Cy Coleman’s I Love
My Wife is the title song from his 1977 musical about wife swapping – a
very popular “sport” in those days, the same year NYC’s Plato's Retreat opened
for swingers. After the fantasying by
the husbands in the show, they come to the conclusion that they have the best
in their own wives. Thus this song. If it were not for Frank Sinatra perhaps the
song would be as forgotten as the musical but, thankfully, Sinatra saw the
genius of this beautiful ballad, the repeated musical phrases resulting in such
a haunting melody. He recorded it as a single using a Nelson Riddle chart. The lyrics, by
Michael Stewart, latch onto those musical phrases (these of course are not the
entire lyrics):
But just in case,
you didn't know
I love my wife
and later in the song….
But just in case, you
hadn't heard
I love my wife
and later again…
But just in case,
you couldn't guess
I love my wife
and the concluding
But just in case,
you couldn't guess
Or hadn't heard
Or didn't know
I love my wife
I love my wife
I love my wife
mmm….
I love my wife
