Please Be Kind

One of the earliest Cahn and Chaplin hits, this gentle swing-era ballad was a plea from someone falling in love for the first time — vulnerable, hopeful, and utterly sincere. Benny Goodman’s recording with Martha Tilton was a major hit in 1938, reaching #1 on the Billboard charts and establishing Cahn as one of Tin Pan Alley’s most promising young lyricists.

Mildred Bailey’s recording with Red Norvo showed the song’s jazz credentials — a reminder that even in his earliest work, Cahn was writing songs that serious musicians wanted to play.