This song was originally from Stephen Sondheim's 1973 musical A Little Night Music. He wrote it in one night three nights before the opening night as the leading lady, Glynis Johns, didn't have her own song. In the musical, Johns' character is looking back on her life with great disappointment when she performs this song.
Apart from Judy Collins, this has been covered by many artists, including Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand, for whom Sondheim added a verse about falling for the right person at the wrong time: What a surprise Who could foresee? I've come to feel about you what you felt about me Why only now when I see that you've drifted away What a surprise, what a cliché
As Glynis Johns had a breathy voice and a limited range, Sondheim wrote the song with short phrases and a small music range of only an octave. She won a 1973 Tony award for her role in the musical.
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