Time on My Hands ( You in My Arms )

Time on My Hands (You in My Arms) is an American popular song from 1930, composed by Vincent Youmans with lyrics by Harold Adamson and Mack Gordon. Written for the Broadway musical Smiles, its romantic melody soon outlived the relatively short-lived show and became a lasting jazz standard.

Django Reinhardt recorded Time on My Hands in Paris on 22 March 1939 with the Quintette du Hot Club de France. The recording features Stéphane Grappelli on violin, Django on lead guitar, Joseph Reinhardt and Pierre “Baro” Ferret on rhythm guitars, and Emmanuel Soudieux on double bass. Django and Grappelli later returned to the tune during their 1949 Rome sessions.

Musical character:
Time on My Hands is a lyrical, relaxed standard with a romantic and slightly wistful character. Its flowing harmonic movement and spacious melody make it particularly suitable for melodic improvisation. It can work as a slow ballad, but Django’s interpretation gives it a gentle swinging pulse without losing the intimacy of the original song.

Connection to Manouche Jazz:
The connection is direct through Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. Their 1939 interpretation demonstrates how naturally the Hot Club could transform an American Broadway song into acoustic European jazz. Django’s later return to the piece in Rome also shows that it remained part of his repertoire for at least a decade.

Interesting facts:

• The music was composed by Vincent Youmans, with lyrics by Harold Adamson and Mack Gordon.
• The song was published in 1930 under the fuller title Time on My Hands (You in My Arms).
• It was written for the Broadway musical Smiles, which opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre on 18 November 1930.
• The song was performed in the show by the characters Smiles and Dick and was later reprised by the company.
• One of the earliest important recordings was made in London by Al Bowlly with the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra in February 1931.
• Django Reinhardt recorded the tune in Paris in March 1939 with the classic string-based Quintette du Hot Club de France.
• Django recorded the composition again during his 1949 Rome sessions with Stéphane Grappelli, this time in a group including piano and drums.
• The standard was later recorded by major jazz musicians including Billie Holiday, Ben Webster, Chet Baker, and many others.

Time on My Hands is a classic example of a Broadway song that found a much longer life in jazz than on the stage for which it was written. Django Reinhardt’s recordings helped connect its elegant American songwriting with the distinctive acoustic language of European swing and Manouche Jazz.