“Cheek to Cheek” is a song written by Irving Berlin in 1934–35, specifically for the star of his new musical, Fred Astaire. The movie was Top Hat, co-starring Ginger Rogers. In the movie, Astaire sings the song to Rogers as they dance. The song was nominated for the Best Song Oscar for 1936, which it lost to “Lullaby of Broadway”.
The song spent five weeks at No. 1 on Your Hit Parade and was named the No. 1 song of 1935. Astaire’s 1935 recording with the Leo Reisman Orchestra was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2004, Astaire’s version finished at No. 15 on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.
On June 26, 1935, Fred and Leo Reisman, along with his Orchestra, got to work at ARC (parent company of Brunswick Records at the time) Studios in New York City. They recorded two Irving Berlin compositions, “Cheek To Cheek” and “No Strings (I’m Fancy Free)”. The next day, with Johnny Greene’s Orchestra, “Isn’t This a Lovely Day?” and “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails” were completed. Both singles were released in August, and then at the end of the month, “Top Hat” premiered. The timing must have been perfect, because “Cheek to Cheek” headed straight to #1, where it stayed for eleven weeks, and finished the #1 hit of 1935. Fred topped his career high of ten weeks for “Night and Day”.
“Cheek to Cheek” is an ode to the pure joy and bliss that comes with dancing with someone you love, cheek to cheek. The lyrics describe the overwhelming sense of happiness and freedom that the two singers experience when they are dancing together. They compare the feeling of dancing cheek to cheek to other activities they enjoy, such as climbing mountains and fishing, but nothing compares to the connection they feel when they are close to each other on the dance floor.
The song is a celebration of the simple pleasures in life and the deep connection that can come from sharing a dance with someone special. The repeated phrase “Heaven, I’m in heaven” emphasizes the euphoria they feel while dancing and the carefree nature of the moment. Overall, “Cheek to Cheek” is a timeless love song that captures the magic of a romantic dance.
