Roy Turk
Roy Turk was born in New York City on
September 20, 1892.
He began writing song lyrics, and then
became a staff writer for music publishers on
Tin Pan Alley, and later went to Hollywood
where he wrote song lyrics for films.
From 1928 to 1933, he worked especially
closely with Fred Ahlert, with whom he had
many popular successes.
Probably his best known song is "Mean To
Me", written in 1928 to music by Fred Ahlert,
which has become a jazz standard, ,memorably
recorded by Billie Holiday and others.
Other successes include "I'll Get By" (1928,
music by Fred Ahlert), "Walkin' My Baby
Back Home" (1931, with Harry Richmond and
composer Fred Ahlert), "I Don't Know Why
(I Love You Like Do)" (1931 with Fred Ahlert).
Fred E Ahlert
Fred E. Ahlert is the Composer behind some of the most performed standards recorded by such diverse artists as Fats
Waller, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Willie Nelson, Louis Armstrong, The Mama’s and The Papa’s and Dinah Shore. His
catalogue boasts the popular songs “Mean To Me”, “I’ll Get By (As Long As I Have You), “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write
Myself a Letter” and “Love, You Funny Thing!”, while the 28-measure melodic structure he popularized through these tunes
has provided a Jazz framework for artists such as Johnny Hodges, John Coltrane and Earl Hines.
I'll Get By
Words & music by:-
Roy Turk & Fred E Ahlert
I'll get by,as long as I have you
Though there be rain and darkness too,
I'll not complain, I'll see it through
Poverty, may come to me , that's true
But what care I, say
I'll get by, as long as I have you