James Maxwell Anderson:
(Atlantic (Pennsylvania), 15 December 1888 – Stamford (Connecticut), 28 February 1959).
American playwright, author, poet, journalist and songwriter. He was a founding member of The Playwrights Company.
For it’s a long, long while from May to December. But the days grow short when you reach September.
But the days grow short when you reach September.
The phrase “But the days get shorter when you reach September” is a poetic way of saying:
– ‘As you get older, time seems to go faster.’
– ‘In the later stages of life, you realize that you have less time left.’
– ‘“September” symbolically represents the autumn of life’ — no longer youth or the height of summer, but a period of maturity, melancholy, and finitude.
So it is not just literally about shorter days in September, but especially ‘metaphorically about growing older and the preciousness of remaining time’.
Origin đźŽ:
The line comes from the song “September Song” from the Broadway musical “Knickerbocker Holiday” from 1938.
The famous English line reads:
> “Oh, it’s a long, long while from May to December,
> But the days grow short when you reach September.”
Author ✍️: Maxwell Anderson
– Text/lyrics: Maxwell Anderson
– Music: Kurt Weill
– Musical: “Knickerbocker Holiday”
– Year: 1938
So if you quote the ‘words’, you can mention Maxwell Anderson. If you refer to the song as a whole, it is more correct to say:
> From “September Song”, lyrics by Maxwell Anderson, music by Kurt Weill.
Cultural significance 🎶:
The song was originally sung by Walter Huston and later became famous through many performances, including by:
– Frank Sinatra
– Ella Fitzgerald
– Willie Nelson
– Sarah Vaughan
As a result, the line has almost become a proverbial expression about ‘old age, transience, and appreciating the time that remains’.
