"From This Moment On"--Ella Fitzgerald

"From This Moment On" was originally written for the 1950 musical Out of This World, but director George Abbott dropped it from the musical before its Broadway premiere.   It was then included in MGM's 1953 film Kiss Me Kate.

After his accident in 1937 and over the next 2 decades, Porter underwent a series of excruciating operations on the bones and nerves of his legs. Determined not to let these injuries diminish his busy creative or social life, Porter continued full throttle as evidenced by the scores of photographs during this era depicting the formally attired composer being literally carried by his valet to social events and Broadway openings, not to mention producing a torrent of songs and musicals that remain standards of 20th century American theater, jazz, film, and popular music.  This was one of them. The irony of this song is extraordinary.

The horrible pain he experienced in both of his severely damaged limbs led to an ever-increasing reliance on alcohol and narcotic painkillers, to which he became addicted.  His wife was also dying of emphysema - his beloved Linda eventually died in 1954.

When Porter died at the age of 73 in 1964, few people, save his closest friends and associates, had any idea of the painful and tragic life he led for more than 25 years.

From No Minor Chords – Andre Previn

Cole Porter was the most elegant of creatures, his manners as courtly as his dress. Only once did I hear him voice a vituperative opinion. I was working on the film version of Kiss Me Kate, and Cole had interpolated the song 'From This Moment On' into the existing score, for use as an elaborate dance number.
'I have to warn you about something before you start making this arrangement,' he said to me, his voice quite angry. 'This tune has been recorded by Woody Herman and his band. Have you ever heard of him?'
I nodded eagerly.
 ‘Well,' he went on, 'what they did to my tune is absolutely disgusting. It was turned into a loud, strident jazz mess, and the melody is just about unrecognizable. It's a good example of someone not having any idea what the tune is about!'
He stopped, thought for a moment, and grew less choleric. Finally he smiled. 'But what am I talking about. Your arrangements are always so theatrical and correct for the occasion, I'm sure I'll love what you write.'
And indeed, when he came to the recording, he was fulsome in his praise. 'That's more like it,' he said, smiling. 'I knew you would understand the song.' I never told him that I had written the arrangement for Woody Herman as well.

From This Moment On

From this moment on,
You for me dear,
Only two for tea dear,
From this moment on,

From this happy day,
No more blue songs,
Only hoop-de-doo songs,
From this moment on

You've got the love I need so much
Got the skin I love to touch
Got the arms to hold me tight
Got the sweet lips to kiss me goodnight

From this moment on
You and I babe
We'll be ridin' high babe
Every care is gone
From this moment on.

You've got the love I need so much
Got the skin I love to touch
Got the arms to hold me tight
Got the sweet lips to kiss me goodnight

From this moment on
You and I babe
We'll be ridin' high babe
Every care is gone
From this moment,
From this moment,
This very moment,
This moment on.

The following is so different it is worth comparing, and it may in the end capture the irony a lot better

Jimmy Sommerville-From This Moment On