I Loves You, Porgy
| I Loves You, Porgy | |
|---|---|
| Duet from Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin | |
| Genre | Opera, jazz |
| Text | Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward |
| Premiere | |
| Date | September 30, 1935 |
| Location | Colonial Theatre (Boston) |
"I Loves You, Porgy" is a duet from the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was performed in the opera's premiere in 1935 and on Broadway the same year by Anne Brown and Todd Duncan. They recorded the song on volume 2 of the album Selections from George Gershwin's Folk Opera Porgy and Bess in 1942. The duet occurs in act 2, scene 3, Catfish Row, where Porgy promises Bess that he will protect her. Bess has a lover, Crown, who is abusive and continually seduces her.
The song was popularised by Nina Simone's adaptation from her 1959 debut album, Little Girl Blue.