"Can't We Be Friends?" was composed by Kay Swift with lyrics by Paul James, the pen name of her then-husband James Paul Warburg. Written in 1929, the song was introduced by Libby Holman in the Broadway revue The Little Show. It was an early success for Swift, who the following year would become the first woman to compose a complete Broadway musical score with Fine and Dandy. The song is a wistful, urbane ballad with a conversational melodic line that lends itself to a wide range of interpretive approaches, from intimate vocal readings to swinging instrumental treatments. Its harmonic foundation is sturdy yet flexible, which has allowed it to travel easily across stylistic boundaries. Among the earliest recordings were those by Red Nichols and His Five Pennies and Smith Ballew, both from 1929. The tune went on to become a genuine jazz standard, recorded by artists including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra (on his landmark 1955 album In the Wee Small Hours with Nelson Riddle), Betty Carter, and Illinois Jacquet. Its appearance in several Hollywood films during the 1940s and 1950s further cemented its place in the popular consciousness. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong recorded the song in 1956 for their celebrated collaborative album, with Armstrong contributing a characteristic trumpet solo that highlighted the tune's melodic warmth.
