Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"Can't We Be Friends" is a 1929 song with music by Kay Swift and lyrics by Paul James (the pen name of banker and poet James Paul Warburg). It was introduced on Broadway in the revue The Little Show by singer Libby Holman, and quickly entered the standard repertoire.

Written in E♭, the song follows a 32-bar form with a poignant melody that captures the bittersweet plea of someone trying to salvage friendship from a failed romance. Swift was a pioneering figure as the first woman to compose a complete Broadway musical score, and her harmonic sophistication is evident in this composition. The song is most often performed as a ballad, where its emotional depth can be fully explored, though medium-tempo swing interpretations also reveal the melody's innate elegance.

Frank Sinatra's deeply reflective rendition on In the Wee Small Hours (Capitol, 1955), arranged by Nelson Riddle, is among the most celebrated versions. Ella Fitzgerald also recorded a definitive interpretation, and Betty Carter's 1956 version on Meet Betty Carter and Ray Bryant showcases a more adventurous jazz vocal approach.