video was freezing, and I didn’t wander too far to avoid a dead bird on one side and a dead fish on the other. Kaia filmed while my other daughter, Akasha, held a second phone to play the track so I could lip-sync. The result is a simple but striking visual that pairs well with the song’s mood.

Legacy of the Song

Part of what makes My Heart Stood Still so enduring is its adaptable structure. It works as a delicate ballad, a swinging jazz number, or even with a subtle pop groove. That flexibility is why artists from Ella Fitzgerald to Frank Sinatra have found ways to make it their own. I hope my version adds something to that tradition while inviting listeners to hear My Heart Stood Still with fresh ears.

If you enjoy this track, you might also like my take on Love Me or Leave Me, another classic standard from the album.

Listen

My Heart Stood Still on Spotify
My Heart Stood Still on YouTube

This version of “My Heart Stood Still” remains one of my personal favorites from the album.

ChordPro

{title:My Heart Stood Still}
{subtitle:Rodgers and Hart}
[D]I [F-]took one [Em]look [A7]at you, [D]that's [D+]all I [G]meant [Gm]to do, 
[D]and [B7]then my [Em7]heart [A9]stood [D]still. [Bm7] [Em7] [A7]
[D]My [F-]feet could [Em]step [A7]and walk, [D]my [D+]lips could [G]move [Gm]and talk, 
[D]and [B7]yet my [Em7]heart [A9]stood [D]still. [Gm6] [D]Though not a
[Dm]single word was spoken, I could [A+]tell [A]you knew, that unfelt [Dm6]clasp of hands [E7]told me so [Bb7]well you knew. [A9]
[D]I [F-]never [Em]lived [A7]at all [D]un- [D7]til the [G]thrill [Gm]of that
[D]moment [Bm7]when my [Em7]heart [A7]stood [D]still. [Gm6] [D]
{tag: 1927}
{tag: Rodgers and Hart}