🎵 About the Song
“Cheek to Cheek” is pure old Hollywood elegance — all charm, champagne, and effortless rhythm. Written by Irving Berlin and performed by Fred Astaire in the film Top Hat (1935), it became an instant classic. Astaire famously sang it while dancing across clouds of ostrich feathers with Ginger Rogers, setting the gold standard for grace and flirtation in motion.
The melody is smooth and deceptively simple, the kind that feels like it’s been around forever. It’s romantic but never sappy — the kind of song that makes you sit up straighter, smile without meaning to, and imagine a world where everyone wears tuxedos and speaks in witty one-liners.
On ukulele, Cheek to Cheek becomes something else entirely — still classy, but with a wink. The uke gives it a cozy, fireside warmth that turns a ballroom waltz into an intimate slow dance for two.
🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips
- Chords: [C], [A7], [Dm7], [G7], [E7], [Am], [D7], [F]
- Feel: Swing rhythm, smooth and slow — think of it like dancing, not marching.
- Strum: D DU UDU works beautifully; let the upstrokes breathe.
- For an authentic touch, use jazz voicings — [Dm7] 2213, [E7] 1202, [A7] 0100.
- Accent the changes between [G7] and [C] lightly, as if you’re changing partners on the dance floor.
- Keep dynamics in mind — play softly on verses, then open up as the melody rises (“Dance with me…”).
If you want to try it in the original film pitch, add a capo on the 1st fret to reach C# — or use our transposing guide if you’re feeling fancy.
💡 Trivia You Can Drop Casually
- Irving Berlin wrote the song in just a few days, reportedly inspired by the feeling of “perfect movement” he saw between Astaire and Rogers.
- It was nominated for an Oscar but lost to “Lullaby of Broadway.” (Justice for Fred!)
- The phrase “Heaven, I’m in heaven…” has since been used in dozens of films and ads — proof that the song embedded itself deep into pop culture’s DNA.
- Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong’s duet version is considered one of the finest jazz recordings ever made.
✨ Final Word
Play Cheek to Cheek when you want to slow down time a little. Let the chords sway like a slow dance under fairy lights — it’s not about technical perfection, it’s about mood. If you can make someone close their eyes and smile while you play it, you’ve done it right.
