Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me" is a 1926 popular song composed by Jimmy McHugh with lyrics by Clarence Gaskill. The song proved remarkably durable, generating more than twenty recordings in the sixteen years following its publication.

A 32-bar AABA tune typically played in C major, the song expresses joyful disbelief at being loved. The melody is bright and buoyant, riding atop a standard I-vi-ii-V turnaround progression that provides a solid foundation for swing-style improvisation. The bridge introduces moderate harmonic variety, but the overall simplicity of the structure is the song's great strength — it gives musicians ample room for melodic invention. Most commonly performed as a medium swing, it works equally well for vocalists and instrumentalists.

Louis Armstrong's 1930 recording was pivotal in establishing the song as a jazz standard. Artie Shaw's 1938 version showcased its potential as a big band vehicle, while Ella Fitzgerald's 1941 recording brought vocal elegance to this effervescent tune.