One of the Gershwin’s most famous songs was premiered by Ethel Merman in Girl Crazy as a climactic number for the show’s first act. It’s distinguished by unusual syncopated phrases. For its initial version, the song called for Merman (then a relatively unknown singer) to hold out a single note on the word “I” for the duration as the orchestra played its version of the chorus, showcasing her voice’s power and stamina. This trick has been repeated occasionally in the dozens of times that the song has been re-recorded over the decades.