THE BOY NEXT DOOR - Free Jazz Leadsheet

"The Boy Next Door" was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane and published in 1944 for the film "Meet Me in St. Louis." Judy Garland introduced the song on screen, and her studio recording made later that year in Hollywood became the definitive early version.

The tune has since been interpreted by jazz singers including Jo Stafford and Stacey Kent, who favor its gentle romantic sentiment. Its lyrics describe the quiet blossoming of affection for a familiar figure, while the melody unfolds in a flowing 32-bar structure marked by warm harmonic turns. Its understated sweetness has kept it a staple for ballad interpreters.