Days of Wine and Roses is from a poem by Ernest Dowson, titled Vitae Summa Brevis Spem Nos Vetat Incohare Longam [more].
Basic premise – life is short. [Full poem below] You can find the a calendar to help you find days to celebrate beyond just “Tuesday” here.
Days of Wine and Roses is also the title of a film from 1962 starring Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick. The title song “Days of Wine and Roses” has lyrics by Johnny Mercer with music by the great Henry Mancini. It won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year as well as an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1963. [more]
A fun fact on iMDB is “Bill Wilson co-founder of AA was on set as technical adviser.”
Supposedly*, “Ain’t No Sunshine” was written by Bill Withers after watching the movie on television. [*According to Wikipedia] The song won a Grammy in 1972, almost 10 years after “Days of Wine and Roses” won a Grammy.
Note: The film is a drama and deals with the harsh reality of alcoholism and the difficulty with getting sober. Wikipedia outlines the entire plot line if you want to skip the film.
They are not long, the weeping and the laughter,
Love and desire and hate:
I think they have no portion in us after
We pass the gate.They are not long, the days of wine and roses:
–Ernest Dowson
Out of a misty dream
Our path emerges for a while, then closes
Within a dream.
